Built: 1849-1850 Designed by: J.N.B. de Pouilly Type: Holy Place Maximum Height: 130 feet / 40 meters Location: Jackson Square, New Orleans, United States
T here are a lot of things about New Orleans that evoke Europe. One of those is the fact that a cathedral is the center of consciousness for the city. Located in one of the busiest tourist areas, the Saint Louis Cathedral is a landmark for locals and visitors alike. The first church on this plot was built in 1727. New Orleans was already a bustling city, so this was not a modest affair. It burned down in 1788 when a fire started in the nearby home of the colonial military treasurer spread to the church. Construction was finished on a second church in 1794. It is a gift from a wealthy landowner named Don Andres Almonester y Roxas. By 1834 the cathedral was crowded and shabby from overuse. A renovation project made things worse -- the cathedral collapsed. By 1851, they finally got it right. Because of a scarcity of materials, it was necessary for the cathedral to be built of wood instead of stone like its European counterparts. Still, the building's trio of spires adequately evokes this heritage. Its windows, too, are smaller than the ones typical on the other side of the Atlantic. This is because of the hurricanes that occasionally lash the area. Still, the ten main stained glass windows are great examples of the craft, depicting life of Louis IX.
June, 1726 - Adrien De Pauger dies before his building is completed. Before he passed away, he asked to be buried in the building. It is unknown if this actually happened, but it is assumed it did.
21 March, 1788 - The church burns.
1789-1794 - A second church is built.
1819 - The City of New Orleans agrees to pay for a clock and a clock tower for the cathedral.
1849 - The cathedral collapses during renovation.
7 December,1851 - The current cathedral is dedicated.
September, 1987 - Pope John Paul II visits the cathedral.
August, 2005 - Hurricane Katrina devastates the city of New Orleans, but the cathedral and much of the French Quarter are spared because the French built it on the highest piece of land in the area.
2 October, 2005 - The first mass is held in Saint Louis Cathedral since Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of the city.
Toni Forstall
Tuesday, April 10th, 2007 @ 11:46am
Rating: Five stars. A beautiful cathedral, St.Louis is verly important to New Orleans and historical to the French Quarter.
ramona weindorfer
Thursday, August 3rd, 2006 @ 11:08pm
Rating: Five stars. Whenever we visit New Orleans the first thing we visit is St. Louis Cathedral.
frank j. agnello
Sunday, January 22nd, 2006 @ 3:15pm
Rating: One star. I believe the church is truly a beautiful Cathedral, equal to many in Europe, I believe your mayor, unfortunately, missed a few lessons in common sense, too say the least. With all that New Orleans means to million of Immigrants, why, no reccognition to their port of entry? Nothing! How sad. A visitor.
Travis Kelly
Thursday, January 12th, 2006 @ 4:11pm
Rating: Five stars. The Cathedral is the center and "heart" of the city. Each time we visit New Orleans, we have to go visit the cathedral and Jackson Square.
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New York, United States
Toni Forstall
Five stars.
One star.