Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

This article is about the shrine in Atlanta, Georgia. For the Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., see Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Location48 Martin Luther King, Jr. St., SW,
Atlanta, Georgia
Coordinates 33°45′1″N 84°23′22″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1869
ArchitectWilliam H. Parkins
Architectural styleGothic Revival, Commissioners' Gothic
NRHP reference No.76000630[1]
Added to NRHPDecember 12, 1976

Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (Atlanta, Ga.)

With construction completed in 1873, the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is the oldest church in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Designed by local architect William H. Parkins, the cornerstone was laid September 1, 1869 by poet Abram Joseph Ryan. It replaced a wood-frame structure that was located on the same site, and that was famously saved from the burning of the city in 1864.

Foundation

Due to the damage received during the siege of Atlanta, the original wood-frame church was dragged from the premises to make way for the current granite and brick structure. The Shrine of the Immaculate Conception rests of stones quarried and placed by Patrick Lynch who was one of Atlanta Pioneer Citizens along with his four brothers.[2] Patrick Lynch, a devote Catholic, laid the foundations for many of the first buildings in Atlanta.[3] Patrick Lynch assisted Father O'Riley in negotiating the salvation of the original wooden church from being burned by orders of General Sherman.[4]

Fire of 1982

On 6 Aug 1982, the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception nearly burned to the ground. The cause of the fire was suspected to be because of faulty wiring.[5] [6] After two years of restoration, the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception reopened on 17 May 1984.

The artist KnoWell, who is a descendant of the Pioneer Citizens of Atlanta, Ga's, Lynch family, has proposed a "Stained Glass Project", that would create in real time a photo mosaic of the reproduction of Bartolomé Esteban Murillo's, painting, The Aranjuez Immaculate Conception, which was lost in the fire that nearly destroyed the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Atlanta, Pioneer citizens' society; Ga.), Pioneer Citizens' Society (Atlanta (1902). Pioneer Citizens' History of Atlanta, 1833-1902: Pub. by the Pioneer Citizens' Society of Atlanta... Byrd printing Company.
  3. Garrett, Franklin M. (2011-03-01). Atlanta and Environs: A Chronicle of Its People and Events, 1820s-1870s. University of Georgia Press. ISBN 978-0-8203-3903-0.
  4. "Irish Roots In Atlanta Are Deep, Historic". Georgia Bulletin. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
  5. "7 Aug 1982, 1 - The Atlanta Constitution at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
  6. "Jo Phelps Photographs of the Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception". album.atlantahistorycenter.com. Retrieved 2021-04-01.


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