Cathedral of San Agustin (Laredo, Texas)

In 1755, a Spanish army officer founded the Villa de San Agustin de Laredo in what was then the province of Nuevo Santander. The bishop of the Diocese of Guadalajara in New Spain, Francisco de San Buena Ventura, sent Reverend Fr. Juan José de Lafita y Verri to serve as the first priest in Laredo. In 1767, Verri constructed a small mission chapel, the first Catholic church in Laredo. In 1778, the first stone structure was erected to accommodate more than two hundred families. In 1789, San Agustin was established as a parish by the bishop of the Diocese of Linares in Mexico. Today, the San Agustin Cathedral is one of the oldest in the Southwest still standing. It is also the second tallest building in Laredo. The San Agustin de Laredo Historic District is in the National Register of Historical Places. == Description ==

The Cathedral of San Agustin is a Gothic Revival structure with a five-story, 141 ft (43m) bell / clock tower. All the windows have the traditional Gothic shape with stained glass located between structural bays of its masonry walls. A French priest, Pierre Yves Keralum, was the designer and architect for this historical monument. ==See also==