The French Quarter: landmarks.
First, Jackson Square and St Louis Cathedral.
Jackson Square is a historic park in the French Quarter. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960. Jackson Square was designed after the famous 17th-century Place des Vosges in Paris, by architect Louis Pilié.
Early French colonial New Orleans called this place the Place d'Armes. The Spanish called it the Plaza de Armas. The equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson was erected in 1856. The flagpole symbolizes the 1803 ceremonial transfers from Spain to France and then from France to the United States. Andrew Jackson won decisive victories over the Indians and then over the main British invasion army at the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812.** He later became the seventh President of the United States.
Originally you could see the Mississippi River from Jackson Square, but the view was blocked in the 19th century by the construction of higher levees. For a long time, the riverfront was used as shipping docks. The 20th-century administration of Mayor Moon Landrieu installed a scenic boardwalk on top of the levee to reconnect the city to the river; it is know as the "Moon Walk" in his honor.
St Louis Cathedral is the oldest continuously active Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It was originally built in 1724 and rebuilt twice after a hurricane and a fire. The present church was dedicated in 1794.
Jane
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** For history buffs: The War of 1812 was a military conflict, lasting for two-and-a-half years, between the United States and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, its North American colonies and its Native American allies. In the Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815, Jackson's 5000 soldiers won a decisive victory over 7500 British.
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landmark = A building or monument or place of historical importance
flagpole = le mât pour un drapeau
main = principal
levee = return to Day 10 in this blog, if you have forgotten
boardwalk = http://www.wordreference.com/enfr/boardwalk
buff = a devotee or well-informed student of some activity or subject: Civil War buffs.
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