St. Louis Cathedral is a unique church, completely restored after a fire in 1788.

In March 1721, French engineer Adrien de Pauger arrived to Louisiana. He came by the order of the chief engineer of the state. That time, there were no houses on the site of New Orleans, and Adrien de Pauger was to build the first building in the city, the church. At the beginning of the 18th century, new construction technology was used. The first stone needed to be laid between two pillars. Pauger, using this technology, had a lot of experience and high hopes for the construction of the Church were laid on him.

Pauger started the construction, but never finished it. He died in the USA and was buried there. For six decades, French and Spanish governors were visiting the church, founded by Pauger, where children were baptized and weddings were held for the citizens of New Orleans.

In 1788, a severe fire took place in the city. A lit candle fell on the drapery of the altar in the house of a military treasurer, who was living nearby. The fire consumed several buildings, including the church, which could not be extinguished, it burned to the ground.

It took a year to take all the burned parts of the church away. At the beginning of 1789, the first stone of the new cathedral was laid. The construction lasted five years. In the winter of 1794, at Christmas, the new cathedral opened the doors for parishioners. Later, the tower was completed, and the city Council bought a clock and a dome.

In the first half of the 19th century, the Italian artist Francisco Zapari decorated the interior and three altars, and an organ was added. Some time later, city authorities decided to reconstruct and enlarge the cathedral. Unfortunately, during the work, the central clock and the bell tower fell. However, the builders restored everything and returned the building to its former appearance.