The Cabildo

Infobox_nrhp | name =The Cabildo
nrhp_type =nhl

---

caption = The Cabildo has Spanish arches with a French Mansard roof.
location= 701 Chartres St., New Orleans, Louisiana
lat_degrees = 29
lat_minutes = 57
lat_seconds = 26
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 90
long_minutes = 3
long_seconds = 51
long_direction = W
locmapin = Louisiana
area =
built =1795
architect= Gilberto Guillemard
architecture= No Style Listed
designated= October 09, 1960cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=254&ResourceType=Building
title=The Cabildo |accessdate=2008-02-01|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service]
added = October 15, 1966cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]
governing_body = State
refnum=66000373

The Cabildo was the seat of colonial government in New Orleans, Louisiana, and is now a museum. The Cabildo is located along Jackson Square, adjacent to St. Louis Cathedral.

History

The original Cabildo was destroyed in the Great New Orleans Fire (1788). The Cabildo was rebuilt between 1795-99 as the home of the Spanish municipal government in New Orleans, and the Mansard roof was later added, in French style. The building took its name from the governing body who met there -- the "Illustrious Cabildo," or city council. The Cabildo was the site of the Louisiana Purchase transfer ceremonies in 1803, and continued to be used by the New Orleans city council until the mid 1850s.

The building's main hall, the Sala Capitular ("Capitol Room"), was originally utilized as a courtroom. The Spanish used the courtroom from 1799-1803, and from 1803-1812 it was used by the Louisiana territorial superior court. After the American Civil War, it was the home of the Louisiana Supreme Court from 1868-1910. The Sala Capitular was the site of several landmark court cases, including "Plessy v. Ferguson."

In 1911 the Cabildo became the home of the Louisiana State Museum.

It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960.citation|title=PDFlink| [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Text/.pdf National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: The Cabildo] |32 KB|date=June 30, 1975 |author=Patricia Heintzelman |publisher=National Park Service and PDFlink| [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Photos/.pdf "Accompanying 2 photos, exterior, from 1968."] |32 KB]

The Cabildo was extensively damaged by a fire in February 1988, which destroyed the cupola and the entire third floor, "Louisiana State Museum" (history), Joseph F. Meany Jr., Karen W. Engelke, "The Journal of American History", Vol. 83, No. 3 (Dec. 1996), pages 946-952, webpage: [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0021-8723(199612)83%3A3%3C946%3ALSM%3E2.0.CO%3B2-T JSTOR-Cabildo] .] but it was restored and reopened to the public in 1994. In 2005, the Cabildo survived Hurricane Katrina, which passed 30 miles (48 km) east of downtown, with relatively minor damage.

See also

* Vieux Carre - the surrounding area.
* Louisiana Purchase

Notes

External links

* [http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/cabildo/cabildo.htm The Cabildo on the Louisiana State Museum website]

* [http://www.friendsofthecabildo.org Friends of the Cabildo website]