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Basilica of St. Louis, King of France

1834 establishments in Missouri19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United StatesBasilica churches in MissouriDowntown St. LouisFormer cathedrals in the United States
Greek Revival church buildings in MissouriLandmarks of St. LouisMinor basilicas in the United StatesRoman Catholic cathedrals in MissouriRoman Catholic churches completed in 1834Roman Catholic churches in St. LouisTourist attractions in St. Louis
Basilica of St. Louis, France (color)
Basilica of St. Louis, France (color)

The Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France (French: Cathédrale Saint-Louis-Roi-de-France de Saint-Louis), 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. It is surrounded by Gateway Arch National Park. However, the church is not part of the park. 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 and related park. Rev. Nicholas Smith serves as Rector. The basilica serves as a personal parish church rather than a territorial parish church. It 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.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Basilica of St. Louis, King of France (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Basilica of St. Louis, King of France
Walnut Street, St. Louis

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N 38.624121 ° E -90.187229 °
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Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France

Walnut Street 209
63102 St. Louis
Missouri, United States
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Basilica of St. Louis, France (color)
Basilica of St. Louis, France (color)
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Merchants Exchange Building (St. Louis)
Merchants Exchange Building (St. Louis)

The Merchants Exchange Building was a building at Third Street at Chestnut and Pine in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1875 to 1958 that housed the St. Louis Merchants Exchange and hosted the 1876 Democratic National Convention. The building was designed by Francis Lee and Thomas Annan who placed second in a competition for the structure (the winner was George I. Barnett but his work was considered too expensive. The building was the second Merchants Exchange on the location. The first building was built in 1857. During the American Civil War members of the exchange split along North-South lines. The Exchange merged back together after the war. The $2 million venue measured 235 by 187 ft (72 by 57 m) by 187 feet (57 m) and was actually two separate buildings. The second and third floors of the western half of the building had an iron truss system that supported the roof and created the largest open indoor space in the United States at the time of its construction (235 feet long and 98 feet (30 m) wide and 65 feet (20 m) tall) and thus was chosen for the 1876 convention which was the first Democratic or Republican national convention west of the Mississippi River. At the same time of its construction the Merchants Exchange built the Eads Bridge across the Mississippi River.The building was torn down in 1958. Part of the Adam's Mark Hotel was built in its location. In 2008 the Adams Mark announced plans to become a Grand Hyatt. The Merchants Exchange founded in 1836 was the first commodity trading exchange in the United States—predating the Chicago Board of Trade. In its early years it was referred to as the Chamber of Commerce. Articles about the 1876 Convention referred to it as the Chamber of Commerce. After vacating its downtown location, it was evicted in 1995 from its new location by eminent domain when St. Louis expanded the St. Louis Science Center. The Exchange made a last gasp in 2000/2001 to conduct computerized trading of future trading of freight on the Mississippi River. It has quietly ceased operation.

Gateway Arch National Park
Gateway Arch National Park

Gateway Arch National Park is an American national park located in St. Louis, Missouri, near the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. In its initial form as a national memorial, it was established in 1935 to commemorate: the Louisiana Purchase and subsequent westward movement of American explorers and pioneers; the first civil government west of the Mississippi River; and the debate over slavery raised by the Dred Scott case.The national park consists of the Gateway Arch, a steel catenary arch that has become the definitive icon of St. Louis; a park along the Mississippi River on the site of the earliest buildings of the city; the Old Courthouse, a former state and federal courthouse where the Dred Scott case originated; and the 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m2) museum at the Gateway Arch. It is the smallest national park in the United States at 91 acres (37 ha), less than 2% the size of the next-smallest, Hot Springs National Park. The immediate surroundings of the Gateway Arch were initially designated the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (a national memorial) by executive order on December 21, 1935. The Gateway Arch was completed on October 28, 1965. The park is maintained by the National Park Service (NPS). The area surrounding the arch was redesignated as the "Gateway Arch National Park" (a national park) in 2018. This change has been highly controversial due to the nature of the site ("national parks" typically involve significant natural landscapes and significant opportunities for nature recreation, whereas sites that have primarily historical and architectural significance are usually given other NPS designations). Several publications noted that the addition of Gateway Arch as a national park eroded the significance associated with the "national park" designation, and some suggested that the change was made in order to promote tourism rather than to conserve a nature area.

Old Southern Hotel fire

The old Southern Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri in the United States burned down on April 11, 1877, killing 21 people. The building, located between Fourth, Fifth, Walnut and Elm, was utterly destroyed by the catastrophe, leaving "jagged, smoking ruins."Two Irish-immigrant firefighters, Phelim O'Toole (of Hook and Ladder No. 3) and Michael J. Hester, were credited with saving 20 lives. Also, according to the St. Louis Dispatch the next morning, "A girl on Fifth Street, between Elm and Myrtle, had her dress set on fire by the falling cinders and would undoubtedly have perished had not a big German snatched off her outer dress and trampled it underfoot." Among the survivors were the actress Katie Claxton, and, separately, Joseph Pulitzer. Pulitzer had been staying on the third floor and he escaped "sans shirt, stockings, or anything else." Amongst the dead was a vicar from Stockross, Berkshire, England, an American reverend, a Masonic secretary, two female servants, and an executive of the Missouri Pacific Railway.The fire started about 1 a.m., and the building may have been on fire for half an hour before the alarm was sounded. it was surmised that the "immense draft of the baggage elevator" pulled the flames upwards through the building. The thick smoke apparently extinguished the hotel's gas lighting so no one could see.The Southern Hotel had originally been constructed in 1865, and had reportedly cost US$1,000,000 (equivalent to $19,117,391 in 2022). It was a grand hotel, with some 400 guest rooms, thick brick walls inside and out, water pipes and fire hose on each floor, and an "annunciator" fire alarm. A new Southern Hotel was built on the same location beginning in 1880.