St. Louis Cathedral

A parish has stood on this spot since 1718, the year New Orleans was founded. The French built the first church — a crude wooden structure — on the town square. A larger brick and timber church, begun in 1725 and completed in 1727, burned in the Great New Orleans Fire on Good Friday, March 21, 1788. The cornerstone of a new church was laid in 1789 and completed in 1794. In 1793, Saint Louis Church was elevated to cathedral rank as the See of the Diocese of New Orleans, making it one of the oldest cathedrals in the United States. In 1819, a central tower designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe was added, with a clock and bell. The bell was embossed with the name "Victoire" in commemoration of the Battle of New Orleans victory in 1815. In 1849, the diocese contracted with John Patrick Kirwan to enlarge and restore the cathedral using plans by Jacques Nicolas Bussière de Pouilly. During construction in 1850, the central tower collapsed. De Pouilly and Kirwan were replaced. Very little of the Spanish Colonial structure survived. The present structure dates primarily to 1850, giving it the triple-steeple profile visible today. The bell from the 1819 tower was reused in the new building and is still there today. On April 25, 1909, a dynamite bomb was set off in the cathedral, blowing out windows and damaging galleries. The following year, a portion of the foundation collapsed. The building was closed while repairs were made, from Easter 1916 to Easter 1917. Pope Paul VI designated it a minor basilica in 1964. The cathedral clock, installed in the 1820s, is one of the oldest public clocks still operating in the country. Père Antoine — Father Antonio de Sedella — served as pastor for 40 years and is buried beneath the sanctuary floor. Mass is celebrated every day. The cathedral is open daily between services.