Englishman Benjamin Latrobe was the first professional architect in the newly formed United States, arriving in Norfolk Virginia in 1796. He quickly befriended George Washington’s nephew, Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson, eventually designing some of the most famous buildings in the fledgling country. He was named the Architect of the Capitol, and designing the White House and other major government buildings in Washington DC.

He was also very interested in the new waterworks industries, designing canals and waterworks up and down the east coast. New Orleans caught his interest and, together with his son Henry, designed a desalination and pipeworks for the city. Henry came to present the idea to the City Council in 1810 and stayed in the city while his father continued to work around the country, raising money for the project. It wasn’t until 1819 that funding was secured and work was ready to begin. Benjamin stayed in a hotel on Jackson Square and took on other smaller projects while getting the waterworks going.

One of those projects was his last- the central tower of St. Louis Cathedral.

Latrobe died of yellow fever the next summer, as his son had done a year before the project finally got underway. Before Henry died, he had made his own significant impact on the city, including designing the French Opera House and New Orleans’ Charity Hospital.

It’s ironic, then, that in the end the Latrobes never designed a tomb or burial place for themselves. They were buried in the rear of St. Louis No. 1, in a low grave that’s now long gone.