Church and Parish Residence, 1776; from Billon

[Block 59B]

This was the Roman Catholic Church of Colonial St. Louis, the only church in the town. The entire block formed the church square, a religious and cultural center for the community. Holidays, baptisms, weddings, funerals and other social events took place here. The church played a large role in Christmas and News Years celebrations. The Old Cathedral of St. Louis (built in 1834) still stands here today. The church building, constructed in 1776, was a vertical log structure which measured 60 x 30 feet. It was to this little log church that Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, "Pomp" of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, was brought on December 28, 1809 to be baptized. His father, Toussaint Charbonneau, and mother, Sacagawea, looked on while a Trappist Monk performed the baptism. The little boy's godfather was Auguste Chouteau, his godmother Eulalie Chouteau, a 12 year old daughter of Auguste.

The Holy Family Parish Roman Catholic Church in Cahokia, Illinois was built in 1799. It is a vertical log structure with Norman roof trusses, and is about the same dimensions as the log church which once stood in St. Louis. The church is still used by the parish, and a traditional Latin Mass is said there each Sunday at 10 a.m.

The interior of the Holy Family Church in Cahokia during the Season of Lent. The interior of the St. Louis church in 1804 probably looked much like this.

Another interior view of the Holy Family Church.

This modern view was taken from the steps of the Old Cathedral looking south toward the parking lot. In 1804 the view would have been taken from the rectory for the church, and you would have seen the Rollet House to the right on the corner of Third and Walnut Streets. In the distance the back of the Guittard House would have been visible on Elm Street, at the far end of the parking lot.

The interior of the Old Cathedral, completed in 1834, is far grander than any building which existed in 1804 St. Louis. The Old Cathedral is the oldest standing building in the area of the 1804 town, and provides a direct link to the city's past. The large oval window over the altar was discovered during renovations in 1959; it is original to the Cathedral.

This photograph was taken inside the Old Cathedral Museum, and shows the original bell of the St. Louis church. This bell once hung in the belfrey of the 1776 log church on this site.

The bell was cast in 1772. The bell was tolled for funerals, weddings and other social events. It also called the faithful to mass on Sundays.

The facade of the Old Cathedral is seen in this view, looking due north.