Monday Memories: The Cabildo

The Cabildo, 1930s

One of the oldest buildings in the French Quarter, the Cabildo was constructed in 1795-1799, during the Spanish ownership of New Orleans. The building gets its name from the body which used to meet there, which was called the "Illustrious Cabildo." It is located next to St. Louis Cathedral. Just in front of the Cabildo and the cathedral is the parade ground, the Place d'Arms (Plaza das Armas at the time of the Cabildo's construction), now known as Jackson Square.

The Cabildo was the seat of government for the Spanish authorities, and was the site of the transfer of the Louisiana Purchase from France to the United States in 1803. The building served as the seat of the capitol of the Louisiana Territory, then the State of Louisiana, until the capitol was moved to Baton Rouge. The Cabildo then became the New Orleans location of the Supreme Court of the State of Louisiana. The notorious "separate but equal" decision, Plessey v. Ferguson, was handed down from the Cabildo. The building became the flagship property of the Louisiana State Museum system in 1911. In 1988, the building was heavily damaged by a fire that started on the roof. The building underwent extensive repairs after the fire, and re-opened in 1994.

This photo is from the 1930s, a time when the Cabildo was in decrepit shape. A lack of funding and an almost total lack of interest caused the building to fall into extensive disrepair, as can be seen by all of the broken windows in the front. The streets around Jackson Square were open to vehicular traffic at this time.

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