St. Alphonsus Church, New Orleans facts for kids
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St. Alphonsus Church
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 Location in East New Orleans
Location in Louisiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2029 Constance St., New Orleans, Louisiana |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1855 |
| Architect | Louis L. Long |
| Architectural style | Italianate and Renaissance Revival, Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000872 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 22, 1973 |
| Designated NHL | June 19, 1996 |
St. Alphonsus Church, also known as Église Saint-Alphonse in French, is a really old and beautiful building in New Orleans, Louisiana. It's located at 2029 Constance Street. Finished in 1857, this church is special because it has a colorful inside that's still around from before the 1870s. It's also a great example of a building style called Italianate architecture. Because it's so important for its design, it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1996. Today, it's no longer a church but is home to the St. Alphonsus Art and Cultural Center.
Contents
Discovering St. Alphonsus Church's Look
The old St. Alphonsus Church is found in a part of New Orleans called the Lower Garden District. It sits on Constance Street, between St. Andrew and Josephine Streets. The front of the building is very detailed and balanced. It has a main entrance in the middle, with two square towers on each side, both topped with crosses.
Special Details of the Church's Design
The outside of the church is decorated with special columns called pilasters. It also has brick panels with a unique pattern and small spaces called niches. Statues are placed inside these niches, making the building even more interesting to look at.
Exploring the Church's Colorful Inside
The inside of St. Alphonsus Church is just as fancy as the outside. It has a curved plaster ceiling that was painted with amazing artwork by an artist named Dominique Canova. The beautiful stained glass windows came all the way from Bavaria, a region in Germany, and were made by F. X. Zettler. The floors are covered with detailed mosaic tiles, adding to the church's rich appearance.
The History of St. Alphonsus Church
St. Alphonsus Church was completed in 1857. It served as a Roman Catholic church for the Irish Catholic people living in the Lower Garden District.
A Community Hub for Many Cultures
In this part of New Orleans, different groups of Catholic people had their own churches. For example, St. Mary's Assumption Church, which is right across the street, was built for the German Catholic community. This shows how diverse the city was, with different churches serving different language and cultural groups.
From Church to Cultural Center
After many years, some church groups in the area were combined. Because of this, St. Alphonsus Church closed its doors in 1979. However, in the 1980s, a local community group took over the building. They transformed it into a community center. Now, it's known as the St. Alphonsus Art and Cultural Center, continuing to serve the community in a new way.
