Among the many notable attributes of the Cowboy State is that Wyoming is the home of the highest cathedral in the United States: St. Matthew’s Episcopal in Laramie.
The structure, which was built between 1892 and 1896, includes a cross at the top of the spire that is 118 feet above the sidewalk below and 7,276 feet above sea level, making it the highest cathedral in the nation.
Given that there are higher elevation communities in neighboring Colorado and taller spires on cathedrals in other parts of the country, the fact that St. Matt’s — as parishioners affectionately call it — claims the title of the “highest cathedral” comes down to semantics, according to The Very Rev. Rick Veit.
“If you were to go to the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., or St. John the Divine in New York City, their churches are huge,” said Veit, who serves as dean of St. Matthew’s. “However, the cross at the top of the spire (at St. Matthew’s) is 7,276 feet above sea level, which makes it the highest cathedral in the United States.”
Not The Largest Or Tallest
New York City boasts both the largest church in North America, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, as well as the tallest church, Riverside Church in Manhattan.
The floor area of St. John the Divine covers 121,000 square feet. Riverside Church in New York City features a 20-floor bell tower that brings the total height of the structure to 392 feet.
But although Riverside Church is considered the tallest in the country, because of its elevation (just 33 feet above sea level), it’s not considered the “highest.” The cross at the top of the spire of St. Matthew's is 118 feet above the sidewalk — but the elevation on that sidewalk is at 7,158 feet.
At an elevation of 7,276 feet above sea level, St. Matthew's Cathedral and its 118-foot spire in Laramie, Wyoming, is the highest cathedral in the United States. There are others much larger and taller, but none with the rare air of Laramie's altitude. (Google) 
At an elevation of 7,276 feet above sea level, St. Matthew's Cathedral and its 118-foot spire in Laramie, Wyoming, is the highest cathedral in the United States. There are others much larger and taller, but none with the rare air of Laramie's altitude. (Photo by: Wendy Corr) 
At an elevation of 7,276 feet above sea level, St. Matthew's Cathedral and its 118-foot spire in Laramie, Wyoming, is the highest cathedral in the United States. There are others much larger and taller, but none with the rare air of Laramie's altitude. (Glenn Nagel via Alamy) 
At an elevation of 7,276 feet above sea level, St. Matthew's Cathedral and its 118-foot spire in Laramie, Wyoming, is the highest cathedral in the United States. There are others much larger and taller, but none with the rare air of Laramie's altitude. (Google) 
St. Matthew's spire with the moon behind it. (Courtesy Kathy Sandoval) 
At an elevation of 7,276 feet above sea level, St. Matthew's Cathedral and its 118-foot spire in Laramie, Wyoming, is the highest cathedral in the United States. There are others much larger and taller, but none with the rare air of Laramie's altitude. (Courtesy Kathy Sandoval)
Cathedral Vs. Church
The Church of the Annunciation in Leadville, Colorado, is credited with having the highest elevation church steeple in North America. With its highest point reaching an impressive 10,152 feet, its spire does rise far above the cross atop St. Matt’s.
But the Colorado church is not considered a “cathedral.”
St. Matthew's is the primary Episcopal “cathedral” in Wyoming.
While a “church” is any place of worship that has a permanent congregation and is run by a pastor or priest, a “cathedral” is a church that’s run by a bishop.
Like St. Matthew's, a cathedral is the principal church within a diocese, which is the area of land over which a bishop has jurisdiction.
For dictionary nerds, the name “cathedral” comes from the word “cathedra,” the special chair in which a bishop sits.
While all cathedrals are churches, not all churches are cathedrals.
This is why St. Matthew's can claim the title of the highest “cathedral” in the U.S.
Tower Not Part of Original Structure
Interestingly, St. Matthew’s, as originally built, did not include the central tower that sets the elevation record.
The Rev. Ethelbert Talbot of Missouri was elected Bishop of the newly created Missionary District of Wyoming and Idaho in 1887, choosing Laramie as the central city for his diocese.
Talbot directed the construction of St. Matthew's Cathedral between 1892 and 1896, a structure designed by William Halsey Wood of New York City and built from native sandstone quarried just northeast of Laramie.
“But they didn't have enough money in the late 1800s, when they built the cathedral itself, to build that central tower,” said Veit.
“In 1916, the Ivinsons helped build that tower and pay for it,” he said, referring to the family whose name adorns streets and buildings throughout Laramie. “So, in 1916 the tower was added, and that made it the highest cathedral in the United States.”
However, Veit pointed out that not everyone can access the Ivinson tower.
“You can climb up the tower,” Veit said. “It's treacherous, though. There’s a ladder that goes straight up, and so we only allow a few people to go up there into the tower. The people that go up are the clock winders.”
Wendy Corr can be reached at wendy@cowboystatedaily.com.
