The 1881 design competition for the cathedral became one of the most publicized of its day, pitting the nations preeminent 19th century architect H. H. Richardson against one of his many devotees, a twenty-nine year old English immigrant named Robert W. Gibson.  This “David and Goliath” match-up yielded the same results was the original competition, leaving Richardson with his wonderfully refined Romanesque design, wondering how he could have lost out in a competition for what would have been the largest building of his career. 

As it turns out, Gibson’s masterfully proportioned Gothic design was never completed.  With a current active congregation of only 250, the lead church of the Albany Episcopal Diocese has struggled valiantly to maintain its edifice ever since work stopped in 1904.  Inherent and persistent maintenance problems and asphalt shingle roof dating to the late 1940s had until recently allowed water to damage the cathedral’s interior and destabilize portions of its masonry walls.  With most of the roofs replaced and sizable areas of masonry rebuilt, the diocese and congregation are poised to take on additional projects, such as one of the largest stained glass windows in America.