St. Louis Cathedral

Historical narrative

St. Louis Cathedral, overlooking Jackson Square in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter, has occupied this site for nearly three centuries. The parish was established in 1720, and its first permanent church was dedicated in 1727. That building was destroyed in the devastating Good Friday fire of 1788. A new church, funded largely by Spanish philanthropist Don Andrés Almonester y Roxas, was completed in 1794. Major remodeling and enlargement in the mid-19th century created much of the cathedral seen today, including its distinctive three-spired façade. One of St. Louis Cathedral’s most remarkable features is its continuity: it is the oldest Catholic cathedral in continual use in the United States. Its graceful silhouette, historic interior, stained glass, and setting between the Cabildo and Presbytère make it a distinctive destination in New Orleans—a living crossroads of faith, architecture, and Louisiana history.

Oil

© Stephen B. Hales — All Rights Reserved