Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul

The Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul is a neogothic church in Lewiston, Maine, built in 1936 and belonging to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. It reflects the deep Franco-American roots of Lewiston, a mill city that drew tens of thousands of French-speaking Québécois immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many of whom formed tightly knit Catholic parishes. In 2004 the church received the title of basilica minor from the Holy See, recognizing its liturgical significance to the region. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building follows a classic basilica floor plan with a broad nave and side aisles, its neogothic detailing lending the interior a formal gravity that belies the modest scale of the city it serves.