The first church on the site dates from 1718. The second, built from 1725 to 1727, was destroyed in the Great New Orleans Fire on March 21, 1788. The third church was begun in 1789 and finished in 1794. Benjamin Henry Latrobe designed its central tower, with a clock and bell, in 1819.
The diocese contracted John Patrick Kirwan on March 12, 1849, to enlarge and restore the cathedral, using plans by Jacques Nicolas Bussière de Pouilly. The central tower collapsed during the work in 1850, and the present structure dates primarily from 1850. The infobox lists Spanish Colonial and French Neo Gothic styles.
It stands in the French Quarter next to Jackson Square. Pope Paul VI made it a minor basilica in 1964, and it is described as the oldest cathedral in continuous use in the United States.
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