Basilica of St. Louis, King of France

The Basilica of St. Louis, King of France, universally called the Old Cathedral, is the oldest cathedral west of the Mississippi River. The present Greek Revival stone church was built between 1831 and 1834 on a site that had held a place of Catholic worship since the founding of St. Louis in 1764. It stands directly beside the Gateway Arch, and it was deliberately preserved when the surrounding riverfront was cleared to build the memorial. The church holds the title of basilica and remains an active parish. Its restrained classical façade and steeple contrast with the modern monument towering behind it. A small museum on the site displays artifacts relating to the parish and early French colonial St. Louis. The interior is simple and dignified, with historic furnishings. Because of its position within Gateway Arch National Park, it is easily combined with a visit to the Arch and the Old Courthouse. The building survived fires and floods that destroyed earlier structures on the block. It offers a tangible link to the city's eighteenth-century origins.