St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans
St. Louis Cathedral from Jackson Sq. in spring. Photo by Azhar Elmiza.
St. Louis Cathedral at sunset. Photo by Jimmy Smith.
The impressive interior with sloping floor. Photo by Matt Otto.
White facade and spires. Photo by Mike DelGaudio.
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.
| Name: | St. Louis Cathedral |
| Type of site: | Cathedral |
| Faith: | Roman Catholic |
| Date: | 1794 |
| Address: | 615 Pere Antoine Alley |
| Phone: | 504/525-9585 |
| Hours: | Mon-Sat 9am-5pm; Sun 2-5pm. Free tours run continuously. |
| Cost: | Free |
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 or get our free Google Earth download.
