Matt's Walking Tour of the French Quarter - Tour # 1
1. 129 Chartres Street - The Quarter House - This building, designed by the famous New Orleans architect James Gallier was built in the early 1830's. It is a four-story brick house/store with a continuous arcade front in the Vieux Carre tradition. Originally, like many businesses in the French Quarter, the ground floor of the building was a retail store while upper floors were used for warehousing and living quarters for the family who owned the store. In later years the building was converted to apartments. It is rumored that Lee Harvey Oswald lived in one of those apartments. While the facade is intact, most of the interiors of the buildings on this block have been converted into resort suites.
2. 301 Chartres Street - U.S. Branch Bank - One of first banks in the city of New Orleans (1805). It is not known if this is the original bank building. This was also the site of the first home of the Ursuline Nuns in 1727.
3. 315 Chartres Street - Covering the sidewalk (or banquette as they are called in New Orleans) is an example of a gallery with cast iron railings. Two types of ironwork can be found on the balconies and galleries of the French Quarter. The earliest type is wrought iron (shaped with hand tools). It is more durable than the ornate cast iron (made in molds) that came later.
A gallery extends from the building front to completely cover the sidewalk. A gallery is supported from the ground. A balcony extends from and is supported by the building front and only partially covers the sidewalk below. An example of a balcony with wrought iron rails is at 307 Chartres St.
4. 400 Block of Chartres Street - Old New Orleans Court House (rear) - Built in 1910 it housed many different State and local government agencies and departments. It has been vacant since the early '80's and is currently being restored. (Note: Across Chartres St. from the CourtHouse building is K-Paul's restaurant. Owned and operated by Paul Prudhomme, it's a great place for an outstanding Cajun meal).
5. 500 Chartres Street - Napoleon House - This Spanish-Creole style house was the home of New Orleans Mayor Don Claudio Francisco Girod. There are two popular "traditions" regarding this house. The first is that Mayor Girod once commissioned a group of pirates backed by wealthy New Orleans residents still loyal to their French heritage, to rescue Napoleon from captivity on the island of St. Helena. Girod promised to build a suitable mansion for the deposed ruler to live out his remaining years in New Orleans. However, on the very day the plan was to be put into action, word reached New Orleans that Napoleon had died.
The second story, which has some substantiation, is that when New Orleans residents heard of Napoleon's escape from Elba, Mayor Girod made a speech at the Cabildo and offered his house as refuge for Napoleon if he came to America. However, Napoleon was recaptured and held as prisoner on the island of St. Helena until his death. (Note: Napoleon's death mask is on display in the Cabildo (See #17) at Jackson's Square).
Across Chartres St. from the Napoleon House is the Royal Omni Hotel. This is the sight of the Saint Louis Hotel, completed in 1838. In its day, the Saint Louis Hotel was one of the most magnificent hotels in the U.S. The original building was first destroyed by fire in 1841 but immediately rebuilt. That structure was finally destroyed by a hurricane in 1915 after many years of neglect. A high fence surrounded the property until 1959 when construction of the Royal Orleans Hotel began. The rooftop lounge/pool area offers a nice view of the French Quarter. A mural in the main lobby of the Omni depicts the old hotel. At the Royal St. end of the lobby, there is a large wall map that shows many of the "old sites" of the French Quarter. (Note: Along Chartres St., directly across from the St. Helena Hotel, a portion of the original Saint Louis Hotel has been preserved.)
6. 514 - 516 Chartres Street - La Pharmacie - Circa 1823, this building was the business and residence of Louis Joseph Difilho, a popular druggist of the old city. The property is now owned by Loyola University and has been converted into an old-time pharmacy museum. Note the individual balconies for the bedrooms on the top level. The long balcony on the second floor was for use from the family living area. The lower floor was used for the business. Also notice the carriage door and carriageway on the right that leads into the courtyard.
7. Jackson Square - This is the heart of the Vieux Carre or Old Square. The centerpiece of Jackson Square is the St. Louis Cathedral. The present structure dates to 1794 and is the third building to occupy this plot. The date of the original structure is not known, but whatever the construction date, it was destroyed by a hurricane in 1722. The second structure was dedicated in 1727. That one was destroyed in the "Good Friday Fire" of 1788. The fire reduced more than 850 buildings in the French Quarter to ashes. A popular New Orleans tale says that the priest of St. Louis cathedral would not ring the church bells to rally citizens to fight the fire because of church rules regarding the ringing the bells on Good Friday.
Contrary to its appearance, the cathedral is constructed of brick and wood, which is plastered and etched to look like blocks of stone. Many buildings in the Vieux Carre are of similar construction, appearing to be built of stone, but there is no stone available from the swamps surrounding New Orleans to be used in construction.
The buildings on either side of the Cathedral are the Cabildo (roughly translates to the Spanish word for 'governing council') and the Presbytere (intended for use as the home for the parish priest but never was used for that purpose). These buildings now house interesting museums. Tickets are available at the door or ticket Apackages@ are available from the 1850 House at Jackson Square (a better deal).
8. 1018 Royal Street - Elvis has left the building - From the gallery of this Royal St. home front, Elvis sang "King Creole" in the movie of the same name. Other scenes from the movie were shot on the playground of the elementary school across the street. New Orleans has been the backdrop for many movies including "A Streetcar Named Desire" from the Tennessee Williams book of the same name. There actually was a streetcar named Desire that ran up and down Royal St. until the 1940's.
9. Corner of Bourbon and St. Philip Street - Laffitte's Blacksmith Shop - Now a dimly lit piano bar, it is often touted as the oldest building in the Vieux Carre. Earliest records of ownership date back to 1772 though the actual construction date is not known. Exterior portions of the walls, where the plaster has fallen away, shows a construction of brick between wooden posts that was then covered with plaster. This was a common practice in early New Orleans construction because the brick, which was made locally, was soft and eroded easily in the wet climate. Wooden frames added strength and plastering protected the bricks.
It is rumored to have been the place where Jean Laffitte, famous hero of the battle of New Orleans and more infamous "privateer" (or pirate) and his brother Pierre conducted business-selling slaves. Their clients included the priest of the Cathedral and the Ursuline Nuns of the convent.
10. 907 Royal Street - Cornstalk Fence - This fence is a most interesting example of cast iron work. A popular tourist attraction in the French Quarter, the fence was originally painted in the natural colors of the scene it depicts. Not only green was used for the stalks and yellow for the corn, as it is today, but also blue for the morning glories and orange for the pumpkins at the base of each post.
Legend says that the wife of the homeowner longed for the sight of the cornfields in her native Iowa so he had the fence made for her. More likely, the fence, one of the most expensive patterns available at the time, was simply a symbol of the wealth of the owner. Cast iron patterns could be ordered from catalogues. The cornstalk pattern was made in Philadelphia. There is a similar cornstalk fence in the Garden District. Perhaps that person was from Iowa, also.
11. 910 Royal Street - Devil's pitchforks - Note the ornate spikes near the top of the posts supporting the gallery. Again, romantic myth contends that these post spikes, as well as other types of obstacles separating balconies and galleries, were put in place by wary fathers trying to protect their daughters from "unauthorized" visitation by suitors. While these "devil's pitchforks" as they are called, may have deterred some of those would-be wooers, the purpose was more practical. Old New Orleans was a city of river men and sailors and other ruffians. Property simply had to be protected.
12. 630 Dumaine St. - Don Manuel Lanzos House - This 1788 house typifies early, practical construction in the Old French Quarter. The house features a raised foundation to protect the living area from the frequent flooding, foundation doors and roof dormers for ventilation, solid shutters for safety, and a slate roof for added protection against fire. The wood used for building was primarily from cypress trees. Cypress is readily available in the area swamps and is resistant to rotting and termites. This house was restored by the state in 1996.
13. 818 Royal Street - American Cottage - This is an architectural example of American influence among predominantly Spanish style buildings of the French Quarter.
During the early days of the settlement the buildings and houses were of French design, but the two great fires and other natural disasters destroyed most of these and the Quarter was rebuilt under Spanish rule. The Spanish governor of the time ordered that new structures have slate roofs and masonry construction to make them more fire resistant.
* As you move along Royal toward the St. Louis Cathedral you will see Pirate's Alley, a narrow passageway between the Cathedral and the Cabildo. Again, local legend says that this was the clandestine meeting place of Jean Laffitte and his business associates or possibly where Laffitte met with General Jackson to plan the strategy for the Battle of New Orleans. In fact, the alley was not constructed until the 1830's, long after Lafitte and his pirates had disappeared.
14. Orleans and Royal Street - St. Louis Cathedral (rear) - St. Anthony's Garden - This garden, named for a long time and well-liked priest of the Cathedral, is known as the sight where many duels were fought in the old days. It was (is) conveniently located near the old "Quadroon" ballroom. (SEE #15) A great deal has been written about Quadroons and their place in New Orleans history. For the sake of brevity, a Quadroon was an unmarried, free woman of color, 1/4 black (hence the name), that was kept by a white, affluent, young Creole gentleman for his own amusement and entertainment before (and sometimes after) marriage. (NOTE: Visit the garden after dark and notice the shadow cast on the cathedral.)
15. 700 block Orleans Street - Bourbon Orleans Ballroom - During the 19th century, Quadroon Balls were held in the ballroom to allow the young, affluent white men to select a Quadroon companion. Sometimes two men would fancy the same girl and the ensuing duel would be fought in St. Anthony's garden (SEE #14) to settle the matter. (NOTE: Duels between Creoles were usually fought until first blood was drawn. Often, after a duel in the Garden, the participants would go back to the ball. Americans later began fighting duels to the death. This eventually brought about the laws that made dueling illegal.) Oddly enough, in 1873 the building where these balls were held became the convent for an order of black nuns. Today it is a hotel but the ballroom remains elegantly decorated and is used for parties and social events.
16. 700 block St. Peter Street - Preservation Hall and Pat O'Brien's Bar - Among New Orleans most famous attractions, the rather unremarkable Preservation Hall was once a stable. Tourists still stand in long lines each night for a chance to get inside to hear some of the best traditional jazz in the world.
Pat O'Brien's Bar complex was once occupied by the first Spanish theater in the U.S. A New Orleans "must see" is the world famous flaming fountain in the courtyard. This is also the home of the Hurricane - a very sweet, potent rum drink. They go down easy, but watch out! Pat O'Brien's is a very popular nightspot. The brass wall placard near the entrance tells a brief history of the namesake.
17. 627 Royal Street - Patti's Court/Old Town Praline & Gift shop - This structure is not historically or architecturally extraordinary, but it does offer a nice look at a typical French Quarter courtyard. Go in and ask for a look. And if you didn't stop for a Hurricane, you may want some refreshment.
18. 613 Royal Street - Court of Two Sisters - Named for the two sisters, who ran a variety store in the building in the late 1800's, it is now a fashionable and popular restaurant offering a jazz buffet.
19. 439 Royal Street - Birthplace of the cocktail - The first cocktail was supposedly invented here by a Caribbean pharmacist living in New Orleans. He formulated a secret bitters recipe that went very well with cognac. This was served in a shot-glass sized, ceramic cup normally used to serve hard-boiled eggs. The cup was called a coquetier, pronounced "huhk-tyay A or Ako-k-tay" by the French. The pronunciation or mispronunciation over time became "cocktail."
20. 417 Royal Street - Brennan's Restaurant - One of the finer establishments in New Orleans. The Brennan family owns and operates several quality restaurants in the city. Make reservations early, as this is an extremely popular restaurant especially for Sunday brunch. (NOTE: Jackets are recommended for gentlemen.)
21. 400 block of Royal Street - Old New Orleans Financial District - In the early days of the city this block was the heart of the financial sector. Many of the buildings still have the original bank fronts, though none are banks today.
22. 334 Royal Street - Vieux Carre Police Station - Originally the Bank of Louisiana (1826) this building has been used for a variety of things. (Note the placard on the iron fence at the corner of Royal and Conti Streets). It is another popular movie backdrop.
23. 600 block of Conti Street - Here between Royal and Chartres Streets is Exchange Alley. It is what remains of Exchange Passage which, at one time, cut through the French Quarter from Canal St. to the Cabildo. This route was well used by those who had city business to transact at City Hall (the Cabildo) or by those who attended the slave auctions held at the old St. Louis Hotel. 618 and 620 Conti were once the Fencing Master's Houses. In the era of gentlemen's dueling, fencing lessons were essential.
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