Visit Antigua & Barbuda

The St. John’s Cathedral

The St. John’s Cathedral dominates the landscape of St. John’s.  At one time it was the largest and most imposing structure on the cityscape.  It carries the names of St. John the Divine and at the south gate on Temple Street, statues of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Divine.  It is classic and Baroque in architectural style.  The original was a wood structure that was built shortly after the time of settlement in the 1680s.  The second was a small stone and brick building (1720) that was completely destroyed by the Great Earthquake of February 8th 1843.  The new structure was a unique building of stone that completely encased a wooden building, on its inside.  This was intended to protect the worshipers should another major earthquake occur when the cathedral was in use.