Basilica of St. Louis

The Basilica of St. Louis, King of France, colloquially the Old Cathedral and formerly the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, was constructed in the early 19th century as the first cathedral west of the Mississippi River and until 1845 the only parish church in the city of Saint Louis, Missouri.

It is located on the historic riverfront of St. Louis, near the Gateway Arch. By the early 20th century, Archdiocesan officals began planning for a new Cathedral. The Old Cathedral had become too small, visiting officals had difficulty finding the church, and the population center had moved west with the expansion of the city.

In 1914 the Catholic archdiocesan seat was moved to the New Cathedral, and the Old Cathedral was renamed the Church of St. Louis, King of France. On January 27, 1961, Pope John XXIII signed the decree to name the original Cathedral of St. Louis a basilica, giving it the present name. As a result, Saint Louis is one of the few towns outside Rome that has more than one Basilica.