| Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Basilica_of_the_Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus,_Atlanta,_GA_(46750901204).jpg) The church in 2019 | |
 | |
| 33°45′49.5″N 84°23′8.5″W / 33.763750°N 84.385694°W | |
| Location | 353 Peachtree Street NE Atlanta, Georgia |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Tradition | Roman Rite |
| Website | Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (1898–2010) |
| Status | Minor basilica |
| Dedication | Sacred Heart of Jesus |
| Dedicated | May 1, 1898 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Walter T. Downing |
| Style | French Romanesque Romanesque Revival |
| Years built | 1897–1898 |
| Groundbreaking | September 1897 |
| Specifications | |
| Tower height | 137 feet (42 m) |
| Administration | |
| Province | Ecclesiastical Province of Atlanta |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta |
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Seal_of_the_Basilica_of_the_Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus,_Atlanta.png) | |
Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus | |
| Area | less than one acre |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000625[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | May 13, 1976 |
| Designated ALB | April 10, 1990 |
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a Roman Catholic church in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The current building, at the intersection of Peachtree Street and Peachtree Center Avenue, was completed in 1898. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and was designated a minor basilica in 2010.
The church traces its origins to 1880, when the parish of Saints Peter and Paul was established to cover the northern part of the city. In 1897, the Marist Fathers took over responsibility for the parish and began constructing the current church, which was designed by Walter T. Downing with elements of French Romanesque and Romanesque Revival architecture. It was dedicated the following year as the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, leading to the new name of the parish. The church saw steady growth during its first few decades and by 1917 was one of the largest parishes operated by the Marists. This group returned operation of the church to the Archdiocese of Atlanta in the 1960s. In the following decades, the area around the church went through a period of decline, and there were concerns that the church would close. However, it continued to operate and saw a growth in its congregation. In 1995, Mother Teresa attended Mass at the church and the building celebrated its 100th anniversary three years later. By 2010, the church had a congregation of about 1,300 families, and it is one of the few buildings constructed around the turn of the 20th century that is still standing in Atlanta.
- ^ National Park Service 1994, p. 152.