The first Roman Catholic church built in the United States, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as the Baltimore Basilica, was built from 1806 to 1821 under the supervision of John Carroll, the church?s and the nation?s first Bishop. As the first major religious structure in the country, the Baltimore Basilica quickly became a symbol of the land?s newly established religious independence after the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. The Basilica?s consecration was held on May 31, 1821, by the city of Baltimore?s third Archbishop Ambrose Mar?chal. In 1937, it was elevated as a Minor Basilica by Pope Pius XI. The Basilica was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, was proclaimed a National Historic Landmark in 1971 and was designated as a National Shrine by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The Catholic Church, in celebration of their newly acquired right to worship openly, built the Baltimore Basilica in a neoclassical design inspired by the architecture of the new federal city in Washington which represents an American architecture. The Basilica?s dome was made of wooden double-shells with 24 half-visible skylights, an outline derived from that of the U.S. Capitol, the only building that could equal the grandeur of the Basilica. The Basilica?s layout is of Latin cross-shaped plan which is more visible in the interior with the crossing surmounted by the huge dome. The interior looks centralized as opposed to the exterior?s impression of a linear or oblong structure and is filled with light contrary to the dark, hollow alcoves of traditional Gothic cathedrals. In 2001, through the efforts of the Basilica of the Assumption Historic Trust, Inc., a restoration campaign was initiated. The campaign was a success and the Basilica underwent a 32-month, $34 million renovation which includes the modernization throughout the building, reinstating its original design (specially the wall and the marble flooring colors), the reopening of the twenty four skylights in the main dome and the replacement of stained glasses with clear glass windows. The transformation of the Basilica also consisted of providing public access to the Archbishop?s crypt (where eight of the twelve deceased Archbishops of Baltimore are laid to rest), the construction of a Chapel in the undercroft and creating handicap accessibility to the entire Basilica. The renovation project was completed in November 2006, in time for the Basilica's Bicentennial and the biannual meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops which was held here to mark the occasion of its reopening. Today, the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nation?s first Basilica, looks the way it was some 190 years ago.