Photo: The historic Scottish Rite Cathedral located at 619 Carondelet Street in New Orleans, Louisiana

The New Orleans Scottish Rite Consistory, the oldest Valley in existence today, is domiciled at 619 Carondelet Street, New Orleans, Louisiana. Construction on this historic building began 149 years ago in 1850. The building has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places and thus is protected from the vicissitudes of modern development.

The New Orleans of the 1850s was already a city rich in history and tradition. The population was approximately 125,000 and growing rapidly. It was the second largest seaport in the country, second only to New York. The Mississippi River was the main means of transportation not only for people, but also for food, building materials, and manufactured goods. Construction materials, such as stone and lumber, were floated down the river on barges, unloaded by hand, and then transported to their destination by horse and wagon. The barges were then dismantled, and the lumber was used in the construction of the New Orleans Scottish Rite Cathedral as well as many of the other historic buildings throughout the city. The ballast used to stabilize the barges as they were floated down river was not discarded, but employed in many ways, such as paving blocks in the streets or, along with cotton bales and cypress tree trunks, as foundations to support buildings, including the Scottish Rite Cathedral.

The land for this edifice was purchased, after much negotiation, in 1850 by the First United Methodist Church of New Orleans from Mrs. Sarah Elizabeth French of Philadelphia for the sum of $1,900. The original site was considerably larger than the building's present grounds. Over the years, surrounding land was parceled off and sold. The site at that time was in an area known as the "Anglo Section" and considered slightly outside of the original city limits. After purchase of the land, construction began almost immediately, but was not completed until 1853 due to several collapses of unspecified cause. The building's architect is unknown, and the original plans have been lost or destroyed over the course of time.

The structure, upon completion in 1853, was immediately occupied by the First United Methodist Church of New Orleans. In 1860, Louisiana seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy. Many of the young men attending the First United Methodist Church joined the Confederacy and did not return from the war. In 1862, the Union Armies captured New Orleans and occupied it until 1868. As a major seaport, New Orleans was important not only to the Confederacy but to the Union as well. Whoever occupied New Orleans controlled the flow of activity down the "Mighty Mississippi."

The Grand Consistory of Louisiana purchased this property and others from the First United Methodist Church of New Orleans on May 1, 1905, for the sum of $28,500. The structure was almost immediately declared a "Cathedral of the Scottish Rite." Shortly after the purchase, the beautiful stained-glass window that adorns the front of this structure was installed by the "Lips Family," a noted local family of glass workers and Freemasons.

Since the purchase of the building, the New Orleans Scottish Valley has made many renovations, including a new kitchen and restroom facilities. The auditorium and the stage area (which contains over 160 scenery drops) were built by members of the Consistory. The walls throughout the structure are two feet thick with an air space in between. The columns in the dining area are of solid cast iron, and the wood throughout the building is of cypress that cannot be replaced. It would be impossible to duplicate this structure today. Neither materials nor suitable craftsmen are available.

Perhaps the greatest addition has been the library which contains one of the finest collections of literary works ever placed in one facility outside a major library or academic institution. Many of the literary editions are extremely valuable and irreplaceable. The library also contains the history of our Consistory, and that must be preserved beyond question so that future generations will know they belong to the oldest and one of the greatest Scottish Rite Valleys that ever has existed.

Starting in 1974, the Consistory sought permission from the city to purchase adjacent buildings, tear them down, and construct an addition to the Cathedral. In 1977, permission was finally received, and the Brethren proceeded at a cost of $1 million. The new addition was dedicated in 1979. Then, in 1987, the New Orleans Scottish Rite Valley opened the Scottish Rite Childhood Language Disorders Clinic in conjunction with the Louisiana State University (LSU) Medical School. Initially, the children in the program were transported to the Medical School for treatment.

In 1989, therapy rooms, named to honor Ill. D. Walter Jessen, 33°, Past S.G.I.G. in Louisiana, were built at our facility, and the children no longer had to be transported to the LSU Medical Center. On July 1, 1997, the Scottish Rite Foundation of New Orleans took over the care and maintenance of the New Orleans Cathedral. The Foundation's efficient operation of the facility insures the future of this great structure and its service to Masonry and the community.

This is only a capsule history of the New Orleans Scottish Rite Cathedral. To learn more about this great building, attend one of our meetings. The only price of admission is your fellowship and some information about your Valley. It is said that all material edifices composed of stone, brick, and mortar must sooner or later succumb to the ravages of time, but that is true only if they are neglected or abandoned. This Cathedral of the Scottish Rite, through the efforts of the members of the Valley of New Orleans, will never be neglected or abandoned. It is a proud heritage which we will always treasure.

Louis J. Caruso is a retired career Law Enforcement Major for the City of New Orleans with a B.A. in Criminology and a Masters of Education (Guidance & Counseling). He is a Past Grand Master (1995) of Louisiana, a Past Master of Square & Compass Lodge No. 417, Kenner, Louisiana, and a member of Lee E. Thomas Lodge No. 421 and Boaz Lodge No. 483. Past Venerable Master of the Albert Pike Lodge of Perfection, Past Commander of the Council of Kadosh, and Co-Degree Master of the 28th Degree in the New Orleans Scottish Rite Valley, he is also a member of Jerusalem Shrine Temple, LaPlace, Louisiana; National Sojourners, Inc.; and York Rite Bodies of New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo: Don Scott Photography, New Orleans)