Fire devastates St. Columba Cathedral in 1954 | St. Columba Cathedral lies in ruin in 1954. Fire destroyed St. Columba Cathedral on Sept. 2, 1954 when a bolt of lightning struck the church during a late evening storm.
According to news accounts of the day, firefighters first responding found the blaze well under way with fire outlining the cathedral’s main rose window. Eleven fire companies ultimately responded to the three-alarm blaze.
At the time, Diocese of Youngstown officials estimated the blaze to have caused $1.25 million in damage. The new St. Columba Cathedral, which overlooks downtown Youngstown, opened on the same location in 1958.
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I was baptized at the old St. Columba Cathedral on November 30, 1947. I was the first American baptized by Father Kelly. Sister Diane Toth, Ursuline Sister of Youngstown.