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Ralph Adams Cram

American architect, 1863 to 1942, born in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, U.S.

Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Detroit's Midtown, 1911 Photo: Andrew Jameson at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cathedral Church of St. Paul leads Cram's work on record here, the cathedral that went up in Detroit's Midtown in 1911, on the National Register since 1982. It is one of 4 works by Cram on record across Detroit and Hamtramck, built from 1908 to 1927.

works on record in Metro Detroit
4
of work here, 1908 to 1927
19 years
notable works beyond Metro Detroit
11

Ralph Adams Cram, here and around the world, by height

All 4 of Cram's works on record, with 6 of Cram's notable works elsewhere drawn paler, oldest at left. None has a height on record, so each is drawn at one standard size in the shape of its kind.

All 4 of Cram's works on record, with 3 of Cram's notable works elsewhere drawn paler, oldest at left. None has a height on record, so each is drawn at one standard size in the shape of its kind.

Cathedral Church of St. Paul

1911, Detroit, height not on record, drawn at one standard size

Still standing, photographed 2012

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The story

By Victoria Jackson, Editor in Chief Updated

The American architect Ralph Adams Cram was born in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, U.S. in 1863 and died in 1942. Of everything Cram designed here, Cathedral Church of St. Paul leads the list, a cathedral in Detroit's Midtown, finished in 1911 and listed on the National Register in 1982.

Cram's Metro Detroit work on record runs from St. Florian Historic District in 1908 to Saint Mary of Redford Catholic Church in 1927, 19 years. Far from Woodward Avenue, Cram designed Grace Church in Providence, Rhode Island (1829), the Princeton Art Museum in Princeton, New Jersey (1882), and All Saints Cathedral, Halifax in Halifax, Nova Scotia (1910). Among the honors on record for Cram are the Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America in 1926 and the Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Cram's work here stands in Detroit and Hamtramck. In Detroit, Cram's work stands in Midtown and Wayne State.

All 4 of Cram's works on record are still standing. On Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Cram shares credit with Cram, Wentworth & Goodhue.. Houses of worship were a calling card for Cram, 3 of them on record, St. Florian Historic District and Cathedral Church of St. Paul among them. To see Cram's work in person, start with St. Florian Historic District at Roughly bounded by Joseph Campau Ave., Holbrook Ave., Dequindre, Norwalk, Lumpkin, and Yemans Sts.

Ralph Adams Cram (December 16, 1863, September 22, 1942) was a prolific and influential American architect of collegiate and ecclesiastical buildings, often in the Gothic Revival style. Cram & Ferguson and Cram, Goodhue & Ferguson are partnerships in which he worked.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Ralph Adams Cram's mark on Metro Detroit, building by building

Where their buildings stand

4 works on the map

Loading the map

  • Standing
  • Demolished
  • Altered
  • Works close together

4 works on the map

Where else Cram built

11 notable works by Ralph Adams Cram in 10 places, from 1829 to 1928, as Wikidata lists them.

Who Cram worked with

Where the work stands

Photo credits

All 15 photos on Ralph Adams Cram's page, each with its author, license and the original.

  1. Cathedral Church of Saint Paul on Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, 2008 Photo: Andrew Jameson at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  2. Ralph Adams Cram, American architect, 1911 Photo: Theodore C. Marceau, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  3. St. Florian Church, a Roman Catholic parish in Hamtramck, Michigan, United States, is the centerpiece of the St...., 2008 Photo: Andrew Jameson at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  4. St Mary of Redford Catholic Church 1927 Photo: public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  5. St Andrews, Detroit Photo: Andrew Jameson at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  6. Grace Church Photo: Marcbela, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  7. Princeton Art Museum Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  8. All Saints Cathedral, Halifax Photo: Fi fiona23, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  9. Saint Thomas Church Photo: Chris06, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  10. Sacred Heart Cathedral Photo: Ammodramus, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  11. Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral of New England Photo: Biruitorul, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  12. First Presbyterian Church Photo: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  13. Princeton University Chapel Photo: Cocoloco at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  14. East Liberty Presbyterian Church Photo: East Liberty Presbyterian Church, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  15. Trinity Episcopal Church Photo: i_am_jim, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources

The facts on Ralph Adams Cram come from Historic Detroit, Wikidata, Wikipedia, and Photos; Rebuild Detroit wrote the story above from them, and each photo names its license.