Basilica of St. Louis, King of France

The Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, formerly the Cathedral of Saint Louis, and colloquially the Old Cathedral, was the first cathedral west of the Mississippi River and until 1845 the only parish church in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. It is one of two Catholic basilicas in St. Louis, and it is named for King Louis IX of France, also the namesake for the city of St. Louis.The current structure (built 1831-1834) is located near the historic riverfront of St. Louis, surrounded by but not a part of the Gateway Arch grounds. Because of the historical significance of the church, it was left intact while all neighboring buildings were demolished to make way for the Gateway Arch. The basilica currently serves as a personal parish church rather than a territorial parish church, and therefore ranks 177th of 196 churches in number of Catholics per church in the Archdiocese of St. Louis.However, because of its historical significance (and its location along the Mississippi River near the iconic Arch), the basilica remains a popular church for marriage ceremonies in the archdiocese (ranking second of 196 churches) and a popular tourist destination.HistoryPrevious structuresWhen Pierre Laclède and Auguste Chouteau established the city of St. Louis, they dedicated a plot of land west of Laclède's home for the purposes of the Catholic Church. The earliest Catholic records suggest that a tent was used by an itinerant priest in 1766, but by 1770 a small log house was built on the site. This building, consecrated by the Reverend Pierre Gibault, an itinerant priest, on June 24, 1770, was expanded in 1776 to include a log church. In spite of a more substantial structure, no priest permanently resided in the village of St. Louis until 1811.