Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Paramaribo, Suriname is the biggest wooden structure in the Western Hemisphere. It was built as a theatre initially, but after it burned down it was turned into a cathedral.
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The Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul is 114 years old. Before it became a cathedral it was a theatre and was owned by La Parra. The theatre was built in 1809 and burned down in 1820. The construction of the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral started on 13 January 1883. In 2009 the gate to the cathedral turned 200 years old. The cathedral has 18 confession rooms in total.
The building has 3 bells in the left tower. The name of the smallest bell is Afonsus and it weighs 290 kg. The biggest bell is named John and it weighs 827 kg. The middle one is named Rosa and it weighs 493 kg.
This makes the cathedral the biggest and tallest wooden structure on the western hemisphere. The cathedral has space for 340 people and was initially built for free slaves and contract labourers.
The pipe organ was constructed in Germany and initially contained 1,550 pipes. Many of the pipes have been stolen over the years, leaving the organ with a value of 400 euros. After renovation it is expected to have a value of around 10 million euros.