St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, Memphis

Saint Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in Memphis is a notable and historic landmark designed by the Memphis architect Bayard Snowden Cairns. Located near downtown Memphis, it serves as the cathedral church for the Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee and was formerly the cathedral for the old statewide Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee.

Saint Mary's originated as a mission chapel in North Memphis, founded by the Ladies' Educational and Missionary Society of Calvary Church, the city's first Episcopal parish. Charles Quintard, Calvary Church's rector and later the second bishop of the Diocese of Tennessee, oversaw the chapel. Saint Mary's stood out from Calvary Church by offering open seating, allowing less affluent Memphis residents to attend Episcopal services without charging rent for designated pews, a departure from exclusive practices of the era.

Saint Mary's Cathedral holds the distinction of being the first Episcopal cathedral in the American South, officially transitioning from a parish church to a cathedral on January 1, 1871. This transition occurred during a period when the Episcopal Church in the United States was slowly adopting the English-style cathedral system.

Architecturally, Saint Mary's features a white-stone structure and English Gothic design. One of the most notable characteristics of the cathedral is the altar, "Constance and Her Companions", which is a tribute to the nuns and priests who lost their lives during the Epidemic of 1878. This element of the church not only adds to its aesthetic beauty but also serves as a poignant reminder of the cathedral's historical significance and the role it has played in the community.