St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans
St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square. Photo
Anthony Posey.
St. Louis Cathedral after sunset. Photo
Jim Nix.
St. Louis Cathedral at sunset. Photo
Jimmy Smith.
Closer look at the facade. Photo
Anthony Posey.
Interior of St. Louis Cathedral. Photo
Troy & Kelli.
The impressive interior with sloping floor. Photo
Shubert Ciencia.
The St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans prides itself on being the oldest active cathedral in the United States. The cathedral architecture is attractive, but the main draw is the significant and rather dramatic history of the building.
History
The cathedral formed the center of the original settlement and it is still the major landmark of the French Quarter. This is the third building to stand on this spot. A hurricane destroyed the first in 1722.
On Good Friday 1788, the bells of the second cathedral were kept silent for religious reasons rather than ringing out the alarm for a fire – which eventually went out of control and burned down more than 850 buildings, including the cathedral.
Rebuilt in 1794, the structure was remodeled and enlarged between 1845 and 1851 by J. N. B. de Pouilly. The brick used in its construction was taken from the original town cemetery and was covered with stucco to protect the mortar from dampness.
What to See
It's worth going inside the cathedral to catch one of the free docent tours; the knowledgeable guides are full of fun facts about the windows and murals and how the building nearly collapsed once from water table sinkage.
Be sure to note the slope of the floor; clever architectural design somehow keeps the building upright even as it continues to sink.
Quick Facts
Site Information |
| Names: | St. Louis Cathedral |
| Dedicated to: | St. Louis |
| Location: | New Orleans, Louisiana, USA |
| Category: | Cathedrals |
| Faith: | Christianity |
| Status: | active |
| Date: | 1794 |
| Features: | Oldest |
Visitor Information |
| Coordinates: | 29.958049° N, 90.063772° W (view on Google Maps) |
| Address: | 615 Pere Antoine Alley, New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Phone: | 504-525-9585 |
Travel Resources for New Orleans
- New Orleans Map - our detailed interactive map of New Orleans, plus hand-picked links to more
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- New Orleans Travel Forum - tips, answers and advice on New Orleans tourism
Location Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of St. Louis Cathedral. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our New Orleans Map.
Article Sources
Article written by Holly Hayes with reference to the following sources:
Article last updated: 06/19/2009.
