Downtown in St. Louis, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Church Domain
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
The Old Cathedral in front of you is the first Roman Catholic cathedral west of the Mississippi and the fourth church building to stand on this site. Completed in 1834, it was a hub of Catholic expansion in the west in the mid-to late-1800s. American Indians visited here and missionaries traveled westward from here. Between 1826 and 1843, the Archdiocese of St. Louis included much of the land between the Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean.
The Roman Catholic Church has owned this site since the founding of St. Louis in 1764. The Old Cathedral is the oldest surviving building on the waterfront and remains an active parish.
[Sidebar:]
Old Cathedral Translations
A) "Yahweh" or "God" in Hebrew.
"Three persons in one God" in Latin
B) "My house will be called a house of prayer"
In English (left) and French (right).
C) "In honor of [Saint] Louis" and "Dedicated A.D. 1834" in Latin.
D) "Behold the tabernacle of God with men, and He will dwell with them"
In English (left), Latin (middle) and French (right).
[Captions:]
The Old Cathedral withstood the Great Fire of 1849, attempted arson, and the city's urbanization.
The Archdiocese of St. Louis stretched to the Pacific Ocean to the mid-1800s.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1834.
Location. 38° 37.42′ N, 90° 11.242′ W. Marker is in St. Louis, Missouri. It is in Downtown. It can be reached from the intersection of Walnut Street and Memorial Drive. Marker is in front of Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France church, or the Old Cathedral. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 209 Walnut St, Saint Louis MO 63102, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, in the Corn Belt, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: First Conference, Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (within shouting distance of this marker); Basilica of Saint Louis, King (within shouting distance of this marker); Rue des Granges (within shouting distance of this marker); An Explosion Saves The City (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Commercial Beginnings (about 500 feet away); One Day, Three Nations (about 500 feet away); KMOX (about 500 feet away); American Zinc Building (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Louis.
Regarding Church Domain. Jefferson National Expansion Memorial was later changed to Gateway Arch National Park in 2018. (The church is not part
of the National Park, though a marker was made about it)
Also see . . .
1. Basilica of St. Louis, King of France on Wikipedia. On January 27, 1961, the church was designated a basilica by Pope John XXIII. (Submitted on November 14, 2022, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)
2. Basilica of St. Louis, King of France (official website). (Submitted on November 14, 2022, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 14, 2022, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 346 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 14, 2022, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.

