St. Mary's Cathedral, Kuala Lumpur

Standing humbly at Jalan Raja is the Cathedral of Saint Mary the Virgin also known as the Saint Mary’s Cathedral.

The initial structure was built in 1887, and the Church was made entirely of timber. The Church acted as the central point for all the Anglicans around the area to gather and offer their prayers and take part in other spiritual activities. However, with a capacity to accommodate only 95 people, the wooden church soon fell short for its growing number of its parish members. In 1893, the decision to make a bigger church was passed and the hunt for the perfect architect and design started.

Although many contenders came forth with their ideas and concepts none managed to get a unanimous approval and the responsibility was soon given to the Chief Government architect A.C. Norman who proposed a simple yet classic structure inspired by traditional English Gothic architecture. A sum total of $5000 was allotted for the construction of the new building. Apart from that local philanthropists, Yap Kwan Seng and Thamboosamy Pillay, made tremendous contributions for building the Church.

The pipe organ that resides in the Saint Mary’s Cathedral is also worthy of notice. Built by the famous 19th century organ maker, Henry Wills, the organ is definitely one of a kind.