Building of the Week: St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans

The oldest, continually operating cathedral in the United States, St. Louis Cathedral stands proudly as the centerpiece of New Orleans’ famed Jackson Square. Three churches have stood on the site since the first was built in 1718. In 1789, the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France, was given the status of Cathedral. The cathedral today bears little resemblance to the structure of 1789. In 1850, the cathedral was enlarged and drastically altered structurally. What remains today is the result of that 1850 remodeling. Two graceful spires flank a taller central steeple and clock. Pedimented, plastered and sporting Romanesque windows, the architecture of the building mixes the best of French, Spanish and American design.


Blazingly white in the sun, the cathedral is the jewel of the French Quarter as it proudly faces the Mississippi River. St. Louis Cathedral has withstood considerable damage over the centuries. In 1909, a bomb shattered windows and tore the galleries from the walls. Hurricanes—most notably in 1915 and, later Hurricane Katrina—have damaged the towers and roof. The high winds of Hurricane Katrina tore a hole in the roof, causing damage to the ornate plaster of the ceilings and to the historic pipe organ. This damage has since been repaired. The Cathedral is open to the public—both tourists and churchgoers—and continues to serve as a backdrop for the photos of millions of yearly visitors to the Crescent City who wish to preserve the memory of their moment in front of one of the most recognizable buildings in the world.