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Church of St. Gabriel; St. Gabriel, Louisiana, United States; SEE BACK; X - ST. G - I; Believed to be the oldest; existing church structure in the Louisiana Purchase Territory, St. Gabriel Church was built of cypress by Acadian exiles in 1769 near the confluence of Bayou Manchac and the Mississippi River. In 1772 it was moved, piece by piece, down the river a few miles to what is now St. Gabriel and located on a Spanish land grant of over 100 acres. The church bell, cast in 1768, was a gift of Queen Maria Louisa of Spain. It is still in use in the new church, which was dedicated in 1953. After 13 years of abandonment, the original structure, a blend of Gothic and Classical architecture, was restored and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It is currently used as a community center. Please credit LOUISIANA OFFICE OF TOURISM; 24059;