St. John the Baptist Cathedral began its history in 1878 when Carpatho-Russians, immigrants from the western part of Galicia known as Lemkivshchyna, established a Greek Catholic parish. Initially, they held services in a house located behind the current cathedral, and then rented an abandoned Baptist church, converting its interior into an Orthodox temple. In 1888, the Brotherhood of St. John the Baptist was established, which still exists today, and a decision was made to build a new church. The first building, constructed in 1891, was wooden and built in the familiar style of these people.

By 1896, parishioners had erected a parish house and a school building, which also served as a community center for church and community activities. Subsequently, the community organized a grocery cooperative, creative studios, Scout Troop No. 85, a library, and the fire department "Russian Hose."

In 1907, St. John the Baptist Church became the venue for the First All-American Orthodox Council, held from February 20 to 23 under the chairmanship of Archbishop Tikhon. By the late 1920s, the old wooden church could no longer accommodate all the parishioners. In 1930, it was moved to Maple Street, where services continued until the new church was completed. The cornerstone of the new building was laid and consecrated in 1930 by Archbishops Apollinary (Koshev) and Adam (Filipovsky). The first service in the new church took place on February 22, 1933.