St Andrew's Cathedral is one of the few examples of English Gothic Revival architecture in Singapore. It was designed by Colonel Ronald MacPherson of the Madras Army and built by convict labourers. The first services were held in 1862. In 1870, it was elevated to the status of a Cathedral.
This is the second church on the site. The grounds were reserved for an Anglican church by Stamford Raffles in his 1823 Town Plan. The first church designed by G D Coleman was completed in 1837. It was named St Andrew's after the patron saint of Scotland in recognition of the generosity of the Scottish community who contributed a large portion of the funds. The church was struck by lightning twice and fell into disrepair. By 1852 it was deemed unsafe and was demolished to make way for the present building. During the Japanese invasion, the Cathedral was used as a casualty station for the wounded and remained open for worship.
One of the main attractions of the Cathedral is a multi-coloured stained glass window. The centre panel is dedicated to the memory of Sir Stamford Raffles, founder of Singapore, in 1861.