St Louis Cathedral, Pt II
This is actually the third church in this spot, the first being opened to worshipers in 1727 and destroyed in the fire of 1788, which destroyed 2/3 of the city. Don Andres Almonester y Roxas, an immigrant who’d come to New Orleans penniless 20 years earlier and now owned huge tracts of land and was one of the richest people in the city declared that he would personally see the church rebuilt.
Well, sorta. He was known to be a cheap bastard, and there was some skeptisism. Only after lots of foot dragging, election to a judgeship in the city and several honarary titles and a seat on the Parish Council were bestowed upon him did the money start to trickle in.
But old ways die hard, and when the city’s original cemetary on St. Peter’s Street was closed down and St. Louis Cemetery was opened, our patron decided he could save a few pesos by recycling the bricks from the deconsecreted graveyard.
The reconstruction was finally completed in 1794, and upon his death 5 years later, Don Andres Almonester y Roxas was interred in St. Louis but moved a year later to be placed in front of the altar under a tablet detailing his generosity (but not his blackmail).
[techtags: French Quarter, New Orleans, St. Louis, Cathedral, Pontalba]
Similar Posts:
- St. Marys Assumption and St. Alphonsus Churches
- Louis Prima Tomb- Lakelawn Metairie Cemetery
- Merry Christmas!
- Satchmo 2009
- Poboy Preservation Fest ’07
