This article lists the oldest extant buildings in Louisiana, including extant buildings and structures constructed prior to and during the United States rule over Louisiana. Only buildings built prior to 1800 are suitable for inclusion on this list, or the building must be the oldest of its type.
In order to qualify for the list, a structure must: be a recognizable building (defined as any human-made structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or continuous occupancy); incorporate features of building work from the claimed date to at least in height and/or be a listed building.
This consciously excludes ruins of limited height, roads and statues. Bridges may be included if they otherwise fulfill the above criteria. Dates for many of the oldest structures have been arrived at by radiocarbon dating or dendrochronology and should be considered approximate. If the exact year of initial construction is estimated, it will be shown as a range of dates.
List of oldest buildings
BuildingImage Location First built UseNotes Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop New Orleans, Louisiana ca. 1722-1732 Blacksmith shop/bar Located on Bourbon Street, where it is currently a bar. Built prior to 1803 Louisiana Purchase made New Orleans part of USA Parlange Plantation House Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana 1750 House French colonial antebellum mansion Old Ursuline Convent Museum New Orleans, Louisiana 1751 Church convent Patricia Heintzelman and Charles W. Snell (May 22, 1975). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Ursuline Convent" (pdf). National Park Service. and Accompanying 5 photos, exterior, from 1975.St. Gabriel Roman Catholic ChurchSt. Gabriel, Louisiana1772-1776ChurchThe oldest church building in Louisiana and the entirety of the old Louisiana Purchase territory.Francois Cousin HouseSlidell, Louisiana1778-1790HouseFrench Creole Cottage Murphy Trading House Natchitoches, Louisiana 1786 or earlier French Colonial Cottage Early example of Bousillage Construction, Former Trading House on the Northern edge of the Louisiana Frontier, in Natchitoches Destrehan Plantation New Orleans, Louisiana 1787-90 House French colonial antebellum mansionCizek, E.D., Lawrence, J.H., and Sexton, R, 2008. Destrehan: The Man, The House, The Legacy. Destrehan, LA: River Road Historical Society. Homeplace Plantation House Hahnville, Louisiana 1787-1791 House French colonial cottage on south side of Mississippi Riever Madame John’s Legacy New Orleans, Louisiana 1789 House Example of Creole architecture St. Louis Cathedral (New Orleans) New Orleans, Louisiana 1789-1796 Church Oldest cathedral in Louisiana; built on site of an earlier destroyed church Armand Broussard House Lafayette, Louisiana 1790 Residence Oldest surviving Cajun house; relocated to Vermilionville Historic Village Germain Bergeron House Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1790-1805 Residence In 2005 moved to the Rural Life Museum from east bank of Bayou Lafourche The Presbytère New Orleans, Louisiana 1791 Residence Casas Curial or “Ecclesiastical House," which became a courthouse in 1834 Magnolia Mound Plantation House Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1791 Residence Oldest house in Baton Rouge Napoleon House New Orleans, Louisiana 1794 Residence Napoleon was invited to reside there Bartolome Bosque House New Orleans, Louisiana 1795 Residence Located in 617 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70130 Brennan's New Orleans, Louisiana 1795 Residence Former bank, now a restaurant in the French Quarter, located at 417 Royal Street, New Orleans, LA 70130Vogt, Lloyd (2002). Historic Buildings of the French Quarter. Gretna: Pelican Publishing Company. p. 82. The Cabildo New Orleans, Louisiana 1795-1799 Government Located in Jackson Square Pitot House New Orleans, Louisiana 1799 Residence 1440 Moss St.,Eaton, Fernin, https://www.academia.edu/2245615/Slave_Uprisings--The_Cottage_Industry, paper presented to the Gulf South History and Humanities Conference, October 20, 2011, Pensacola, FL
See also National Register of Historic Places listings in Louisiana History of Louisiana Oldest buildings in the United States
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