History of New Orleans | Spanish

Historic SitesConstruction on theCabildoand thePresbytere, the matching buildings flankingSt. Louis Cathedralin Jackson Square, occurred during the Spanish era. The Cabildoserved as Spain’s administrative headquarters for Louisiana and it was here that the Louisiana Purchase was signed in 1803, deeding the territory to the United States from France. It later served as City Hall, then the state Supreme Court, before it became a museum in 1911. A stroll through theFrench Quarterwill reveal many plaques indicating the old Spanish names for streets, often just variations on the current ones, and elsewhere in the city, street names honor historical figures from the Spanish era such as Galvez, Ulloa, Miro, and Gayoso.