Preservation Resource Center

PRESERVATION RESOURCE CENTER OF NEW ORLEANS APRIL 2007
P R E S ERVAT I O N
VOLUME 34 NUMBER 3
LOUISIANA STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE
IN PRINT
ICONIC
STEAMBOAT
HOUSE IN
MINIATURE
INSIDE:
IT’S TRUE – GOOD PEOPLE ARE MOVING TO NEW ORLEANS SINCE KATRINA
STATE NAMES PHILIP BOGGAN HISTORIC PRESERVATION DIRECTOR
LOUISIANA PRESERVATIONISTS TO MEET IN MONROE MAY 4 – 6
BYWATER RESIDENTS GRAPPLE WITH NEW NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECTS
STAINED GLASS SYMPOSIUM AND TOUR APRIL 21 AND 22
NATIONAL TRUST PRESIDENT RICHARD MOE TO SPEAK AT PRC ANNUAL MEETING MAY 10

2 APRIL 2007 PRESERVATION IN PRINT
www.prcno.org

PRESERVATION IN PRINT APRIL 2007 3
P R E S ERVAT I O N
VOLUME 34 NUMBER 3
IN PRINT
Published by the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans and the Louisiana State Historic Preservation Office
EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Fitzpatrick
DEPUTY EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alexander Lemann
NEWS EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sue Hobbs
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pamela Breaux
ADVERTISING MANAGER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jackie Derks
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Patricia L. Duncan
KIOSK EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sarah Bonnette
TYPOGRAPHY & DESIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Typosition, Paula Coughlin
LITERARY SALES MANAGER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Averil Oberhelman
PRESERVATION RESOURCE CENTER OF NEW ORLEANS
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Patricia H. Gay
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brandi Couvillion
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Beverly R. Lamb
PRESERVATION IN PRINT EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Fitzpatrick
OPERATION COMEBACK DIRECTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .R. Stephanie Bruno
REBUILDING TOGETHER DIRECTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kristin Palmer
This project is supported by a grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in Fine Arts.
This project has been financed in part with federal funds from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior,
through the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily
reflect the views or policies of the Department of the Interior, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial
products constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Department of the Interior. This program received federal
financial assistance for identification and protection of historic properties. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the U. S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination
on the basis of race, color, national origin or handicap in its federally assisted programs. If you believe that you
have been discriminated against in any program, activity or facility as described above, or if you desire further information,
please write to: Office of Equal Opportunity, U. S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. 20240
PRESERVATION RESOURCE CENTER OF NEW ORLEANS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT
Lloyd N. “Sonny” Shields
VICE PRESIDENT
Dennis P. Lauscha
SECRETARY
Christel Kelley
TREASURER
J. Marshall Page III
AT-LARGE
Robert Brown Bedouin Joseph Frank W. Masson Holly Sharp Snodgrass
BOARD MEMBERS
Janie Blackmon
Timothy C. Brennan
Dr. Mark M. Cassidy
Daniel O. Conwill IV
Steve Dumez
Leah Nunn Engelhardt
Jonn Hankins
Marilee Hovet
William H. Hines
Dale Irvin
Jule H. Lang
Steve Martin
Rhesa O. McDonald
Anne F. Redd
Stacy Rockwood
Mary Hassinger Schmidt
Louis J. Volz III
Hal Williamson
Hilda Young
PRESERVATION RESOURCE CENTER
923 TCHOUPITOULAS STREET, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70130
(504) 581-7032 • FAX: (504) 636-3073
E-MAIL: prc@prcno.org • WEBSITE: www.prcno.org
Preservation in Print is published to promote the appreciation of Louisiana’s historic architecture and
neighborhoods. The views expressed in signed articles are not necessarily those of the Preservation Resource
Center. Membership in Preservation Resource Center is open to all. Preservation in Print is published ten
times a year. Printing by Roberson. The Preservation Resource Center is a member of The Chamber/New
Orleans and the River Region, The Greater New Orleans Tourist and Convention Commission, the Louisiana
Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation Action, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Library of Congress ISSN: 0734-4481
www.prcno.org

4 APRIL 2007 PRESERVATION IN PRINT
“Uptown’s best kept secret”
—Tom Fitzmorris
D I N N E R
T U E S . - S U N . 5 : 3 0 - 9 : 3 0
L U N C H
T H U R S . - S U N . 1 1 - 2
5908 Magazine St.
New Orleans, LA 70115
891-8495
1377 Annunciation Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
tel: 504.566.1950
fax: 504.566.1949
Toll Free: 1.888.566.1950
www.firearestaurant.com
“Part of the
secret of success
in life is to eat
what you like and
let the food fight
it out inside.”
Mark Twain
“20 popular New Orleans
restaurants where locals
outnumber the tourists”
—Gene Bourg
LUNCH TUESDAY–FRIDAY
DINNER SIX NIGHTS
6100 ANNUNCIATION STREET
895-1111
CLASSIC
DINING
ONLY IN
NEW ORLEANS
“I’ve been on
a diet for
two weeks and
all I’ve lost is
two weeks.”
Totie Fields
The
Pelican
Club
RESTAURANT & BAR
“The best kept secret in
the French Quarter”
– Zagat Guide
T H E L E G A C Y C O N T I N U E S .
www.prcno.org
504-523-1504
www.pelicanclub.com

PRESERVATION IN PRINT APRIL 2007 5
Odds
&
Ends
Crafty Thieves
Architectural theft has not stopped in
Holy Cross. In fact, crafty thieves are
now telling Holy Cross residents who
confront them that they are PRC
employees removing items to determine
the age of the house! If you
live in Holy Cross or if you have a
similar experience in another historic
neighborhood, please attempt to
obtain a license plate of the vehicle
being driven by the imposters. We
want to catch them. Call PRC at
504/581-7032.
New to New Orleans
Preservation in Print wants your story.
This month’s centerspread profiling
some 20 new residents since Hurricane
Katrina is just the beginning. Contact
mfitzpatrick@prcno.org.
Louisiana Landmark
Society’s Martha Robinson
Lecture
Dr. Anthony Tung, author of Preserving
the Worlds Great Cities, will speak on
the relationship of the built landscape to
culture and community as a whole and
how it relates to the recovery of New
Orleans.
Monday, May 7, 7:30 PM
Nunemaker Auditorium
Monroe Hall
Loyola University
FREE ADMISSION
RETURN TO LAKEVIEW
April 22 – 1 - 5 p.m. The Beacon of
Hope Resource Center will host an
event aimed at getting residents to
return to Lakeview. Houses in various
stages of reconstruction will be open
for visitors, and experts in a variety
of fields will be available to answer
questions. Refreshments will be
served. www.lakewoodbeacon.org.
ON THE COVER:
Miniature of steamboat house located in
the Holy Cross National Register District.
The miniature is on view daily at PRC as
part of an exhibit on Holy Cross, but for
five days it was on loan to the New
Orleans Museum of Art and decked out
in flowers and a wedding scene. Dunn &
Sonnier Flowers decorated the miniature
for PRC’s display in the “Movers and
Shakers” category of the annual Art in
Bloom benefit. Photo by Judy Cooper.
PRESERVATION
FROM THE DIRECTOR
IN PRINT
VOL. 34, NO. 3 APRIL 2007
Time for Strategies to Attract and Assist Residents to Restore Historic Homes Patricia Gay . . . . . . . . . 6
FROM THE STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE
Philip Boggan Named New State Historic Preservation Director Patricia L. Duncan . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
The Historic Building Recovery Grant Project Officer – Your New Best Friend Patricia L. Duncan . . . . . . . 10
PRC IN ACTION
New Orleans’ Favorite Shotguns: PRC calls for entries to photo competition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
PRC Members Are Cordially Invited to Attend the 33rd Annual Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
PRC Displays Miniature of Steamboat House in Holy Cross at New Orleans Museum of Art Alex Lemann . . . 15
Post Storm, New Staff and Volunteers Come from Near and Far to Help PRC Rebuild Alex Lemann . . . . . 22
Live in a Landmark Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Major Donors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
FEATURES
Preserving the Stained Glass Heritage of New Orleans Symposium Features National Experts Patty Andrews . . 12
PRC’s Stained Glass Tour Goes from Historic St. Roch to St. Charles Avenue Patty Andrews . . . . . . . . 13
Post Katrina, Historic New Orleans Attracts a Variety of New Residents Mary Fitzpatrick . . . . . . . . . . 18
Priestley School for Architecture and Construction Prepares Students for College and Careers Lindsay McCook . . 24
NEWS AND VIEWS
New Orleans Names A Distinctive Destination for Cultural Tourism Alex Lemann . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Louisiana Preservation Conference and Honor Awards in Monroe May 4 - 6 Stacy Jamieson . . . . . . . . 14
GUEST VIEWPOINT New Orleans is Drawing New Residents Dr. Stephen Hales, M.D. . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Actively for Sale Sarah Bonnette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
COLUMNS
CONTENTS
Notes from a Newcomer Alex Lemann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
KIOSK Sarah Bonnette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
The mission of the Preservation Resource Center:
To promote the preservation, restoration and revitalization of New Orleans’ historic architecture and neighborhoods
Preservation in Print welcomes your letters and comments, mfitzpatrick@prcno.org
www.prcno.org

6 APRIL 2007 PRESERVATION IN PRINT
From the
D I R E C T O R
Patricia Gay, executive director
Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans
Time for strategies to attract and assist residents to restore historic homes
Gold Mine of Vacant Properties
hroughout this time of recovery
from Hurricane Katrina and the
Tflooding of most of New Orleans,
thousands of man hours have been
spent at meetings about demolition and
about new construction, the latter ranging
from design, affordability and environmental
issues to who builds what
where.
It is time that we started having
meetings about how to put the thousands
of vacant houses back into service
as homes. Our experience is that a
vacant and deteriorated property can be
a gold mine – in terms of quality of life,
life-time investment and tax revenues –
for the homeowner, for the neighborhood
and for the city. We need to be
meeting about specific strategies to
attract and assist residents to restore and
live in these houses.
New Orleans is challenged now
more than ever, needless to say, with the
number of vacant properties since the
storm. That means we must strategize,
plan carefully, and apply resources.
When we say apply resources, we of
course mean funding (as well as expertise,
creativity and determination), but
the costs would be nowhere near what
they would be for demolition and new
construction.
To be sure, there will be new construction.
Fortunately, much has been
written about the necessity for good
design in new construction, for design
that complements existing structures
and for design that reflects the rich
architectural heritage of this city.
Perhaps the reason restoration of
vacant properties is not the priority it
should be is because for the most part
we are talking about one building at a
time, and not, for example, 200 new
houses in one fell swoop, all under one
contract. But with careful planning, 200
properties could be put back into service,
with less public subsidy and much
greater leverage impact.
One issue to consider is the market.
How strong is the market for brand new
neighborhoods One thing this city has
going for it is that it is a place whose
existing neighborhoods have tremendous
appeal to current residents, to residents
who have not yet returned, and to many
who have always loved New Orleans
and have thought
about moving here.
There is a market,
but the market is far
stronger for older
buildings than for
new construction.
Certainly there are
people who prefer
new to old, and we
will need new construction,
but for
rebuilding the population
of New
Orleans, it will be
the older buildings
that have the most
appeal to the most
people.
In areas that developed after 1960,
for example, existing buildings in oncestable
neighborhoods are more likely to
attract both former residents and new
residents due to several factors. One is
that a restored 1960’s building is likely
to cost less than a new building of lesser
quality. Another is that in most cases
the amount invested in restoring a property,
even if the property is not yet old
enough to be historic, usually increases
in value at the time of completion. In
particular this happens when adjacent
and nearby properties are also being
restored. There is a mutual and synergistic
effect; all properties begin to increase
in value as work and energy are in evidence,
reflecting a commitment to the
revitalization of the area.
The market for all-new neighborhoods,
or for individual new houses,
will be strengthened by the restoration
of existing buildings. In any case, demolitions
do not send a message of vitality.
Vacant lots are not a sign of revitalization,
and nothing says more about
“It must become
public policy that
rehabilitation of
existing housing stock
is always the first
consideration and that
it proceed from a
city-wide plan.”
Walter Gallas
Director of the National Trust
for Historic Preservation
New Orleans Field Office
the vitality of an area than homeowners
restoring their homes. It’s been happening
in many neighborhoods
throughout the city; we need to make
it happen in more.
Certainly there are prospective homebuyers
who are not
looking to undertake
a major restoration.
For this reason development
on a smaller
scale must also be
encouraged. New
Orleans is blessed
with a large contingent
of contractors
and developers who
over the decades have
been renovating a few
houses at a time.
Incentives must be
developed for the
restoration of individual
properties, one
way or another, and marketing strategies
must be developed to attract those who
would undertake the work.
So how do we make it happen
Restoration, currently ignored, must
become a priority. PRC is willing and
able to do more, and others are as well.
Since 1976, PRC has been in the business
of putting vacant and deteriorated
properties back into service, with considerable
positive impact (there is
always a tremendous ripple effect from
building restoration). It seems to be
contagious! We have some ideas, to be
sure! And we are certain others do, too.
We all need to be meeting with appropriate
authorities and mapping out plans
and strategies both to assist returning
homeowners in restoring their homes,
and to put vacant and abandoned properties
back into service.
While meetings about restoration of
properties should have started shortly
after the storm, it is never too late. For
one thing, there have been efforts all
over the city toward this end. PRC gave
weekly workshops to assist returning
homeowners, and much has been done
in specific neighborhoods with assistance
from a variety of sources. This has
been very encouraging. But meetings
need to be organized by appropriate city
and state agencies, and resources
applied, to address the development of
strategies and incentives to put vacant
buildings back into service. The gold
mine of New Orleans neighborhoods
and architecture is too valuable not to
take action, and we can do it, house by
house, neighborhood by neighborhood.
Louisiana Legislation in the Works
State Historic Tax Credit: Amending the existing credit law to make it consistent
with the Federal Historic Tax Credit, including removing the sunset date
and tax credit cap. Furthermore, the credit will be expanded to apply in all properties
designated as historic by federal or local bodies.
State Building Code: Amending the state building code adopted in the 2005
Special Session to include a Rehabilitation Subcode based on the New Jersey
model.
Performing Arts Infrastructure Tax Credits: (Senate Bill 17) This bill would
allow a 25 percent tax credit for the rehabilitation of historic Canal Street and
adjacent theaters, including the Saenger and Orpheum. The credit is part of the
Performing Arts Tax Credit bill by Senators Murray and Schedler, also known as
“Broadway South.”
www.prcno.org

PRESERVATION IN PRINT APRIL 2007 7
PRESERVATION RESOURCE CENTER OF NEW ORLEANS ANNOUNCES
A CALL FOR PHOTOGRAPHY AND CAPTION ENTRIES
N E W O R L E A N S ’
F A V O R I T E S H O T G U N S
JURIED BY COTTAGE LIVING MAGAZINE PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR JEAN HERR
AND STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ROBBIE CAPONETTO.
DEADLINE: All entries must be submitted digitally by April 25, 2007.
The shotgun is a
rectangular house with
all the rooms arranged
directly behind one
another in a straight
line, front to back.
Single, double, camelback,
and two-story
shotguns will all be
accepted for the contest.
EXHIBIT OPENING: Preservation Resource Center
of New Orleans, June 29, 2007 (tentative) in connection
with Shotgun House Month and the opening
of Cottage Living’s 2007 Idea Home in
Uptown New Orleans.
The jurors are looking for STRIKING IMAGES OF
SHOTGUN HOUSES in New Orleans accompanied
by 100-WORD CAPTIONS WITH THE
HUMAN STORY BEHIND THE PICTURE.
A photographer and writer may enter as one team.
children growing up or going back to visit the family
home, the time it was a movie set, the odd
goings-on around the place – whatever makes the
shotgun special to you or to someone you interview
and brings it alive for the audience. Entries will be
judged on the combined impact of the photo and
caption.
ENTRY DETAILS: Original digital submissions (75
dpi in jpg, tiff or psd) accompanied by caption in
body of e-mail should be sent to alemann@prcno.org
no later than April 25, 2007 (subject: favorite shotgun
submission). Include all contact information in
e-mail. Each entrant may submit up to five images
with accompanying captions, however, each entry
must be in a separate e-mail.
NOTIFICATION: Winners will be advised by e-mail
no later than June 1, 2007. At that time the original
file must be uploaded to our ftp site. Framed artwork
(of any size), which includes caption either
inside mat or separately, must be delivered to the
Preservation Resource Center, 923 Tchoupitoulas
St., New
Orleans, LA
70130 no later
than June 25,
2007.
The photos can be full views or details, with or
without people, digitally enhanced or straight forward.
Before/After images
framed together (one of
each) are acceptable. The
stories should bring life to
the photo. Tell about the
couple who renovated the
house, the old man sitting
on the porch, the feeling
you get every time you pass
by, the Magazine Street
shopkeeper set up in a shotgun,
the jazzman who once
lived there, the time you
stayed there, the way it’s
changed over the years, the
Since 1974 the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans has been dedicated to the
restoration and revitalization of New Orleans’ historic neighborhoods and architecture.
www.prcno.org 923 Tchoupitoulas St. New Orleans, LA 70130 504/581-7032 fax: 504/636-3073
www.prcno.org

8 APRIL 2007 PRESERVATION IN PRINT
PRC members are cordially invited
to attend the
Preservation Resource Center
of New Orleans
33rd Annual Meeting
followed by
Coffee and Punch Reception
Election of Officers and Board Members
Keynote Speaker:
Richard Moe
President
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Thursday, May 10, 2007
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church
5900 Block of St. Charles
Please join us for dinner following the Annual Meeting
Antoine’s Restaurant - 8 o’clock
$50 per person paid in advance to PRC.
Reservations required by Monday, May 7, 2007
Call PRC (504) 581-7032 for dinner reservations
www.prcno.org

PRESERVATION IN PRINT APRIL 2007 9
From the
LOUISIANA
State Historic Preservation Office
Office of Cultural Development,
Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism
Jonathan Fricker retiring in August
Phillip Boggan Named New State Historic Preservation Director
W
ith the retirement of longtime
director Jonathan
Fricker approaching, State
Historic Preservation Officer Pam
Breaux has announced the appointment
of Phillip Boggan to succeed
Fricker as director of the Louisiana
Division of Historic Preservation.
Boggan will take over in mid-August.
Phillip Boggan
As director, Boggan will be heavily
involved in the Historic Building
Recovery Grants Program, the
Division’s primary hurricane recovery
program. He will also administer six
other program areas and supervise a
professional staff of eighteen.
Boggan is a graduate of the
University of West Alabama and
Tulane University’s Historic
Preservation program. While at
Tulane, he worked as a design assistant
for New Orleans architect/educator
Gene Cizek, a leading light in
Louisiana’s preservation movement. In
2002, Boggan joined the Division staff
as a designer and certified local government
coordinator for Louisiana
Main Street. He was promoted to state
coordinator in 2003.
Boggan’s accomplishments are
impressive. Under his leadership,
Louisiana Main Street:
• WORKED closely with the National
Trust Main Street Center in the
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to
manage the distribution of donated
items and funds to evacuation
shelters and communities that were
part of the Louisiana Main Street
program;
• OBTAINED a $20,000 “Your Town”
grant to develop and host a design
conference to assist in the hurricane
recovery efforts for Louisiana and
Mississippi;
• HOSTED the June 2006 National
Trust Main Streets Conference in
New Orleans – one of the first conferences
held in the city after
Katrina – bringing over 1,200 Main
Street downtown revitalization
professionals, architects and preservationists
to the city;
• WON a $150,000 Preserve America
Grant to assist in the start-up of
Louisiana Main to Main: A Cultural
Road Show, which was developed to
collectively showcase the state’s
authentic culture, heritage, and
history during a month-long extravaganza
of special events held
throughout the state during
November; and
• ESTABLISHED an Urban Main
Street program in New Orleans to
assist in the revitalization of the
city post-Katrina.
Additionally, Boggan augmented the
Main Street staff from two to five,
enabling the program to tremendously
increase the amount of technical assistance
provided to participating communities.
Saunders to Head Restoration
Tax Incentive Program
Alison Saunders
State Historic Preservation Officer
Pam Breaux also has announced the
appointment of Alison Saunders as the
Division’s tax credit program manager.
Saunders replaces Nicole Hobson-
Morris, who resigned recently to pursue
other career opportunities.
Saunders’ responsibilities include the
Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit
Program, the State Commercial Tax
Credit Program and the State
Residential Tax Credit Program. Her
goals include continuing to inform the
public of the economic incentives
available for historic preservation,
making as much information on the
three incentive programs as possible
available electronically and aggressively
promoting the residential tax credit
program.
The Federal Rehabilitation Tax
Credit Program provides incentives to
encourage the rehabilitation of
income-producing National Registerlisted
properties. Established long
before Katrina hit South Louisiana, the
program has proven to be a strong
recovery tool. In the year-and-a-half
since the storm, the monetary value of
successful restoration projects leveraged
by the program has increased
from $95 million to $139 million.
A graduate of LSU’s history department
and a Baton Rouge native,
Saunders has been with the Division
for four years.
www.louisianahp.org
www.prcno.org

10 APRIL 2007 PRESERVATION IN PRINT
Historic Building Recovery Grant Program
The Project Officer –
Your New Best Friend
by Patricia L. Duncan
T
he $12.5 million dollars in grant
money – lobbied for by Lt.
Governor Mitch Landrieu – has
been awarded in a record 45 days from
the deadline for applications. “We wanted
to get these grants in the hands of
homeowners as quickly as possible,” Lt.
Governor Landrieu said. “We are determined
to rebuild our historic neighborhoods
across southern Louisiana.”
Now that recipients of Historic
Building Recovery Grants are moving
forward with the challenging job of
repairing their Katrina or Rita-damaged
homes and businesses, we want to assure
recipients that you won’t face the job
EXTERIOR DESIGNS, INC.
EST. 1973
alone. If you are unfamiliar with construction
terms and practices, don’t
despair: each grant recipient will have a
mentor to assist and guide him or her
through the process.
The grant program’s project officers
serve as the liaison between grantees and
the Division of Historic Preservation.
Each is an architectural historian with a
construction or historic preservation background.
Two are based in New Orleans
and the third is headquartered in Baton
Rouge, but travels extensively to the
Crescent City and other parts of South
Louisiana where grant projects are located.
A fourth project officer is yet to be hired.
Although each grantee is assigned to
one officer for the duration of the project,
each officer is responsible for overseeing
multiple grants. The project officer’s
first task is to evaluate a property’s
damage and help the grantee to prioritize
the repairs. Then the project officer
assists the grantee in writing an appropriate
scope of work. The scope is a document
detailing the work to be done as
well as how and when it will be completed.
Once the grantee and state authorities
have signed the scope, the officer
requests that the first payment be made
(60% of the grant award). If changes in
the scope of work are needed, the officer
assists in having the changes approved.
Once the project officer is satisfied
adequate progress has been made, he or
she requests that the next installment of
grant funds be paid (an additional 20%).
If for some reason work does not start in a
timely manner, the officer investigates the
cause and attempts to help the grantee get
the project moving. Should this attempt
fail, the project officer refers the problem
to higher authority for resolution.
As work proceeds, the officer guides
and monitors construction. When questions
arise, he or she consults with the
grantee, contractors and sub-contractors
and, if necessary, helps them to interpret
and apply the Secretary of the Interior’s
Standards for Rehabilitation. Grantees are
required to follow these guidelines,
which specify best historic preservation
practices. He or she also documents all
grant activities and progress. At the end
of each project, the officer certifies its
completion, then requests the final grant
payment of 20%.
The project officers are Philip
Gilmore, Jessica Landry and Tracy
Nelson. Each is introduced elsewhere on
this page. In addition to their regular
duties, the three also will monitor projects
in the Carrollton, Garden District,
Irish Channel, Lower Garden District,
Upper and Lower Central Business
Districts and Uptown neighborhoods, as
well as part of Esplanade Ridge, until an
additional project officer is hired.
BEVERLY KATZ, APLD
Exterior Designs, Inc., is a landscape
planning and contracting company, that
specializes in “problem solving for
yards.” Design, landscaping, paving
masonry for courtyard and pool designs
are the companies specialties.
Beverly Katz
Landscape Designer
call 866-0276 for a consultation
WWW.EXTERIOR DESIGNSBEV.COM
Jessica Landry
Jessica Landry is working on a master’s
degree in preservation at
Tulane University. She monitors
grants in South Lakeview, Parkview,
Broadmoor, Edgewood Park,
Gentilly Terrace, and Esplanade
Ridge. She also covers the Old
Arabi and Friscoville historic districts
in St. Bernard Parish. Landry
earned a degree in Civil
Engineering and has construction
management experience that will be
valuable to the grant program. She
calls her role as project officer a
once in a lifetime opportunity to aid
hurricane victims and appreciates
their enthusiasm and willingness to
appropriately restore their homes.
Philip Gilmore
By participating in grant clinics
designed to help New Orleans residents
understand and complete the
detailed grant application form,
Gilmore served the grant program
as a volunteer before joining the
staff. He has also conducted architectural
re-surveys of National
Register historic districts (NRHD) in
the Parkview and Faubourg Marigny
neighborhoods and has assisted
Tarps New Orleans (TNO) with public
outreach and event assistance
during the October 2006
International Craftsman’s Conference
in the city. Gilmore coordinates
grants in the Bywater, Faubourg
Marigny, New Marigny, Mid City,
and Central City neighborhoods.
Tracy Nelson
Interested in sustainable solutions for
the built environment, Tracy Nelson
brings experience in the Holy Cross
area to the grant program.
Immediately after Katrina, she served
as a first responder in Bay St. Louis.
She assisted with medical evacuations,
helped stranded residents
reach safety, and partnered with
many non-profits to establish a recovery
center. In New Orleans, Nelson
worked for Architecture for Humanity,
connecting architects with disaster
victims who need help rebuilding
their homes, and with Neighborhood
Empowerment Network Association.
Nelson also worked with a New
Orleans cultural management and
research firm to establish a historic
GIS digital database for the
Broadmoor area. She serves as project
officer for the Holy Cross, Vieux
Carre, and Algiers Point historic districts.
Like Gilmore, she will also
work in Esplanade Ridge.
www.prcno.org

PRESERVATION IN PRINT APRIL 2007 11
Kevin Mercadel, National Trust for Historic Preservation
Heritage tourists spend more and stay longer
New Orleans Named a
Distinctive Destination
for Cultural Tourism
by Alex Lemann
In a press conference held in Jackson Square,
Kevin Mercadel, project manager of the
National Trust for Historic Preservation field office
at PRC, recognized the city of New Orleans for
“achievement in heritage tourism.”
N
ew Orleans became the thirteenth
city on the 2007 “dozen
distinctive destinations” list,
an honor presented by the National
Trust to “unique and lovingly preserved
communities in the United States.”
This year marks the eighth time the list
has been presented, bringing the total
to 63 destinations in 27 states.
“Some places are just too important
to let go,” Mercadel said as he presented
the award. Since Katrina, the
National Trust has been heavily
involved in the rebuilding of New
Orleans, with more than 1,000 volunteers
from around the country assessing
damages and planning work scopes for
individual homeowners plus providing
grants and professional services on 12
Home Again projects in Mid-City,
Treme, Holy Cross, South Lakeview
and New Marigny.
Reaction to the award from the dignitaries
who attended the press conference
was enthusiastic and supportive.
“New Orleans is authentic. New
Orleans is not manufactured. We
respect it. We love it,” Sandy
Shilstone, chief executive officer of the
New Orleans Tourism Marketing
Corp., said. State Historic Preservation
Officer Pam Breaux pointed out that
“more buildings are eligible for the
National Register of Historic Places in
New Orleans than in any other city.”
The presentation was widely seen as
a recognition of the strength of New
Orleans’ historic architecture and its
inherent value for cultural tourism.
Mayor Nagin, who was in attendance
to receive the award, acknowledged
that “our historic structures make us so
different from everywhere else.”
In addition to New Orleans, the
National Trust recognized
Charlottesville, Va.; Chatham, Mass.;
Chestertown, Md.; Durango, Colo.;
Ellensburg, Wash.; Hillsborough, N.C.;
Little Rock, Ark.; Mineral Point, Wis.;
Morgantown, W. Va.; Providence, R.I.;
West Hollywood, Calif. and
Woodstock, Ill.
www.prcno.org

12 APRIL 2007 PRESERVATION IN PRINT
A W E E K E N D O F F A B U L O U S
Preserving the Stained Glass Heritage of New Orleans
• Symposium Features National Experts April 21 •
by Patricia Andrews
New Orleans has an
enormous selection
of outstanding religious
art, especially
its stained glass windows,
but they are a
well-kept secret,
Susan E. Levy and
Blanche M. Comiskey
reflected after closing
down the Vatican
Exhibit at the New
Orleans World’s Fair.
To bring this powerful
art form to a wider
audience, they
formed the Stained
Glass Art in Sacred
Places group, which
has presented over
thirty PRC-sponsored
tours since 1989.
H
Mary C. Higgins
stained glass artist
and conservator
onoring the memory of Susan
Levy, a special symposium on
the history and conservation
of New Orleans stained glass will take
place at Trinity Episcopal School on
Saturday, April 21, with illustrated
talks by nationally recognized experts
and members of the local tour committee.
If you have attended any of the
stained glass tours or have ever wanted
to, this weekend is a must.
The program is sponsored by the
Friends of St. Alphonsus Art &
Cultural Center, with assistance from
the Louisiana Endowment for the
Humanities and the Preservation
Resource Center.
Harriet Murrell will present an
informal survey of hurricane damage,
and Mary La Coste will open the symposium
with a history of the stained
Andrew C. Young
president of the stained glass
Association of America
Mary La Coste
New Orleans author
and tour organizer
glass tours, enumerating some of their
achievements over the years. Jean M.
Farnsworth, a former resident of New
Orleans and principal editor of Stained
Glass in Catholic Philadelphia, will present
her findings about New Orleans
stained glass from 1841 until 1915.
(Glass predating the Civil War is
extremely rare in the United States).
Dr. Sally Main, curator at the
Newcomb Art Gallery, will talk about
the influence of Louis Comfort Tiffany
in New Orleans.
Much of the symposium will focus
on the preservation of our stained glass
heritage. Local glass artist Cynthia C.
Knezeak will describe some of the
Hurricane Katrina-related damage that
she has appraised and repaired, and
Arthur J. Femenella, whose firm
restored the Tiffany windows donated
Cynthia Knezeak
glass restoration specialist
from Metairie
to Newcomb College, will present his
“Strategy for Restoration,” based on
extensive experience throughout the
United States. Mary Clerkin Higgins,
author, stained glass artist, and conservator
from New York, will focus on
issues relating to the construction of
windows, and Andrew C. Young, president
of the Stained Glass Association
of America, will discuss issues facing
owners of stained glass when planning
repairs.
The all-day event, with registration
beginning at 8:30 a.m., will include a
box lunch and will conclude with a
tour of the Trinity Episcopal Church
stained glass windows by Harriet
Murrell. The following day will feature
a tour of four houses of worship.
InSight Builders
General Contractors for all New Orleans
New Construction & Renovations
“Committed to restoring the
traditions of our community”…
7407 St. Charles Avenue, NOLA
504.865.7784
www.Insightbuilds@mindspring.com
www.prcno.org

PRESERVATION IN PRINT APRIL 2007 13
S T A I N E D G L A S S A R T
Preserving the Stained Glass Heritage
of New Orleans
Symposium: Saturday, April 21, 8:30 - 4:30
Trinity Episcopal School
1315 Jackson Avenue
Tour: Sunday, April 22, 2:00 - 5:00
Begins and ends at St. Alphonsus Art and Cultural Center
2045 Constance Street (at St. Andrew Street)
The buses will leave promptly at 2:00
Please register early!
Send registration form and check to: Friends of St. Alphonsus,
P.O. Box 57143, New Orleans, LA 70157-7143. For phone orders
or information, call 504/636-3040.
Sponsored by Friends of St. Alphonsus Art and Cultural Center, with
assistance from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and the
Preservation Resource Center.
Save a place for me!
This window at Our Lady Star of the Sea portrays
St. Frances Cabrini, the first American saint. Pope Leo
XIII sent her to the United States to work with immigrants
and poor children.
PRC’s Stained Glass Tour
Goes from Historic St. Roch to
St. Charles Avenue April 22
by Patricia Andrews
he spring tour will feature
Touro Synagogue and Our Lady
TStar of the Sea, St. John the
Baptist and St. Mary’s Assumption
Catholic churches. In addition to the
tour, there will be a symposium on
April 21, “Preserving the Stained Glass
Heritage of New Orleans.”
Our Lady Star of the Sea is located
in the National Register Historic
District Faubourg New Marigny,
known locally as St. Roch. This massive
brick building in a Greek cross
Gene Koss, of the Tulane University art department,
created this window for the new wing of
Touro Synagogue in 1990.
Featuring windows from the pope’s first radio
broadcast to sinuous art nouveau lines in a
St. Charles Avenue synagogue, four outstanding
houses of worship will open for PRC’s
biannual Stained Glass in Sacred Places Tour
on Sunday afternoon, April 22.
plan houses windows by two studios
popular in New Orleans: Emil Frei, of
St. Louis and Munich, and the Franz
Mayer Company, also from Munich.
Sure to please tour goers are the portrayals
of Pope Pius XI making the first
radio broadcast from the Vatican and
of Pope Pius X offering communion to
the children.
St. John the Baptist and St. Mary’s
Assumption churches both greet worshipers
with overwhelming expanses of
elaborate German-style stained glass.
www.prcno.org
Name: ___________________________________________ Phone: __________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________________
_______ Symposium attendees ($25 fee includes lunch) $__________
_______
St. Mary’s Assumption was begun in
1858, reflecting the growth of the
German population in the Irish
Channel. Construction of St. John the
Baptist Church in Central City dates
to 1868 and shows the vibrancy of the
area near the end of the New Basin
Canal in the years immediately following
the Civil War.
The sanctuary of Touro Synagogue
on St. Charles Avenue, a Beaux Arts
structure dedicated in 1909, is surrounded
by stained glass that combines
geometric forms with sinuous art nouveau
lines. The subdued but warm feel
of these windows contrasts with the
sunny, symbolic glass of the adjoining
Tour ($15 for members of the PRC or
Friends of St. Alphonsus & $20 for non-members)
Total:
__________
$__________
chapel. Here, local artists Gene Koss
and Ida Kohlmeyer, who had never
produced a window before, demonstrate
the virtuosity of this medium.
Secure parking will be available at
St. Alphonsus Art & Cultural Center,
2045 Constance Street. The bus tour,
from 2:00 until 5:00 p.m., will culminate
with a reception at the St.
Alphonsus Center. Bring your binoculars!
123 Walnut St. #805 $835,000
A classic architectural build-out gives
this stunning condo residence the feel
of an elegant Uptown home. Perched
high above Audubon Park, it enjoys
extraordinary views of both the City
skyline and the majestic Mississippi.
3BR/3BA in a premium building.
Carmen L. Duncan, CRS, ABR
“Your Real Estate Resource” sm
RE/MAX N.O. PROPERTIES
Direct: 504-865-9397 • Cell: 504-452-6439 • RE/MAX: 504-866-7733
www.yourrealestateresource.net

14 APRIL 2007 PRESERVATION IN PRINT
Louisiana Preservation Conference and Honor Awards
Making Preservation Matter
Monroe, May 4 - 6, 2007
Sponsored by Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation,
Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation and Louisiana Division of Archaeology
Why attend Professionals, representing a full spectrum of preservation experience
and interests, will provide you with technical, practical and legal information.
Educational sessions will spotlight both the successes and ongoing challenges
we face in Louisiana preservation. Entertainment, receptions and tours will
provide opportunities to mix with other preservationists.
Who should attend Preservationists, Main Street coordinators and managers,
city and regional planners, architects, historians, archaeologists, state and local
officials, owners of historic properties, advocates of historic preservation, smart
growth planners, developers, heritage travelers and YOU!
Bring a friend: The conference is a great opportunity to share with spouses and
guests, through our Lagniappe Series of sessions, workshops, receptions, and
awards luncheon, some of which may be purchased “ala carte” by non-conference
attendees. Shopping and sightseeing information will be available. Everyone is
invited to bid at the silent auction.
We look forward to seeing you in Monroe!
Stacy Jamieson, executive director, Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation
Louisiana Preservation Conference
Monroe, LA • May 4 - 6, 2007
Atrium Hotel and Conference Center
Friday
• Registration
• Louisiana Trust board and annual meeting with reports from National
Trust Southern Regional Office, Division of Historic Preservation,
Preservation Resource Center and Foundation for Historical Louisiana
• Main Street meetings
• Guided tour of downtown preservation successes
• Visit to Beidenharn Gardens and Museum
• Opening reception at the home of Merlin Smith
Saturday
• Registration
• Opening plenary session with welcome from Monroe mayor’s office and
keynote speaker Jay Dardenne, Louisiana Secretary of State.
• Effective Advocacy in Louisiana - Melissa Flournoy Ph.D
• Louisiana Main Street 101- Phil Boggan
• History of Chairs - Leon Steele
• Archaeology: Creoles of Color – The discovery of Marie Terese Coin –
David Morgan
• Louisiana Trust Preservation Honor Awards Luncheon
• Ten Most Endangered Historic Sites List Update - Louisiana Trust
• Legal Issues for Historic District Commissions– James Logan
• Façade Easements as a Tool for Preserving Historic Buildings –
Charles Charrier and Leah Tubbs
• Exploring Louisiana – Ancient Mounds Driving Trail - Reca Jones.
• What’s Happening in Louisiana Heritage Tourism -Sharon Calcote.
• State & Federal Historic Tax Credits – Alison Saunders
• Creating Design Guidelines for your Historic District – Ray Scriber
• How to Take Care of Grandpa’s Headstone - National Center for
Preservation Training and Technology
• Current Efforts on Behalf of Poverty Point State Historic Site -
Dianna Greenlee
• Late Afternoon Tour of Masur Museum and Cooley House
• Evening Reception at Layton Castle
Saturday evening reception will be at Layton Castle.
Sunday
• Caravan from Atrium to Poverty Point (approx. 45 min) – Tram tour
by Dianna Greenlee
Registration
Please register by April 28, 2007
For all conference events and receptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$85
or
All conference meetings, sessions & tours
Honor Awards Luncheon Included . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$45
*Ala Carte Events
Friday Opening Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$20
Saturday Closing Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$20
Total enclosed: ________ _______
Name _____________________________________________________________________________________
Address ___________________________________________________________________________________
City/State/ZIP ____________________________________________________________________________
Phone____________________________________ Email____________________________________________
Credit Card# _______________________________________________________________Exp__________
Signature_______________________________________ ___________________________________________
Make check Payable to:
Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation
P.O. Box 1587
Baton Rouge, LA 70821
Please enclose this form with your check. Questions Call 225/344-6001
Atrium Hotel & Conference Center - 2001 Louisville, Monroe.
Call 318/410-4000 for reservations and mention the
Louisiana Preservation Conference for special rate until April 25th.
www.prcno.org

PRESERVATION IN PRINT APRIL 2007 15
One of two original “steamboat houses” in Holy Cross, PRC’s target neighborhood
since 2002. Holy Cross, located along the river and just over the Industrial Canal from
Bywater, is both a National Register Historic District and a local historic district. PRC’s
Rebuilding Together, Operation Comeback and joint National Trust HOME AGAIN programs
have renovated seven homes in Holy Cross since the City lifted its “look and
leave” policy less than one year ago. We are in the process of totally rehabbing 19
more homes. In addition, PRC owns an additional 11 houses and is working through
the City’s adjudicated property process to acquire 24 properties. Before the storm, PRC
renovated and sold four homes, built two new houses and repaired 104 homes belonging
to elderly and disabled Holy Cross residents.
by Alex Lemann
Dunn and Sonnier Flowers donated their talents to trim PRC’s model steamboat house for
Art in Bloom at the New Orleans Museum of Art. Opening night for the event drew more
than 1,300 people, and thousands more viewed the miniature house while on public display.
PRC was invited to participate in the “Movers and Shakers” category, dedicated this
year to individuals and organizations that have made a significant impact toward the
rebuilding of New Orleans since the storm.
View house model and exhibit on Holy Cross neighborhood weekdays at PRC
PRC Honored to Contribute to the
Annual Art in Bloom Celebration
A model of one of
the famed steamboat
houses in the
Holy Cross Historic
District was the focal
point of the PRC
exhibit at the New
Orleans Museum of
Art – a fitting tribute
to the organization’s
commitment to the
neighborhood’s
rebirth.
he PRC participated in this
year’s Art in Bloom as a Mover
Tand Shaker, an honor reserved
for a distinguished group of organizations
who have contributed to the
rebuilding of the city. Art in Bloom, a
five-day event at the New Orleans
Museum of Art sponsored by the museum
and the Garden Study Club of
New Orleans, showcases creative floral
designs from clubs, artists, students and
florists that complement the museum’s
collection. The theme for this year’s
exhibit, Vive la Nouvelle Orleans!, celebrates
the history and rebirth of our
city.
The PRC’s display utilized a beautiful
model constructed by James Edward
Kelty, Sr. of one of the iconic “steamboat
houses” in Holy Cross. Born in
Biloxi in 1921, Kelty spent most of his
life in St. Bernard Parish running his
own construction company. After completing
carpentry school, Kelty apprenticed
with Richard Goodyear, and the
two repaired one of the actual Doullut
steamboat houses, so named because the
Doullut family built the two famous
homes in the early 1900s. Upon his
retirement in 1986, Kelty began building
miniature houses for his grandchildren,
including a scale model of the
steamboat house. In all, Mr. Kelty built
30 miniature houses, many of which
were donated to charity. The steamboat
house seen at Art in Bloom was donated
to a church and school fair in Arabi,
where Marcel Duhe won it in a raffle
and later donated the model to the
Preservation Resource Center.
For the PRC’s display, the model
house was adorned with flowers by
Stephen Sonnier of Dunn and Sonnier.
In addition to the wonderful floral
designs and landscaping, Jackie Derks
of the PRC amassed a collection of
miniature dolls and objects from
around the country. Dolls were loaned
by Doreen Sinnott of Tiny Dolls, Inc.,
one of the foremost makers of miniature
dolls, and by Bonnie Broel, who
operates a superlative dollhouse museum
on the upper floor of her St.
Charles Avenue bridal shop. Other
items were donated or loaned by
House Works, Ltd., Hobby Builders
Supply, and Town Square Miniatures.
“Miniature collecting,” Jackie
Derks says, “is a fascinating hobby, one
that brings you into contact with
skilled artisans all over the world.” The
PRC was thrilled and honored to be
able to present some of those artisans’
fine work at Art in Bloom while also
promoting one of the iconic landmarks
of the Holy Cross neighborhood.
James Edward Kelty, Sr., a retired contractor who has built 30 miniature houses in his
spare time, including the model steamboat house at PRC, actually worked as a carpenter
apprentice repairing one of the steamboat houses.
www.prcno.org

16 APRIL 2007 PRESERVATION IN PRINT
JULIE NEILL
DESIGNS
Tuesday - Saturday
10-5
3908 Magazine Street
899-4201
www.julieneill.com
6070 Magazine Street•New Orleans, Louisiana 70118• 895-8661
Classic Clothing and Furnishings. Since 1939
Gala Re-Opening
Art for Arts’ Sake
3927 Magazine Street
504-899-4944
Preservation Rules!
Chic Pre-teen Boutique
•
3638 Magazine Street NOLA
hours Tues-Sat 10am to 5pm

PRESERVATION IN PRINT APRIL 2007 17
GUEST
VIEWPOINT
The Unreported Influx
of Bright and
Energetic Residents to
New Orleans
Stephen Hales, M.D.
This op ed originally appeared in the Times-Picayune and is reprinted here with
writer’s permission.
R
ecently the New York Times carried
a story on its front page
under this headline: “New
Orleans’s New Setback: Fed-up Residents
Giving Up.” The article profiled several
families who are leaving New Orleans
because the pace of recovery is “too little,
too late,” an understandable assessment.
The article itself, while more
nuanced, generally supported that statement.
“We don’t have to go through
this” would fairly represent the sentiments
of those who have chosen to
leave.
But a different headline, equally as
true, might have been this: “A Unique
City Continues to Hold and Attract
Committed Citizens.” Support for that
alternative headline was found, in fact,
in the text of Shaila Dewan’s article, as
demographers and others described not
only a hard-to-quantify “brain drain,” but
also a determined and passionate core of
New Orleanians choosing to stay, and a
steady, if under-reported, flow of new residents
who see both challenge and
opportunity in this badly damaged city.
“The pattern in is certainly stronger than
the pattern out,” said one demographer.
So why does the story run under the
first headline, sure to be seen far and
wide as one more piece of bad news documenting
our city’s slide into oblivion
Headlines count, leaving impressions
that are hard to change, and I can only
wish they had chosen the second one.
I have been a pediatrician in New
Orleans for more than thirty years, long
enough to see a generation of babies
grow up and, now, to help care for their
babies. While I will not offer my experience
as a substitute for the academic
analyses of statisticians and demographers,
I will cite my own less formal, but
very personal survey of the flow of families
in and out of our city.
In the months after the storm, when
we were able to come back to the city,
open our office, and begin to care for our
stunned and stressed families as they
returned to pick up the pieces of their
lives, demographic dynamics became
very personal. Each day we collected
from the fax machine and the occasional
mail delivery requests for the medical
records of children we had cared for
through their young lives. There were so
many such requests – from Dallas and
New York, Denver and Houston, Atlanta
and San Francisco.
A unique city
continues to
hold and attract
committed
citizens
But there were many families who
chose to stay, for the whole range of reasons
the New York Times article cited –
for family, for jobs, for the keenly felt
need to rebuild their homes, and their
city. And, to our surprise, we began to
see a flow of new patients and families
into our practice from all over the country.
Young families – educators, attorneys,
physicians, and business people –
arrived to replace those who left after the
storm, or to begin new ventures made
possible by the profound changes which
followed Katrina. And we began to see
more and more babies born in our
remaining hospitals, perhaps the most
significant vote of confidence in the
future. We have found, over the past
year, that the net of those flows in and
out has turned decidedly positive.
www.prcno.org
Does that mean all is well in New
Orleans Clearly, it does not. New
Orleans faced significant problems before
the flood, and those have become even
more evident and wrenching as we
rebuild our city. This is not an easy
place to live right now. We recognize it
when we experience the daily reality of
broken traffic lights, pot-holed streets, a
dysfunctional criminal justice system,
and challenged health care resources.
We see it when we travel to other cities,
where things are “normal,” and the conditions
we face each day would not be
tolerated. Enormous challenges – unique
in the history of our nation – remain in
restoring housing lost when 80 percent of
our city was flooded. We live with the
pervasive sense that we have been failed
by our elected leaders.
But I strongly believe that the pessimistic
“giving up” New York Times
headline does not convey the reality I
see day in and day out in my office, or in
my city. Citizen-led initiatives have
brought real change and reform to
entrenched political structures, structures
which have served New Orleans poorly
for generations. The failed public school
system is in the midst of a transformation
led both by committed New Orleanians
and an influx of bright and energetic
educational reformers, school leaders,
and teachers who are here because there
is an unparalleled opportunity to “make a
difference.”
I was not born here, but found in this
city many years ago a rich and engaging
culture, place, and people. We have lost
many wonderful families, and will
undoubtedly lose more. This will be a
To our surprise,
we began to see
a flow of new
patients and
families into our
practice from all
over the country.
long process, and will require the devotion,
vision, and hard work of those who
choose to remain, and those who choose
to come here to help this city rebuild.
There are many who fit those descriptions
– more, I believe than those who
make the choice to leave. I hope that in
a future story, and under a more optimistic
headline, the New York Times will
return to tell that story.

18 APRIL 2007 PRESERVATION IN PRINT
Mandi Thompson
Ashley Morris
Geoffrey Moen
Ali Sharif
Post Katrina, Historic New Orleans At
Compiled by Mary Fitzpatrick
Stephen Maggart
Lower Garden District
Systems Engineer for Lockheed Martin
I grew up in Nashville and finished
graduate school at Vanderbilt in
May 2006. Coming from Nashville,
I wanted another place with a distinctive
culture. I came to New
Orleans because of an opportunity
to work on NASA’s new Orion
spacecraft at the Michoud Assembly
Facility. Our goal is to send astronauts
back to the moon and
beyond. As a bonus, I had a great
group of friends already living here
who make it fun to learn the city.
I feel the Lower Garden District is a
nice blend of the urban amenities of
downtown and the attractive architecture
of uptown. I can walk to
shops and restaurants, and come
home to enough space to be comfortable.
My place has an amazing
oversized staircase, high ceilings,
virtually no insulation or water pressure,
the odd spider or two, beautiful
tile fireplaces and loads of natural
light. As with all old homes it
has its idiosyncrasies, but the
uniqueness makes up for it.
■
Matt Candler
Uptown
CEO, New Schools for New Orleans
I was the chief operating officer for
a $41 million school support organization
called the Center for Charter
School Excellence in New York City.
Along with other long-time educators
located in New Orleans and New
York, I decided that what we had
done in New York could be replicated
in New Orleans. In New York,
only two percent of kids go to a
charter school. In New Orleans,
55 percent of kids attend charter
schools, and we believe that New
Orleans is the one place in the
United States right now where the
concepts of autonomy and accountability
have the chance to redefine
and radically improve urban public
education.
What do I like best about being
here The opportunity that we have
to show the nation how to improve
schools by putting kid issues ahead
of adult issues. And Snug Harbor.
■
Geoffrey Moen
Faubourg Marigny
City Planner for the City of New Orleans
When Katrina hit I was in Chicago
working toward my Master’s
degree. I decided to co-organize a
volunteer trip for fellow graduate
students to gut flooded homes. I fell
in love with the city during the trip,
and I knew I wanted to be a part of
the rebuilding process.
I immediately became infatuated
with the downtown faubourgs. I felt
like I was in a very special place,
unlike anywhere else in the United
States. I appreciated the Marigny’s
proximity to nightlife on Frenchmen
Street and the French Quarter, but I
didn’t think I would be able to afford
anything there. I loved my apartment
the first time I saw it – it’s on the second
floor of a house, and has a side
gallery with a skyline view – and my
landlord was willing to bargain a little
on the price. New Orleans is one
of the most comfortable cities in the
United States. Streets are narrow,
buildings are small, and most of them
are brightly painted and inviting,
with porches, stoops, and Caribbean
shuttered doors in various combinations.
Esplanade Avenue is perhaps
the most beautiful street I have ever
seen.
■
Esther Wanjira Nganga with
husband, Rev. Moses Nganga
Muguro, and children, Wisdom
and Gloria
Lower Garden District
Public Health and Social Worker
I moved here from Nairobi, Kenya. I
was working in eight regions in
Kenya educating communities on
health issues, especially HIV and
AIDS prevention for the youth. I
came to New Orleans on a Ford
Foundation scholarship to further my
education at the Tulane School of
Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
The neighborhood looked clean
and safe and it was good in terms
of location and public transportation.
I discovered that it is an excellent
neighborhood when I watched
Trinity Episcopal School staff and
students walking confidently and
peacefully to and from the school
on Jackson Avenue. To me this was
a very unique way from what I had
seen before. I believe that children
are the legacy which I shall leave for
the time that I will not live to see. I
needed a good school for my children,
and I was frustrated until I
went to the Trinity office of admission.
My life has never been the
same again. Trinity School is the
greatest place in the U.S. for me.
Gentleness and kindness was evident
and still is in my interaction with the
Trinity community. The school is like
a star in the darkness. It is Trinity that
gave meaning to my family when I
had given up and wanted to take my
children back to Africa.
■
Shawn Anglim and Anne
Daniell and Mae, 3-1/2 years
and James, 4 months
Bayou St. John
United Methodist Minister
Shawn is a United Methodist minister
at First United Methodist Church,
at the corner of Canal and Jeff
Davis. He is also serving in
“Mission Zone 1,” which consists of
six United Methodist Church congregations,
half of which were devastated
by the flood. I am an independent
academic, currently working as
a full-time mom. We came here for
Shawn’s position in June, 2006.
The Bayou St. John neighborhood
is close to the various churches
that are part of the Mission Zone
Shawn is serving. It is also a beautiful
neighborhood, and we love
www.prcno.org

PRESERVATION IN PRINT APRIL 2007 19
Noel Henderson-James
Olivia Stinson
Reverend Raymond Cannata
ns Attracts a Variety of New Residents
Jazz Fest. We also are committed to
the Mid-City neighborhood, where
First United Methodist Church is
located. The people involved in
Mid-City Neighborhood Recovery
are extraordinary!
The work we are involved with is
beautiful. We wouldn’t want to live
anywhere else. In New Orleans, I
feel like I’m inside of something – a
spiritual process that is greater than
the sum of its parts. Now, especially,
I also feel like we’re involved in
a worthwhile project that is greater
than ourselves – the project of healing
and resurrecting our city.
■
Nancy and Guy Fournier
Garden District
Innkeepers – Sully Mansion
We moved from Richmond, Virginia
where Guy was head of business
development for a specialized children’s
hospital and I was responsible
for all the human service agencies
for the City of Richmond.
We’ve been coming to visit New
Orleans for years, but we changed
careers and took possession of the
Sully Mansion January of 2006.
We had planned to do this about
four years from now and had been
looking at properties. When Katrina
happened, we couldn’t imagine that
New Orleans might not exist and
we thought that if we were ever
going to do this we should do it
now. We wanted to help bring New
Orleans back and host people who
would come to the city.
Sully Mansion was already a
licensed B & B. The house had been
neglected, but it’s beautiful and only
one of seven Thomas Sully-designed
homes left intact in New Orleans.
What I like and also don’t like
about New Orleans is that it is
unlike anywhere else in the universe.
New Orleans meets your
senses better than any other place.
■
Patrick McRae
Faubourg St. Roch
U.S. Dept. of Commerce –
Foreign Service Officer
You either “get” this place or you
don’t. Fortunately for me, I think I get
it, and I’m richer for it. I was sent
here by the U.S. Secretary of
Commerce in September 2006. I am
responsible for coordinating a global
initiative to attract foreign direct
investment to the city and the region.
New Orleans to me is like a
handsome, proud, stylish, lovingly
sassy woman -- a woman who has
taken a beating. When you look at
her from one angle, you see all the
attractive features I just mentioned,
but when you look at her from
another you see the fresh scars, and
you can’t help but feel the sadness.
This city though, like the fictitious
woman, still strives to stand straight,
to retain her inherent stylish beauty
and rely on an inherent strength to
move forward with a certain determined
grace found only in this city --
in spite of the pain.
www.prcno.org
Reverend Raymond Cannata
Uptown
Presbyterian Pastor, Redeemer
Presbyterian Church
I was raised in New York City and
Northern New Jersey and came
here from a position as senior pastor
of a Presbyterian church in
Somerset County, NJ. My wife and I
fell wild in love with the city when
we visited one week before Katrina.
I was scheduled to come back for a
second job interview the day of
Katrina. Seeing the storm damage
when we came in October ’05 convinced
us of our calling. The
Christian life is supposed to be
about moving toward the pain. We
turned down a senior pastorate in
San Diego to come here. It was not
a sacrifice -- this is the most wonderful
city in America.
We wanted to be in the center of
the Uptown neighborhood, where
most of our congregation lives. We
bought a shotgun double -- converted
to a single – that was built in
1902 by German immigrants.
Among the 11 owners was Johnny
DeDroit, a jazz pioneer and bandleader.
What I like about living here is
the diversity, architecture, the urban
setting with a strong sense of neighborhood,
community and place, and
also the music clubs, food, sense of
celebration in the culture, the parks,
our church and the open, honest,
interesting and creative people. In
the Bible every picture of heaven
involves celebration. Jesus talks
about the Kingdom of God as a
great feast. In that way New
Orleans looks more like heaven
than any place else in America! We
can’t believe how blessed we are to
be here.
■
Ashley and Hana Morris (and Katerina,
Annabel Lee, and Rey d'Orleans)
Carrollton
Computer Science Professor commuting
to DePaul University in Chicago
This time, [I moved to New Orleans]
just because we wanted to live here
again. I lived here as a kid in the
‘60s, when my dad had a car lot
on Chef Highway. Then I went to
college here, and we knew this was
the only place we wanted to live.
When I found out my wife was
pregnant with our third child, I knew
we had to move into the Lusher
school district. We were supposed
to close on the house on September
3, 2005. Well, that didn’t happen.
The place didn’t get flooded, but
did sit on pilings about four inches
above the water. After going
around and around with attorneys
and insurance and mortgage brokers,
we finally were one of the first
people to close post-flood, in the
first week of November. We had
no idea if we’d be able to move
back or not. This was killing us, and
so our unborn child’s name changed
from John Lee Morris to Rey
d’Orleans Morris. He was born
here on December 28, 2005.
continued on page 20

20 APRIL 2007 PRESERVATION IN PRINT
Esther and Wisdom Nganga
Paul and Nicole Timmons
Chris Harrington
Stephen Maggart
continued from page 19
Ava Brucato
Irish Channel
Junior Architect
I was working for an architecture
firm in New Jersey when I decided
to come to New Orleans after the
storm because it would be an exciting
opportunity to be part of the
rebuilding process on both a professional
and personal level. I came by
my shotgun apartment in the Irish
Channel through a friend who had
to relocate after Katrina. Turns out to
be a great neighborhood. I love
New Orleans for its food, nightlife,
great architecture, and amazing
people.
■
Paul and Nicole Timmons
Faubourg Marigny
Hurricane Recovery Program
Supervisor for Red Cross (Paul)
Disaster Recovery Director for
United Way (Nicole)
Nicole and I came to New Orleans
in December of 2005 as disaster
recovery volunteers for the Red
Cross. By Mardi Gras, we were
engaged and found a new home
and work in New Orleans. Our
part of the Marigny received very
little damage from Katrina, thus it
had rental property available immediately.
We wanted to live in the
city, and it certainly helped that we
had fallen in love with the character
of the neighborhood and close proximity
to the French Quarter.
Our wedding was this
Halloween weekend in the French
Quarter. Our out-of-town family and
friends came to celebrate with us.
We wanted to offer the people closest
to us a taste of New Orleans
and why we must all work hard to
preserve and rebuild this city. The
wedding ceremony went beautifully
in the courtyard under the stars and
culminated in the grandest of New
Orleans traditions, a second line
down Bourbon Street.
We came to give. We gave to
each other and now are blessed
with receiving the gift of life as our
first child will be born in July, a
proud New Orleanian. The circle of
life continues in this great city we
now call home.
■
Christopher Harrington
Carrollton
Plumber
I used to be the drainage engineer
for the Royal Household taking care
of Buckingham Palace and Windsor
Castle and all the houses inside the
M-5 [beltway]. I was just six months
short of getting the Royal Crest for
my business when we decided to
move to Sarasota, Florida, so our
daughter could live in the States. I
came with my wife to New Orleans
right after the storm looking for
work, and my wife (she’s English)
fell in love with the city. She says it’s
the closest place to Europe.
Anyway, there were so many layers
of corporations, contractors and subcontractors
in the early days that
guys like me couldn’t even cover
expenses. When I heard that the
work and pay had gotten better we
moved here and put our daughter in
school. We’re hoping she can get in
Lusher School.
I want to help start a curriculum
in the schools for plumbing because
I think kids here are being trained to
work at McDonald’s and not much
more. There’s a real need for skilled
labor; the pay is $45-50 an hour,
but the kids need to get experience.
■
Mandi Thompson
French Quarter
Commercial Interior Designer
Provider of Discount Furniture
and Appliances
Before Katrina, I had been living in
Atlanta, running my medical furnishings
firm. I decided to move here
because my favorite city needed all
the help it could get and would for
quite some time. My nonprofit
organization provides donated furnishings
at massive discounts to people
in need.
Living here today is American
history in the making. I fully believe
in the future of our home.
I found my office/home in the
Times-Picayune and am blessed to
be a French Quarter resident.
There’s nothing like the thick fog in
the winter and sounds of boats,
trains, horses, singers, life. It really
has made me focus that much more
on work and our future.
■
Toy O'Ferrall
Mid-City
Assistant Editor, The Historic
New Orleans Collection
I moved to New Orleans from
Greensboro, North Carolina, where
I taught composition and literature
at the University of North Carolina
at Greensboro. My boyfriend teaches
architecture at Tulane. I believed
in what he was doing here, and I
loved the people I met in New
Orleans and believed in what they
were doing – people like Rachel
Breunlin, co-director of the
Neighborhood Story Project, and
Ray Cannata, pastor of Redeemer
Presbyterian Church.
When I moved to Mid-City, my
neighbor introduced himself, and
the next day his wife – before she
even met me – started calling
friends to see if they knew of job
openings for editors. New Orleans
is the only city I know of where
strangers – when they discover that
you are new – thank you for moving
there. It is the only place I have
ever lived where I sit in church and
know, without a doubt, my exact
location on the map – where the
musicians, after playing in some of
the best clubs around town, wake
up early on Sunday mornings to
play old hymns in a style that
belongs to the city; where people
pray for each other and for their city
like they are praying for family;
where the service is intimately connected
to the ground beneath the
floorboards. I feel lucky to have
been able to move, to meet women
and men who are rebuilding their
homes and caring for their families,
to eat crawfish on the neutral
ground on Tupelo Street near the
House of Dance and Feathers (I've
never enjoyed gaining twelve
pounds as much as I have in New
Orleans), to be part of a church that
limps and rejoices and is learning –
in a very tangible way – what it
means to love and pray for each
other.
www.prcno.org

PRESERVATION IN PRINT APRIL 2007 21
Ava Brucato
Nancy and Guy Fournier
Jed Malitz and Sophie Omoro
Bill Austin
Treme
Social Worker
I lived in Baton Rouge doing social
work with hurricane-displaced kids
until Thanksgiving 2006. My new
job is with Bridge House, a substance
abuse center. I hated to see
New Orleans decline, and I was at
a point in my life where I could
move. I bought the first house the
Realtor showed me. I fell in love
with it at first sight. The house is a
100-year-old duplex with tall ceilings,
a front porch, and a nice
yard. I just couldn’t pass it up.
Treme is a great neighborhood with
great neighbors. I lived in Baton
Rouge for 35 years, and there's so
much more to do here. I've been
making a lot of friends, which is
easy because everyone here is so
nice.
■
Olivia Dawa Stinson
Uptown
Senior Program Coordinator at
the Tulane City Center, Tulane
School of Architecture
I moved here in January from New
York City where I had finished my
Master of Urban Planning at NYU
the previous May. I was looking for
work in New York but felt that there
were other areas of the country and
world that needed more help and
energy. As a planner I actually felt
some responsibility to come here
and do my part for the recovery.
I live in a swanky Victorian mansion
on St. Charles that has been divided
into apartments. Nothing is at a
right angle and the plumbing is iffy,
but I love the floors and get great
light. I ride the bus daily and love it.
My neighborhood is beautiful and
safe and close to work, but a bit
quiet for my taste.
Basically I believe in this city and
I wanted to be a part of its return. I
am morbidly fascinated by a culture
that celebrates eating something
called mudbugs. My new culinary
obsession is those spicy pickled
string beans. I am also totally
bonkers about the trees and the
greenery and so on. I am a jazz
freak so that doesn’t hurt.
■
Ali Sharif
Lower Garden District
Taxi Driver
I spent six years in a refugee camp
in Kenya after leaving Ethiopia.
When I came to the United States I
went first to Nashville, but my
cousins and aunties lived here and
wanted me to come to New Orleans.
I was scared because of the hurricanes
but finally came here a few
months ago. I live with my family on
St. Andrew Street. It’s good. The taxi
business is getting better. There’s
good opportunity in New Orleans
for me. It’s my home now.
■
Craig Morse
Faubourg Marigny
Photographer • Writer
• Artist • Documentarian
• Community Activist
I worked on a photographic documentary
covering the [San
Francisco] Bay Area’s underground,
performance art, and Burning Man
culture (1999 – 2006). I visited
New Orleans many times over the
past twenty plus years and lived on
Esplanade (1993 – 1994). It is,
without question, my favorite North
American city.
I decided to return to New
Orleans in February of 2006 to contribute
as a photographer and share
with the nation, and the world, the
struggles and the recovery efforts
following Hurricane Katrina and The
Great Flood. I also wish to bring
attention to the indelible spirit that
makes this city so profoundly unique
and culturally rich. The title of my
project is “Forsaken...Not Forgotten:
New Orleans After the Flood.” I
hope to share this extensive body of
work as a touring gallery show, a
four volume book, and as a Web
presentation.
[A series of chance encounters
and new friends] resulted in my living
in the house and neighborhood
of my dreams. Marigny and
Bywater offer a diverse community
of characters who have a variety of
creative talents, worldviews, eccentricities,
and the time to know one
another. The streets and houses are
human scaled, infused with history,
ornamentation, and personality. A
mix of uses makes it very easy for
me to not own a car. I can easily
walk or bicycle. I am never bored
because I feel like I am part of
something greater than myself.
■
Noel Henderson-James
Broadmoor
Affordable Housing Development
I came to New Orleans from
Chicago in March 2006 on a volunteer
trip that I co-organized and fell
in love with the city. I was finishing
a graduate degree in urban planning
and working fulltime with an
affordable housing development
company and after seeing the city
firsthand, I knew that I had to be
here. I went back to Chicago, convinced
my now-fiancée to apply to
Tulane (as she was looking at
schools at the time), and when she
was accepted with a good financial
aid package, I had to find a job to
make the move happen.
I found a nicely renovated apartment
in Broadmoor, and chose it
because I wanted to experience firsthand
a neighborhood that was
rebuilding, and it was proximate to
Tulane. I can’t imagine living or
working anywhere else in America
right now – in the field of urban
planning and affordable housing, it
is the acme of relevancy. Plus it’s
great fun.
Please share your story
with Preservation in Print
The citizens of New Orleans, government
leaders, international media,
T.V. pundits and everyone in the race
for President of the United States
need to know that our city is alive
with new blood, new ideas, new
dreams of opportunity, new commitment
and renewed love for this place
we will fight to call home.
If you have moved here since the
storm, come back to the city after finishing
your education, relocated to
town from the suburbs, decided to
return after leaving for a while or
declined opportunities to transfer
because you chose to remain in New
Orleans WE WANT TO HEAR
YOUR STORY.
Contact mfitzpatrick@prcno.org
or call Alex Lemann, 504/636-3043.
www.prcno.org

22 APRIL 2007 PRESERVATION IN PRINT
photos and text by Alex Lemann
Post-storm, volunteers and new staff
come from near and far to help PRC rebuild
EVA ALITO
A resident of Mid-City, Eva was
born and raised in New Orleans
and worked
until recently
as a mechanical
engineer.
Since
1995 Eva
has been volunteering
for
Rebuilding
Together, but
now she’s a construction manager,
along with PRC’s Kevin Barnes. Eva
says that supervising home repairs
isn’t so different from mechanical
engineering. “It’s the same principles,
just a different venue.”
According to Eva, the best part of
her new job has been working with
volunteers. “Those kids are great.
It’s so uplifting to work with people
coming in from out of town; they’re
so grateful and enthusiastic.”
WILBUR WALKER
Rebuilding Together’s new warehouse
manager first moved to New
Orleans from
Barnwell,
S.C., in
1981, when
some of his
buddies in
the Navy
were stationed
here
and urged
him to come down. After working
in operations for the World’s Fair
(where he met Sara Moore),
Wilbur moved to the Convention
Center, where he worked in the
warehousing department for more
than a decade. Living with his wife
and two daughters in Algiers,
Wilbur considers himself lucky to
have avoided the floodwaters, but
his evacuation was no picnic;
spending three months in a threebedroom
house in Jackson, Miss.
with 15 people and eight dogs
was not fun. Wilbur also has a
background in computers, but he
says he loves his new job. “I like
this because it’s tangible; you can
see it, feel it.”
SUE HOBBS
On a six-month sabbatical from her
job in Washington, D.C., Sue Hobbs
joins the PRC as
news editor of
Preservation in
Print. Sue works
as an editor and
reporter for the
Bureau of
National Affairs,
Inc., a private
company that
manages a variety of publications
dealing with labor relations, law, business,
and government. The company
awards two sabbaticals per year for
projects that aim to benefit not only the
individual, but also the community. For
the sabbatical committee, Sue says, it’s
also important that the project fit with
the applicant’s life. For Sue, the fit was
perfect. “Certain cities take your
breath away, and New Orleans just
does. After the storm, I was struck by
the tendency to tear down damaged
homes, and I wanted to help stop
that.” Since early February, Sue has
been living in the French Quarter,
working at the PRC, and trying to soak
up as much of the city as she can.
JOSH HERRINGTON
Josh comes to New Orleans from
Fullerton, Calif., where he worked for
the Rebuilding
Together (RT)
affiliate in
Orange County
for four years.
Working for RT
in California,
Josh says, was
nothing like
working in New
Orleans. In Orange County, he did a
lot of handicap modifications: putting
in ramps, grab bars, special showers,
and other minor repairs. Here in New
Orleans, Josh quickly learned, RT is
faced with a much more gargantuan
task. When Josh moved from
California, he felt the thrill of getting
involved with something at the ground
level. As supply manager, Josh has
been putting in some long hours getting
everything up to speed, but it’s all
worth it, he says, when you see people
moving back into their homes.
SARA MOORE
Sara has lived in New Orleans for
25 years now, but when she first visited
during the
World’s Fair in
1983, she
was a total
neophyte. “I
had never
been down
south in my
whole life, but
when my sister moved down I had to
come visit.” Before long, Sara had a
job working for the World’s Fair and
had moved away from her native
New Jersey. When the World’s Fair
ended, she worked for the
Convention Center, where she
stayed until a few months ago. As
intake manager for Rebuilding
Together, Sara is responsible for sorting
through all the homeowners who
apply for help, something she enjoys
immensely: “I love helping people
get back into their homes.”
MARCELLE BOUDREAUX
Marcelle comes to the PRC from the
Historic Resources Group, a private,
for-profit, historic
preservation
consulting
group in Los
Angeles. After
a four month
stint working
for the Indian
National Trust
for Art and Cultural Heritage in New
Delhi, she decided to move back to
New Orleans, her hometown. “I had
to go to the other side of the world
to realize I came from a really interesting
culture,” she says. Now
Marcelle writes for Preservation in
Print and assists Rebuilding Together,
and is hoping to attend architecture
school in the near future.
BRITTON HERRING
Hailing from Lafayette and New
Iberia, Britton first came to New
Orleans in 1984 to see the World’s
Fair. Inspired
by the city’s
buildings, he
decided to
become an
architect.
While attending
Tulane
architecture
school, Britton was somewhat frustrated
by the emphasis placed on
modern design. Even after he
received his architecture degree,
Britton felt that he had missed out on
a lot of history, so he decided to go
back to school for a master’s in
preservation, which he expects to
receive next year. Britton spent a
semester volunteering for Operation
Comeback, working on projects in
Holy Cross, and says he would love
to do more preservation work.
“New Orleans is a city about
preservation,” Britton says. “It’s a
very important time to keep it
together.”
KEVIN BARNES
Born and raised in Alabama, Kevin
first moved to New Orleans in
1999, after falling in love with the
city on a visit.
“This really is
the jewel of
the South, and
I just loved the
city and all its
culture.” Kevin
has worked for
Rebuilding
Together since 2003, and so he
hardly counts as a new staff member,
but it was only in December
that he returned to RT after a
Katrina-induced exile in San
Francisco, where he worked with
homeowner’s insurance and tried to
sell his house in New Orleans. “It
was just time to move back. I figured
that if anyone could help, it
was people who had gone through
similar things,” Kevin said.
www.prcno.org

PRESERVATION IN PRINT APRIL 2007 23
ACTIVELY FOR SALE
ACTIVELY FOR SALE
The owners of the following houses have contacted Operation Comeback and asked us to market their properties.
Though you may not see a “For Sale” sign outside, each house is being offered to a renovator committed to doing a respectful
renovation, whether for owner occupancy, resale or rental. To view the properties in their neighborhood settings, please
contact Sarah Bonnette, Operation Comeback’s Information Manager, at (504) 636-3047 or sbonnette@prcno.org.
6212 Burgundy St., Holy Cross: This more than 150-
year-old Creole cottage needs a loving renovator to bring it
back to life. There’s lots of potential in the open floor plan,
which could make a perfect studio space or home for a single
occupant. The property’s double lot leaves lots of room
to build an addition. $60,000 as is.
607 Flood St., Holy Cross: Discover this hidden gem with a lovely
side yard garden and back yard! The one-bedroom, onebath
single shotgun with bargeboard construction was renovated
just before Hurricane Katrina. Property near Mississippi
River flooded but has been gutted. It includes a utility room and
covered rear patio. $75,000 as is.
3635 Livingston St.: Original Lustron house on large corner
lot in New Orleans neighborhood near Old Metairie. Twobedroom,
one-bath house is constructed of enameled steel
panels and is one of the few remaining examples of its kind
in the city and the country! Interior flooded with more than 4
feet of water, but has been gutted. Price negotiable.
1425 Piety St., Bywater: Get the chance to repair an Artsand-Crafts-style
double shotgun turned single-family residence.
House sits on a double lot in area just outside the
Bywater National Register District and flooded with more
than 4 feet of water. $50,000 as is.
6126 Royal St., Holy Cross: Make what neighborhood residents
say was former dance hall your home! The two-bedroom, onebath
single shotgun also has side gallery porch, detached shed
with utilities and a nice backyard. House flooded with 4 feet of
water, but has been gutted. Repairs will need to be made to collapsed
front porch. $40,000 as is or negotiable.
4914-16 N. Rampart St., Holy Cross: Turn this double shotgun
located near Holy Cross School into your home. Each
side of this unrenovated house has two bedrooms and one
bath and flooded with up to 6 feet of water. $30,000 as is
(seller also requesting that buyer pay $3,500 in property
taxes).
418 St. Maurice Ave., Holy Cross: This single shotgun with
side and back additions has lots of space! The four-bedroom,
two-bath house is unrenovated so there’s lots of
potential to create the floor plan you want in a location near
the Mississippi River. $90,000 as is or negotiable.
Please note: Because Operation Comeback is a
non-profit program of the Preservation Resource
Center, we do not enter into contractual agreements
with the sellers of properties. Sellers are
free to choose to accept an offer from any party
interested in a home, not limited to parties that
the Operation Comeback staff has referred to the
seller.
www.prcno.org

24 APRIL 2007 PRESERVATION IN PRINT
The Priestley School
for Architecture and
Construction Prepares
Students for College
and Careers
by Lindsay McCook, AmeriCorps* VISTA volunteer at PRC
With an enrollment of about 75 ninth
graders, The Priestley School has almost
completed its first year of operation.
Community support, a dedicated staff
and an enthusiastic student body have
made this year a resounding success
for the new charter school.
S
till based on the second floor of
the MacNair building on
Carrollton Avenue between
Birch and Green streets, the Priestley
School draws its students from the surrounding
neighborhoods of Uptown,
Carrollton and Hollygrove, as well as
more far-flung areas such as the 7th
Ward and New Orleans East. The academic
year began using a curriculum
designed with help from Tulane
University’s School of Architecture.
Principal Michelle Biagas worked with
Priestley’s 10-person staff to learn why
the students were interested in attending
the unique school and educate
them about the Priestley mission.
Some students, like Donaysha
Stroughter, enrolled because their parents
were interested in the college-prep
learning model. Donaysha said that
before attending Priestley she hadn’t
considered a university education. Now
she hopes to go to college to study
interior design. Other students, like
Kevin Tennessee, applied to Priestley
The original Priestly School building on Leonidas St. Principal Michelle Biagas
hopes to involve students in future restoration projects, allowing the school to
move out of their temporary space in the MacNair building.
to take advantage of the opportunity to
develop skills for the architecture and
construction professions. Like
Donaysha, he now hopes to attend college
after graduation from Priestley.
“The kids are really empowered,”
Biagas said. “To have students excited
about education in New Orleans is a
big deal.”
Part of this is due to Biagas’s nurturing
attitude. If a student comes up with
an idea and follows through with a
written proposal, the school will make
a serious attempt to implement it.
Donaysha and Kevin agreed: “We can’t
wait to go to school. At other schools
you can’t make suggestions. Here, you
can ask for anything if you just try.”
Students are part of the decisionmaking
process at Priestley, even suggesting
curriculum. Ms. Biagas said that
the transformation has become obvious
in the way students handle tasks. “When
the students first got here they said, ‘I
can’t, I can’t, I can’t.’ Now it’s ‘Give me
a minute, and let me figure it out.’ ”
The combination of standard college
prep classes and the architecture,
construction and business tracks offered
at Priestley affords students the chance
to work on all-encompassing projects.
Early in the year, students concentrated
on three- to five-day projects in their
classrooms, but in December they
began their first large-scale project – an
introduction to plantations. Gene
Cizek, a member of the school’s board,
took the students to Laura and
Destrehan plantations for site visits.
Students learned building techniques
and took measurements and pictures.
Later, they created presentations, models
and reports on the two structures.
Students also worked with LSU
landscape architecture students to
develop plans for landscaping the out-
GET DIRTY
The
Garden Trellis
8015 Maple St.
(504) 861 1953
Tues.-Fri. 9-5
Sat. 9-2
The Priestley curriculum includes standard college preparatory classes as well as
architecture, construction, and business tracks. Students at Priestley say their
classes are far more engaging than anything they’ve experienced before.
www.prcno.org

PRESERVATION IN PRINT APRIL 2007 25
Donaysha Stroughter and Kevin Tennessee, members of Priestly’s first class of
freshmen, say their first year has been stellar. “The good thing about this school
is that it’s like a family,” Kevin says.
side of their temporary school site, the
MacNair building. With the help of
about 16 New Orleans Saints football
players (including Drew Brees), the
Priestley and LSU students planted
trees and shrubery around the school.
The Saints also donated $5,000
through their Hometown Huddle program
so the Priestley students could
have a recreational room at school.
Students also attended the World
Monuments Preservation Conference
for three days and helped to restore
homes in Holy Cross. Before the year
ends, the students are slated to travel
to Washington, D.C., where they will
study the architecture and do a project
based on various city sites. Each year
different grades will take trips around
the country to expand their knowledge
of architecture and career opportunities.
They will also visit colleges and
universities.
As the students continue through
the curriculum, they will gain more and
more hands-on experience with architecture
and construction in order to
attend college or enter the trades. “We
want to expose them to all that we
can,” said Biagas. “We want them to
have a complete portfolio to make
choices.”
The school has good community
support. Neighbors were invited to give
feedback on the landscaping project.
Student work also is currently on
exhibit at the Contemporary Arts
Center. Residents often volunteer at
the school.
“I feel like this school can do great
things if we continue with the support
of the community. We’re trying to do
something different. We’re giving the
kids the best this city and state have to
offer,’ Biagas said. “We can’t lose this
program.”
The current goal at Priestley is to
expand the student body. When the
current students become sophomores in
the fall, Priestly will add another class
of freshmen, as well as a new sports
program.
The students will testify that
Priestley is a one-of-a-kind experience.
“The good thing about this school is
that it’s like a family,” Kevin Tennessee
said. “We greet people and make them
feel comfortable.”
Future plans for the school’s location
are under discussion. Although the
February tornado ripped a hole in the
wall of the Priestley library just before
the Priestley School’s Open House, the
response of the Recovery School
District was swift. “We really opened
the house!” joked Biagas. The school
will stay in the MacNair building until
the original Priestley School, located
nearby on Leonidas St., is restored.
Right now, the school lacks the funding
for the renovation.
To learn more about the Priestley
School for Architecture and Construction,
or to view applications for both ninth and
tenth grades, please visit the website at
http://priestleyschool.org.
www.prcno.org

26 APRIL 2007 PRESERVATION IN PRINT
Believe in New Orleans – Invest in the PRC
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
Preservation in Print subscription
Discount on PRC tours, events and retail items
Advance notice of PRC workshops and events
Use of PRC library
Invitation to PRC Annual Meeting
Memorials and Tributes
In Honor of
EVELYN COX
By
Dr. and Mrs. Richard Strub
PRC PROGRAMS
Operation Comeback
Rebuilding Together
Ethnic Heritage Preservation
Historic Preservation Education
Façade Easements
✁
❑ YES, I want to be a PRC member!
❑ YES, I want to volunteer.
________________________________________________________________
Name
________________________________________________________________
Address
________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip
________________________________________________________________
Phone
________________________________________________________________
e-mail
Payment Method: ❑ Check ❑ MasterCard ❑ Visa ❑ AMEX
________________________________________________________________
Card #
Exp. Date
MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES:
General
❑ $30 Friend (first time members, students, seniors & neighborhood groups)
❑ $40 Individual (discounts for one)
❑ $60 Dual (discounts for two)
❑ $100 Household (discounts for four)
Heritage Club
❑ $250
❑ $350
❑ $500
❑ $1000
PRC EVENTS
Holiday Home Tour
Julia Jump
Stained Glass Art in Sacred Places Tour
Heritage Club Luncheon and Reception
Shotgun House Month
Great Neighborhood Sellabration
Ladies In Red Gala
Lecture series and workshops
MEMBERSHIP FORM
Preserver (discounts for four, plus special invitations and listing in
Preservation in Print)
Restorer (same as above, plus one free Holiday Home Tour ticket*)
Conservator (same as above, plus one free Heritage Club Luncheon ticket*)
Landmark (same as above, plus one free Julia Jump ticket*)
*Please request at least two weeks prior to event.
Enclose payment information and mail to:
Preservation Resource Center
923 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
Of the total amount of your dues, $15.00 is for your subsciption to Preservation in Print. Minimum dues
are $30. The portion of your payment that exceeds $15.00 is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
An integral part of the PRC mission is
to reach out and educate the community
about historic preservation.
Operation Comeback (OC) has staged
hundreds of workshops since 1988,
but certainly among its most popular
are the monthly Renovators’ Happy
Hours at homes in progress with the
owners, architects, contractors, OC
staff and other specialists there to
answer questions from the 50 to 100
people who attend. The crowd at the
March Happy Hour in Melissa Gibbs’s
French Quarter renovation project
poured into Dumaine Street.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
All events at the PRC unless otherwise noted.
For more information, call 504-581-7032 or log onto www.prcno.org
APR 18
Richard Moe, president of the
National Trust for Historic
Preservation, will be the keynote
speaker at the PRC Annual Meeting
May 10, 5:30 p.m., at St. Charles
Presbyterian Church. The Trust was on
the ground in New Orleans immediately
after Hurricane Katrina and has
remained committed with personnel,
leadership, professional volunteers
and funding ever since. “As long as it
takes,” Moe has said. (Photo courtesy
of the National Trust.)
RENOVATORS’ HAPPY HOUR: FAUBOURG DELACHAISE
Operation Comeback showcases the renovation of an Uptown
bracketed double shotgun at the April Renovators’ Happy Hour
event in Faubourg Delachaise. Owner Mehmet Ergelen has
fashioned an L-shaped floor plan that features a one-bedroom
apartment on one side of the house and master suite and loft on
the other. Tour the house from 5:30 - 6 p.m., hear from the
owner and Operation Comeback staff, view before and after
floor plans and photos, and enjoy refreshments (including wine).
5:30 p.m., 732-34 Delachaise Street, $5/person,
Bonnette@prcno.orgor (505) 636-3047.
WEEK OF COTTAGE LIVING IDEA HOUSE Watch the vacant lot at 4505
Camp Street as the Cottage Living Idea Home begins to spring
to life! Sometime during the week of April 23, the house will
arrive on trucks from the modular home assembly facility of
Haven Homes in Georgia. Over the following six weeks, contractor
G&H Restorations will build porches, lay floors and
tiles, and install cabinets and paint. By June 1, the house will be
ready for designers Holden & Dupuy to trim the house out with
furnishings and accessories. For more information, call David
Fields at (504) 636-3070 or email him atdfields@prcno.org.
www.prcno.org

PRESERVATION IN PRINT APRIL 2007 27
Thank you to our Major Donors
Annual Major Donor membership support includes gifts to PRC programs, general operations, fundraising events, the
Operation Comeback Revolving Fund and the Homeowner Assistance and Neighborhood Recovery Fund.
Roger C. Altman
Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University
Booth-Bricker Fund
Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown
Foundation
City of New Orleans – Neighborhood 1
Credit Suisse (USA), Inc.
Fannie Mae Foundation
The Helis Foundation
Home and Garden Television
Local Initiatives Support Corporation
Tony Margherita Management/WILCO
American Express Company
Mr. R.W. Boebel
CHASE
Clein/Lemann Esperanza Fund
Continental Underwriters - Mr. and Mrs. H.
Elder Brown, Jr.
Goldring Family Foundation
Bacco’s
Brand Scaffolding, Inc.
Edgar A. Bright
ChevronTexaco
Dash Lumber
Mr. and Mrs. H.M. Favrot, Jr.*
FL Advisors, LLC/ Mr. Hank Lauricella, Jr.
Friend and Company
Kelly and Elizabeth Gibson
Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies
in the Fine Arts
The Gumbo Foundation
Gustaf Westfeldt McIlhenny
Family Foundation*
Hibernia National Bank
Italianate
Greek Revival
www.prcno.org
Landmark
$25,000 and above $1,000 - $2,499
$15,000 - $24,999
Romanesque Revival
A Friend of PRC
Adams & Reese, LLP
Dr. and Mrs. Luis Balart*
BellSouth
Bisso Towboat Co., Inc.
Mr. Michael Burke
Mark M. Cassidy, M.D.*
The Coastal Bank
Colorado Preservation, Inc.
Eugenie and Joseph Jones Family
Foundation
The Finance Authority of New Orleans
Mrs. Stephanie Haynes
Historic Boston, Inc.
Iberia Bank
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Isaacson
Samuel H. Kress Foundation
Steve Kroft
Latter and Blum, Inc./Realtors
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Lewis
AmSouth Bank
The Aspen Institute
Azby Fund
Baptist Community Ministries
Bayou Tree Service
Cahn Family Foundation*
Comic Relief, Inc.
Corporate Housing Providers Assn.
Countrywide Home Loans
Deutsch, Kerrigan and Stiles, LLP
Mr. and Mrs. D. Blair Favrot*
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Favrot*
GPOA Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. George Griswold II*
Il Trullo Restaurant
The Jackson Assembly
$10,000 - $14,999
Steamboat Gothic
$5,000 - $9,999
Queen Anne
$2,500 - $4,999
Mignon Faget Ltd.
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Ogden Museum of Southern Art
People of Saudi Arabia
Reader’s Digest Foundation
Rebuilding Together, Inc.
Saks Fifth Avenue
Shell Exploration & Production Company
The Reily Foundation
The Ryder Family Fund
The New Orleans Saints
Zemurray Foundation
Mrs. John D. Guthrie*
Historic Charleston Foundation
The Home Depot
Mrs. Lois H. Lazaro
Parkside Foundation - Ms. Nancy Lemann
Proctor and Gamble Fund
Shields Mott Lund LLP
International Medical Corps
Junior League of Orange County CA, Inc.
Mr. Kevin M. Kelly*
Memorial Medical Center
Jerome S. and Grace H. Murray
Foundation
Mr. Jonathan Newhouse
Kathleen and Randy Opotowsky*
Mary E. Peters and Robert W. Polchow
Foundation
Sage Hospitality
Wayne Troyer Architect, LLC
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
Whitney National Bank
Philip Woollam
Los Angeles Conservancy
LSU Alumni Association- San Diego
McDermott International
Dr. Dwight L. McKenna
Ann Nichols*
NOHMA Development Corporation
Michelle H. Oakes
The Oxford Hotel
Angèle M. Parlange
Phelps Dunbar, LLP
The Preservation Society of Charleston
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin M. Rosen
Sherwin Williams
Mrs. William A. Slatten*
Sotheby’s International Realty
Sprint/Nextel
State Farm Mutual Insurance Co.
Waldemar S. Nelson & Co., Inc.*
Windsor Court Hotel
Mary Freeman Wisdom Foundation*
Junior League of New Orleans
Christel and Keene Kelley*
Mr. Kristopher B. King
Liberty Mutual Insurance
Prudential Gardner Realtors
Regions Bank
Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Reily*
Robinson Lumber Co.
Susan Thomson-Rutland*
Mr. Thomas J. Schwartz
Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey P. Snodgrass*
Patricia Strachan
Target Foundation
Hollie Vest
Mr. George Q. Whitney*
Mr. and Mrs. Linton L. Young*
A Friend of PRC
Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth N. Adatto*
Coleman E. Adler & Sons
Mrs. Jack R. Aron*
ASA Architects, PA
Mr. and Mrs. John S. Bakalar
Ellen and Mac Ball *
Dorothy Ball
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Benton*
Betty Bird and Associates, LLC
Mr. Joseph B. Bonhage, Jr.*
Mr. and Mrs. John G.B. Boyd*
Jean Bragg*
Susan and Ralph Brennan*
Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Bynum, Sr.*
Bynum’s Pharmacy
Mr. and Mrs. William K. Christovich*
Churchill Downs Horseracing Co., LLC
CII Carbon, LLC
Mr. Ernesto Caldeira*
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Carrere/
The Meadows Foundation*
Center for Preservation Initiatives
Mr. and Mrs. W.F. Chappell III *
Mr. and Mrs. Edgar L. Chase III*
CityBusiness
Coca-Cola Foundation
Kay and John Colbert
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel O. Conwill IV
Mrs. Kyser Cox*
Mr. and Mrs. Valeton J. Dansereau*
Mary and Arthur Q. Davis*
Gene Daymude
Mr. Jules C. De la Vergne*
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald A. Derks*
Collins C. Diboll Private Foundation
Dr. and Mrs. J.O. Edmunds, Jr.*
Entergy Corporation
Eskew+Dumez+Ripple
Faultless Starch/Bon Ami Co.
Fenner French Foundation
First Bank and Trust
Gaiennie Lumber
Margaret B. Gehbauer
Mr. and Mrs. G. Anthony Gelderman, III*
Gottsegen Orthodontics
Mr. and Mrs. John J. Graham*
Melissa and John D. Gray
JoAnn and Harry Greenberg Fund *
A Friend of PRC
Accounts Receivable Management
Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Adams
Dr. and Mrs. Carl Adatto
Mr. Lee R. Adler
Dr. Tamer Acikalin
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne F. Amedee
Jimi K. Andersen
Barriere Construction Co., LLC
Mr. and Mrs. Beauregard L. Bassich
Janet and Jim Bean
Mr. and Mrs. Amos T. Beason
Ms. Jill Newman Benoit
Mr. Andrew Bevolo
Elizabeth M. Boggess
Ms. Deborah Bortner
Ms. Ann E. Breen
Mrs. Virginia M. Brooks
Mr. J.F. Bryan IV
Mr. David L. Campbell
Ms. Alison R. Caponetto
Mr. and Mrs. Gary L. Carnathan
Mr. and Mrs. Tony Carter
Mr. and Mrs. Leonhard E. Casey
Chin Music Press, Inc.
Mr. William K. Christovich
Dr. Carolyn M. Clawson
Mr. and Mrs. Walter D. Cockerham
Mr. Richard C. Colton Jr.
Coughlin-Saunders Foundation
Mr. Robert E. Coulter
Ms. Kaye N. Courington and
Mr. Lance R. Rydberg
Mr. Courtney C. Crouch, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Davis
Dr. and Mrs. Paul M. Davis, Jr.
DC Preservation League
Delk & Morrison, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. R. E. E. deMontluzin III
Mr. Michael Diecidue/Dash Lumber
Mr. and Mrs. John M. Eastman
Marjorie Esman
Mr. Adam Fahnestock
Mr. and Mrs. Conway Farrell
Mr. Stephen R. Favrot
Dr. Ricardo Febry and Ms. Helen Baffes-Febry
Fifth District Savings and Loan Assn.
Mr. and Mrs. Brian C. Fitzpatrick
Mary & Vaughan Fitzpatrick
Joan and Henry Folse
Fowler, Rodriguez and Chalos
Mrs. Rosemarie B. Fowler
Dr. and Mrs. Ronald J. French
Mr. Eric Gabriel
Garden District Book Shop
Mrs. Anne B. Gauthier
Mr. Charles F. Gay, Jr.
Patricia H. Gay
Georgia Institute of Technology
Ms. Julie Goldman
Parker and Virginia Griffith*
Mr. and Mrs. J. Keith Hardie, Jr.*
Historic Pittsford
Mr. Michael Holleran
Mrs. Susan K. Hoskins*
Heidi and Arthur Huguley*
Mr. and Mrs. Alex T. Hunt, Jr.*
Mr. Thomas Jeffris
Kanner & Whiteley, L.L.C.*
Mrs. Mary Liz Keevers
Ms. Anne Zoller Kieffer
KFK Group
Eugenia & Albert Lamar Fund
Mr. H. Merritt Lane, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis P. Lauscha*
Jule Lang Interiors*
Mary Liz Keevers
Linda and Gordon Kolb
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Kurzius*
Mr. and Mrs. E. Theodore Laborde*
Eugenia and Albert Lamar Fund*
Mr. Henry Lambert and Carey Bond -
Lambert and Bond*
Dr. R. Dale LeBlanc and Mr. Hal Williamson*
Mr. and Mrs. William R. Legier
Mrs. J. M. Lapeyre*
Mr. Paul J. Leaman, Jr.*
John and Donna Lee*
Mrs. Carolyn Leftwich*
Mr. and Mrs. J. Thomas Lewis*
Liberty Bank and Trust Company
Mrs. Paula Maher*
Marrero Land and Improvement
Association, Ltd.*
Miami Corporation*
Mr. Jerry Mayo
Mr. and Mrs. John M. McCollam*
Ms. Michelle McFaull
McGraw-Hill Companies
Bob and Beth Mazur*
Mr. and Mrs. Clarkson P. Moseley*
Mr. Stephen B. Murray, Jr.
National Assoc of Local Housing and
Finance Agency
Dorothy Duval Nelson*
New York Landmarks Conservancy
Mr. Saul Opotowsky*
Mr. and Mrs. J. Marshall Page III
Mr. Brandon G. Parlange
Conservator
$500 - $999
The Green Project
George G. Griswold
Mr. and Mrs. James O. Gundlach
Jeff and Barbara Griffin
David Greenberg
J.W. Groome
Mr. and Mrs. H.H. Hanks
Mrs. Joseph Haspel, Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. Robert B. Haspel
Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Hassinger
Mr. and Mrs. Frank B. Hayne
Alison K. Hoagland
Marilee and Andrew Hovet
Ms. Leslie Jacobs
LaPorte Sehrt Romig Hand, CPAs
J.B. Levert Foundation
Ms. Sandra Jaffe
Mr. James B. Jeffrey
Mr. Thomas Jeffries
Mr. Mark E. Juedeman
Mr. and Mrs. Sanford B. Kaynor
Charles Kenney
Gretchen and Dan Kenney
Mrs. Beverly R. Lamb
Mimi and John LeBourgeois
Thomas B. Lemann
Marjory M. Lyman
Legier and Materne, APAC
Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities
Mrs. Stephen Douglas McAvoy
Ms. Elizabeth R. McCall
Drs. Sam and Katherine McClugage
Mr. and Mrs. William McCollam
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald D. McInvale
Dr. Jimmy L. Mains and Dr. Dian Sanders
Mr. Michael Marienthal
Mr. John F. Marshall
Mrs. Chase R. Martin
Martin Wine Cellar
Ann and Frank Masson
Mr. Dan A. Mayer
Mr. and Mrs. Saul A. Mintz
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Mirsberger
Mr. Richard Moe
Leroy and Ruby Molaison
Richard C. Nesbitt
Mr. and Mrs. William R. Newton
Ms. Julie Nusloch
Mr. Eric Overmyer & Ms. Ellen McElduff
Mr. and Mrs. Richard O’Krepki
Platt Byard Dovell White Architects, LLP
Mr. Ed Oneto- Finance Power
Mr. and Mrs. Eliot Orton
The Owen Family - Ms. Martha Owen
Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Perez
Mr. and Mrs. O. Miles Pollard Jr.
Mrs. Sylvia Todd Porteous
Ms. Carrie Portis
The Prudential Foundation
Dr. and Mrs. John Quinn
Patrick F. Taylor Foundation
Tia Nolan and Jim Roddy *
Office of Safety and Permits
Mr. and Mrs. Percy Pierre*
Preservation and Conservation Association
Mr. John Reed and Ms. Jon Kemp*
Reich & Tang Asset Management, LLC
Mr. and Mrs. Boatner Reily III *
Deaun Lewis Reilly
Reily Foods, Inc.
Pat Curtis and Bill Bryan -
Remax New Orleans Properties
Renew New Orleans Foundation
Mrs. Bryce W. Reveley
Mr. and Mrs. George Reynolds*
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Ricchiuti*
Mr. and Mrs. R. Randolph Richmond, Jr.*
Mr. and Mrs. André J. Robert*
Mr. James A. Robinson
Rosenthal and Jacobs Foundation Fund*
Melanie M. Roth
Mr. Barry W. Rovner
Rye Presbyterian Church
Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd N. Shields*
Mr. and Mrs. Simon Shlenker III*
Mrs. Nancy Fant Smith*
Society for the Preservation of
Maryland Antiquities
St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian
Steeg Law Firm
Stempel Bennett Claman & Hochberg, P.C.
Mrs. Saul Stone
Mrs. Harold H. Stream*
Dr. and Mrs. Richard l. Strub*
Swarthmore Community Center
Tozer Family Fund
Mr. John G. Turner and Mr. Jerry Fischer*
URS Corporation
Mr. and Mrs. George G. Villere*
Louis Vuitton Opening
Waggonner and Ball Architects
Mr. and Mrs. R. Preston Wailes*
Ambassador and Mrs. John G. Weinmann
Ms. Eleanor Westfeldt
Wheless Foundation*
Frank and Conlee Whiteley*
Elizabeth G. Winters
Mr. and Mrs. George V. Young*
Mr. Michael P. Quinn
Mr. Robert Ratcliffe
Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Rea III
Mr. Frank Relle, Jr.
Restore Media, LLC
Mr. Mark A. Ricard
Mrs. Francoise B. Richardson
Mr. Richard N. Rigby
Anne I. Robinson
Charles W. Robinson
Loye C. Ruckman
Heath Rushing
Elizabeth L. Ryan
Mr. H. Paul St. Martin
The San Francisco Foundation
Elizabeth Schafer
Ms. Nancy Schamu
Dr. Milton Seiler, Jr.
Mr. John Shelton
I.W. Sizeler
Mrs. Evald L. Skau
Mr. and Mrs. Jurg K. Siegenthaler
Silocaf of New Orleans, Inc.
Jane and Billy Sizeler
Sizeler Architects
Mr. and Mrs. Lynes R. Sloss
Mr. David A. Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce L. Soltis
Mr. and Mrs. Moise S. Steeg, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Stobaugh
H. Paul St. Martin
Mr. and Mrs. Wendel Stout
Mrs. Harold H. Stream
Dr. and Mrs. Roger L. Stroud
Jenny and Erik Sundell
Mr. Tom Gault and Ms. Mary Lee Sweat
Mr. Charles M. Sullivan
Terra Venture Realty, Inc.
Elizabeth and Chris Thompson
Dr. William E. Tiemann
Michael W. Tierney
Jill Feldman and Sean Titone
Mr. John C. Trebellas
UPS Foundation
Mr. Michael Valentino
Mrs. W.M. Vaughey
Mr. and Mrs. David Wagstaff III
Mr. Timothy R. Walch
Adele G. Wallace
Wallick Construction and Restoration, Inc.
Washington Mutual Foundation
Waters Parkerson and Co., Inc.
Ms. Scottie L. Webster
Mr. and Mrs. Farrel A. Weil
Bitsie Werlein and Grover Mouton
Mr. and Mrs. John C. Williams
Ms. Grace M. Williamson
Ms. Patricia Woodbridge
* Indicates a member of President's Circle

28 APRIL 2007 PRESERVATION IN PRINT
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www.prcno.org

PRESERVATION IN PRINT APRIL 2007 29
Developers and
Residents Grapple
Over Future of Bywater
by Sue Hobbs, News Editor
Icinola development planned at intersection of Bartholomew and Burgundy
streets.
When developers last fall proposed plans to
insert three new building projects into Bywater,
residents and the Bywater Neighborhood
Association questioned whether the intended
changes would fit in as positive additions to
what already exists.
H
istoric Bywater has attracted an
infusion of new investment and
population in the past couple of
decades, and since Bywater (which
remained mostly dry during Hurricane
Katrina) contains several large areas
zoned light industrial, it also has attracted
developers of mixed residential and
commercial building projects.
Context matters to Bywater residents,
who are fiercely protective of the
historic character of their neighborhood.
They live in Bywater because
they love its people-oriented culture
and its blocks of 19th century single and
double shotgun houses.
Architects and city planners typically
look to the context of existing neighborhoods
to determine the appropriateness
of new buildings. Context can be
defined in a range of ways, however, and
those different viewpoints have been at
the heart of why some neighbors are
pleased with the proposals for Bywater
and some are not.
For some, contextualism means new
structures that aim to appear historic.
Another approach to contextualism is
to make the structure as different as possible
for a contrasting juxtaposition.
Others believe that new structures
should be sensitive to historic structures
through compatible size, scale, color,
material and character.
The three Bywater development
projects – the National Rice Mill,
Bywater Art Lofts and Icinola -- proposed
in late 2006 now have reached
various stages of the approval process.
The Rice Mill and Art Lofts developments
would adapt existing industrial
structures with new interior construction
and maintain the same building
heights. The Icinola (pronounced eesee-nola)
development proposes a mix
of adaptive and new construction that
some Bywater residents have welcomed,
while the height, scale and modernist
building designs have caused other
neighbors to shudder.
RICE MILL DEVELOPMENT
NEARS APPROVAL
National Rice Mill, developed by
Sean Cummings, has received approval
from the Bywater Neighborhood
Association and the Historic District
Landmarks Commission. Only the New
Orleans City Council approval remains
pending before the plans can go forward
to reuse the abandoned industrial building
for 60 residential units, 20,000
square feet of ground floor commercial
space and 105 parking spaces at
Chartres and Montegut streets.
Architect Wayne Troyer has distributed
the existing 78 foot, 4 inch building
height over five floors. The 133,500
square foot space would feature a swimming
pool on the ground level, nine
penthouses, communal landscaped terraces,
off-street parking for cars and
bicycles, and an open-air public landscaped
courtyard.
A smokestack, shown in archival
photographs to have once existed in the
building, would be replicated to ventilate
the courtyard. The chimney also
would enclose wind turbines to generate
electricity.
Rice Mill apartments would be
offered as rental units for the first five
years.
Construction is expected to take
three years.
ART LOFTS FOR ARTISTS
Developers of Bywater Art Lofts on
the site of a blighted former garment
factory on the block bordered by
Dauphine, Independence, Pauline and
Burgundy streets initially presented
plans for a mixed construction modern
industrial design for 54 residential rental
units, but in response to objections from
Bywater residents, the architects went
back to the drawing board. The new
plan unveiled at a meeting for neighbors
is only for renovation of the abandoned
buildings into 37 apartments within the
existing structures. The original plans
calling for a 40-foot height also have
been altered to the existing buildings’
height of 22 feet, 8 inches. The 54,328
square foot area of the original design is
now reduced to 35,584 square feet. The
Bywater Neighborhood Association has
given its support to the new plan, and
the city council approved zoning for
conditional use on the property. With
the change to no new construction for
the project, developer Historic
Restoration Inc. is seeking a 20 percent
state tax credit for saving historic buildings.
A neighbor whose home abuts the
property thanked architect Gary
Meadows of HCI Architecture Inc. for
the lowered building elevation. “Now I
will still be able to see the sunrise from
my back porch,” he said.
“Historic proportion is extremely
important to us in the neighborhood,”
said Beth Butler, a neighbor who is with
ACORN. “The overwhelming feeling is
people are very happy the numbers
came down.” Other Bywater residents at
the meeting expressed complete satisfaction
with the changes. “We have been
in opposition before. I’m really
impressed with what you’ve done,” a
meeting attendee told the developer.
Neighbors also had been outspoken
with their concerns about parking
because the development would add residential
density to the neighborhood.
The design includes 47 off-street parking
spaces plus scooter and bicycle storage
space, while another 30 curbside
spaces are available around the building.
The Art Lofts name reflects who the
residents would be. To qualify for residency,
applicants must provide evidence
that they are artists. Artisans; sculptors;
craftspeople; writers; graphic designers;
computer artists; people in dance, theatre,
movement, textile and fiber arts
and others would qualify, although none
of the residents’ art would be judged.
The interior would incorporate a glassenclosed
courtyard space for artists’
exhibitions. However, artists’ maximum
annual income must not exceed $22,000
for one person or $31,000 for four people.
Artists would not be prohibited
from income increases above those limits
during their residency at Art Lofts.
Seven two-bedroom units would rent for
$594 per month, and 30 one-bedroom
units would rent for $492 per month.
The units are targeted for occupancy by
December 2008.
ICINOLA ON FOUR BLOCKS
The Icinola mixed construction of
residential condominium and commer-
continued on page 30
www.prcno.org

30 APRIL 2007 PRESERVATION IN PRINT
continued from page 29
cial space on four blocks at the intersection
of Burgundy and Bartholomew
streets has been more controversial and
harder for some neighbors to accept,
despite extensive redesign in response to
concerns of the Architectural Review
Committee (ARC) of the Historic
District Landmarks Commission
(HDLC) and some Bywater residents.
The Bywater Neighborhood
Association’s response to the development
plans has been more tempered
than that of individual neighbors, whose
strong opinions have ranged from support
for the juxtaposition of the initial
Icinola modern industrial design with
Bywater’s 19th century shotgun houses,
to requests for designs related more to
traditional New Orleans’ features such
as balconies, galleries, and shutters, to
outright resistance.
The developers have held four charrettes
to update neighbors and seek input.
Their presentations to Bywater residents
are part of the process that could make or
break the project. If the residents don’t
want it, their influence could lead council
members to vote against the project.
ARC has given its support to the revisions,
and Icinola will be on the commission’s
April agenda. Many neighbors are
satisfied by the architect’s adjustments,
but others still are not convinced that
the project suits Bywater.
Icinola plans call for some 230,000
square feet of building space. In addition
to 106 residential units, the plans
reserve the ground floor in each of the
four buildings for commercial purposes.
About 45,000 square feet of space is
intended for neighborhood-oriented
businesses encased in glass such as an
8,500 square foot grocery store, a coffee
house, restaurants, dry cleaning drop off,
fitness center, small professional offices,
a newsstand, music store, art gallery and
a small hardware store. Two community
spaces would be available for small
meetings and presentations.
The nearly three-acre area of the
planned Icinola project is surrounded by
residences. The development would
incorporate some existing structures on
the site, including the Frey Meatpacking
plant, and remove a transformer and
electrical supply structure, the Social
Security Administration building and a
small concrete shed. Two historic shotgun
houses would be relocated elsewhere
in Bywater.
The developers are seeking a Mixed
Use Planned Community overlay to the
current Light Industrial zoning designation.
That change would remove the
possibility of light industrial uses for the
properties and enable the developers to
add housing.
In a meeting March 6 with ARC,
architect Wayne Troyer presented
Bywater Art Lofts would create 37 apartments within former garment factory.
changes to the previous design meant to
address neighborhood concerns about
density, height, and style, while still
meeting objectives for energy and planning.
ARC and Bywater residents had
deemed the original designs too modern,
too tall, too cold, too massive and too
aggressive, with design elements in contrast
to the neighborhood. Concerned
comments expressed a need to see more
familiar forms such as galleries, balconies,
shutters, and landscaping.
Troyer acknowledged that the first
designs were “unabashedly modern.”
The new designs attempt to blend in
more harmoniously with the neighborhood.
In the changes, the architect has
sought to make the designs more compatible
by aiming for a sympathetic relationship
to existing residential buildings
while incorporating 21st century elements
and contemporary building techniques.
Some of the changes were to
step back heights from the street and
from adjacent homes. The four buildings
appear to be a series of many buildings.
Developers Shea Embry and Cam
Mangham say that Icinola would supply
much-needed services and environmentally
responsible housing. Residences in
the Frey building are slated for the 55-
and-older age group. The plan calls for
201 parking spaces on two floors in an
area not visible from the street.
Residents would park on the second
floor, and the first floor would contain
commercial parking. When the commercial
operations are closed at night,
residents could use the additional parking
spaces. Having commercial activity
on the ground floor is expected to help
lower the crime rate by adding more
vibrant street activity, Troyer said.
Architect and Tulane professor John
Klingman was the most outspoken ARC
member at the March 6 meeting. He
said he was most impressed by the way
the buildings mediate in scale between
the larger sections and smaller buildings
in the 19th century context.
Klingman noted that this presentation
was the fourth one presented on
Icinola as the architect has adjusted the
plans. “Obviously the architect’s ears are
open,” he said. “You are using New
Orleans elements in ways that are appropriate.
I’m very comfortable with it.”
Another ARC member deemed the
new designs “refreshing.” His concerns
previously had been how the height and
density affected historic preservation by
casting shadows across the yards of nearby
19th century buildings.
Regardless of the architecture, some
National Rice Mill near the Mississippi River would reuse an abandoned industrial
building to create 60 residential units.
residents believe that the development’s
commercial operations and density
belong on St. Claude Avenue, not in
the center of an historic area of single
and double one- and two-story
dwellings. The development plan for
Bywater, Marigny, St. Roch and Treme
is to focus commerce on St. Claude
Avenue. Some people fear that commercial
enterprises inserted into the middle
of a Bywater residential zone would
compete with businesses on St. Claude.
Moreover, some residents worry that
Bywater’s brick streets could not withstand
the increased volume of service
truck traffic for the planned commercial
operations.
Nevertheless, neighbors are very
interested in the prospect of a grocery
store being offered in conjunction with
the Icinola project, because they say
there are no markets within a sevenmile
drive. Neighbors asked if the developers
had secured a grocery store commitment.
Embry said they are working
to get commitment for a small, moderately
priced grocer.
“We need development and
growth,” acknowledged Blake Vonder
Haar, Bywater resident and president of
the New Orleans Conservation Guild
Inc., “but this is the wrong project in
the wrong space. Density is a major concern
that will change the tenor of the
entire neighborhood.” She also believes
that the plans call for “obscenely high
building heights.”
“The project is akin to putting a
Wal-Mart into Jackson Square,” Vonder
Haar added.
In comments addressed to HDLC,
Bywater resident Meredith Spivey urged
the commission to “treat Bywater just as
you would treat the historic French
Quarter, Warehouse District, and
Faubourg Marigny…. Your decision on
this project may set a very dangerous
precedent for historic preservation in
New Orleans.”
Completion of the first building is
scheduled for February 2009, and the
entire development would be completed
by fall 2009, according to the developers.
www.prcno.org

PRESERVATION IN PRINT APRIL 2007 31
A P R I L
in the
CBD Arts District
Specializing in Louisiana
Paintings, Newcomb
College Pottery &
Crafts, George E. Ohr
Pottery
Sunlight and Shadows
Landscape Paintings by
Steve Frederick
April 7 - 30
ART WALK: April 7 6 - 8pm
Monday - Saturday 10am - 5pm
600 Julia Street
504-895-7375 • www.jeanbragg.com
Diego Larquia
“New Orleans Landscapes”
April 7 - May 3
Opening Reception
Sat. April 7 6 - 9 pm
709 CAMP ST. 524-3936
Through April 8, 2007:
The Eclectic Eye:
Selections of Fantasy and Illusion
from the
Frederick R. Weisman
Art Foundation
Gallery Hours: Thu-Sun 11am-4pm
(504) 528-3805
O
art
music
shop
www.ogdenmuseum.org
626 JULIA ST., NEW ORLEANS, LA 70130
The best way to
support local artists is
to buy their work.
(504) 592-0206 • (504) 524-8137
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 12:30-4:30
www.georgeschmidt.com
“Every time
I paint a portrait,
I lose a friend.”
John Singer Sargent
www.prcno.org

32 APRIL 2007 PRESERVATION IN PRINT
SEVENTH ANNUAL
LADIES IN RED GALA
LES AMIS DU JAZZ
LA BOHÈME
by Sarah Bonnette
PRESERVATION
RESOURCE CENTER
CALL FOR
SUBMISSIONS
APRIL 25 DEADLINE – The PRC is seeking
submissions for New Orleans’ Favorite
Shotguns, a competition for photographs to
be shown in an exhibit, opening June 29 at
the PRC. Entries will be judged on the basis
of both photographs and captions, which
should tell the human story behind the picture.
Submit entries to alemann@prcno.org.
For more information, see page 7 or call
(504) 636-3043 or visit www.prcno.org
STAINED GLASS
SYMPOSIUM
APRIL 21 - A special symposium on the
history and conservation of New Orleans
stained glass will take place at Tr i n i t y
Episcopal School on Saturday, April 21,
with illustrated talks by nationally recognized
experts and members of the local
stained glass tour committee. If you have
attended any of the stained glass tours or
have always intended to, this weekend is a
“must.” For more information, see page 12
or call (504) 581-7032.
STAINED GLASS
TOUR
APRIL 22 – PRC hosts its annual springtime
tour of stained glass in New Orleans
from 2-5:00 p.m. The tour will include Our
Lady Star of the Sea, St. John the Baptist,
Touro Synagogue, St. Mary’s Assumption and
a reception at St. Alphonsus. For more information,
see page 13 or call (504) 581-7032.
2007
ANNUAL MEETING
MAY 10 – The Preservation Resource
Center’s 33rd Annual Meeting and reception
will be held at St. Charles Presbyterian
Church on Thursday, May 10, 2007, at 5:30
p.m. President of The National Trust for
Historic Preservation Richard Moe will be
the keynote speake r. Free for members.
504/581-7032
MAY 18 – This evening benefits the PRC’s
Homeowner Assistance and Neighborhood
Recovery Fund and Jazz House programs.
Held at the historic Board of Trade, this event
features special performances from past honorees
for the patron party and Kermit Ruffins
and the Barbecue Swingers for the gala.
Patron Party 7-8:00 p.m., Gala 8-11:00 p.m.
To purchase tickets or for more information,
visit www.prcno.org or call (504) 581-7032.
SHOTGUN
HOUSE MONTH
JULY – This year’s Shotgun House Month
has been moved to July to coincide with the
grand opening of Cottage Living magazine’s
2007 Idea Home. Shotgun House Month
will feature special events, workshops, and a
self-guided neighborhood tour, as well as the
photo exhibit N ew Orl e a n s ’ Fa v o r i t e
Shotguns. More details will be posted at
www.prcno.org as they become available.
NEW ORLEANS
JAZZ, GIANTS AND JOURNEYS
AND SOUTHERN WRITERS
APRIL TO AUGUST – Two new exhibits
open at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art
for a four-month run – “Jazz, Giants and
Journeys: Photographs by Herman Leonard”
and “Southern Writers: Photographs by
David Spielman.” The Ogden is open from
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. T h u r s d ays through
Sundays, and 6 to 8 p.m. for live music
Thursdays. For more information, call (504)
539-9600 or visit www.ogdenmuseum.org.
TULANE
ARCHITECTURE SERIES
APRIL 16 – Tulane University’s School of
Architecture wraps up its spring 2007 lecture
series focusing on cities and landscapes
with a talk by French architect A m m a r
Eloueini of Ammar Eloueini/AEDS, to be
held at 6 p.m. in Room 201, Richardson
Memorial Building on Tulane’s campus. For
more information, call (504) 865-5389.
REGIONAL MODERNISM
SYMPOSIUM
APRIL 19 – Local architects Steve Dumez,
Wayne Troyer and Victor “Trey” Trehan will
p a rticipate in a symposium focusing on
regional modernism at the Contemporary
Arts Center, 900 Camp St. For more information,
call (504) 528-3205.
Send Kiosk information to PRC
Sarah Bonnette
923 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA 70130
e-mail: sbonnette@prcno.org • Fax: 504/636-6073
COPY DUE SIX WEEKS BEFORE PUBLICATION
(May 15 for July/August issue)
APRIL 13 – The Historic New Orleans
Collection presents its eighth annual Bill
Russell Lecture, titled “Les Amis du Jazz:
William Russell, Fred Ramsey, Hugues
Panassié, Charles Delaunay and the Revival
of New Orleans Jazz, 1938-1949.” The lecture
will be presented by Bruce Raeburn,
curator of the Hogan Jazz Archives at Tulane
University Libraries Special Collections and
will feature performances by To m
McDermott and Evan Christopher. 7 p.m.,
Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres St.
For more information, call (504) 523-4662
or visit www.hnoc.org.
PIANO MUSIC OF
THE 19th CENTURY
APRIL 15 – A program of music by the
late Basile Barés, a man of color who was
born into slavery and went on to become a
highly successful pianist and composer, will
be presented at the Historic New Orleans
Collection’s Williams Research Center at 4
p.m. at 410 Chartres St. The music will be
performed by Peter Collins. For more information,
call (504) 523-4662 or visit
www.hnoc.org.
SHOWCASING
BYWATER ARTISTS
APRIL 17 and MAY 1 – Head to the
recently refurbished Alvar Branch Library,
903 Alvar St., for free presentations and discussions
showcasing Bywater’s impressive
community of artists. The series is sponsored
by the Bywater Neighborhood Association,
the New Orleans Public Library and the Arts
Council of New Orleans. Elizabeth Shannon
will be featured April 17, and John Costa
will speak May 1. 7 to 9 p.m.
MEETINGS
CITY COUNCIL, Council Chambers, April 19;
May 3, 17; 11:30 a.m.
BOARD OF ZONING AND ADJUST-
MENTS, Council Chambers, April 9; May
14; 11:30 a.m.
CITY PLANNING COMMISSION, Council
Chambers, April 10, 24; May 8, 22; 1 p.m.
CBD HISTORIC DISTRICT LANDMARKS
COMMISSION, Council Chambers, April
13; May 4; 11 a.m.
HISTORIC DISTRICT LANDMARKS
COMMISSION, Council Chambers, April
20; May 11; 9:30 a.m.
VIEUX CARRÉ COMMISSION, 334 Royal
Street, April 17; May 15; 1:30 p.m.
HOUSING CONSERVATION DIS-
TRICT REVIEW COMMITTEE, City Hall
room 7E07, April 9, 23; May 14, 28;
10:00 a.m.
APRIL 20-22 – The New Orleans Opera
presents Puccini’s magical and timeless story
of passionate young artists living life to the
fullest in the Latin Quarter of Paris during
three shows. 8 p.m. April 20 and 21, and 2:30
p.m. April 22 in McAlister Auditorium on
Tulane University’s campus. For more information
or tickets, call (504) 529-3000 or
visit www.neworleansopera.org.
LOUISIANA
LOUISIANA
PRESERVATION CONFERENCE
MAY 4 AND 5 – The Louisiana Trust for
Historic Preservation kicks off National
Preservation Month with its annual conference
in Monroe. The event will feature seminars
and education sessions, technical
workshops, motivational speakers and the
Louisiana Trust Preservation Awa r d s
Banquet. For more information, call (225)
344-6001 or visit www.louisianatrust.org
BONNE TERRE
GARDEN FAIR
MAY 5 – Garden enthusiasts will want to
travel to Houma for the second annual Bonne
Terre Garden Fair at Southdown Plantation.
The 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. event will feature educational
seminars and demonstrations, a plant
and lawn-and-garden supplies sale, a plant
disease clinic and a soil test station, as well as
a children’s activity area, garden-themed art
and photography show, museum tours, food
and more. Sponsored by the Te rr e b o n n e
Historial & Cultural Society, LaTerre Master
Gardeners and LSU AgCenter, admission is
$3 at gate or $2 in advance. Children under
12 are admitted free. For more information,
call Southdown Plantation at (985) 851-0154.
NATIONAL
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
SEMINARS
THROUGH APRIL – The National Preservation
Institute continues its 2007 series of historic
preservation and cultural resource management
seminars in locations across the country. Topics
range from understanding Section 106 to preparing
historic structures reports. Cost is $425 for the
two days or $175 for students. For more information,
call (703) 765-0100 or visit www.npi.org.
HISTORIC
GARDEN WEEK
APRIL 21-28 – It’s the perfect time of year
for a road trip to see numerous Virginia plantations
and their beautiful gardens open during
the 74th annual Historic Garden Week. The event
will benefit the restoration of historic gardens by the
Garden Club of Virginia. For more information, call
(804) 644-7776 or visit www.VAGardenweek.org.
www.prcno.org

PRESERVATION IN PRINT APRIL 2007 33
Alex Lemann, a recent Harvard graduate, has assumed the newly created position of
Preservation in Print deputy editor. His essays appear monthly on this page.
Notes from a newcomer
by Alex Lemann, deputy editor
On a beautiful spring afternoon a few weeks ago, I left the office to hear
a report on the state of tourism in New Orleans. In the findings that were presented
to the attendees, researchers noted that the persistence of certain popular
misconceptions might be preventing people from visiting. In their national
survey these were phrased as true or false statements but were all written to
be misconceptions. One of those statements read, “Historic Districts, such as
the French Quarter, are severely damaged or destroyed by Hurricane
Katrina.” Someone in the audience quietly raised her hand. “Umm, I would
answer yes to that.”
I think she was right. Actually, the idea that a New Orleanian would
consider that statement a misconception was shocking to me. Admittedly, some
confusion stems from the phrase “such as the French Quarter,” because, after
all, it was not flooded, let alone destroyed. Still, the wording implies some
degree of equivalence between Historic Districts (in caps, meaning the official
designation and not some abstract concept) in general and the French Quarter
specifically. The French Quarter certainly is a Historic District, but it does not
represent all Historic Districts in the city. Treating the terms French Quarter and
Historic Districts as equivalent is, apparently, a mistake that even locals make,
and it is wrong.
There are 19 National Register Historic Districts in New Orleans, and
most of them flooded. From Carrollton to Holy Cross to South Lakeview and
Broadmoor, National Register Historic Districts all over the city sustained massive
flooding and damage during Katrina. In fact, only six of the 19 National
Register districts remained completely dry. Historic neighborhoods were not
immune to Katrina.
There is truth in the idea that the oldest parts of the city were built on
higher, drier land, but New Orleans’ historic neighborhoods are not limited to
this so-called “sliver by the river.” The vast majority of our city is historic, and
New Orleans, according to the National Park Service, has more National
Register-eligible buildings than any other city in the country. There is a deeper
misconception at work beyond tourism, though. A lot of people, both here and
elsewhere, seem to think that historic neighborhoods are wealthy neighborhoods,
and that historic preservation is something that only rich people would
care about, and that just isn’t true.
For too many people, the idea of historic districts is limited to the French
Quarter and the Garden District. Since the storm in particular, there seems to
be a desire to contract our mental boundaries of New Orleans’ historic neighborhoods,
to retreat behind the idea that at least none of our historic districts
were “damaged or destroyed.” There is some benefit, of course, in this
approach, because it is inherently optimistic and because it focuses not on
what we lost but on what remains. Unfortunately, the reality is that most of our
historic districts were damaged, if not acutally destroyed. On the other hand,
the storm has forced us to become more aware of other parts of the city. This
is true both for tourists who go on “disaster tours” through flooded neighborhoods
they would never have thought to visit before the storm and for locals
who find themselves poring over maps of levee breaches and flood depths in
areas they rarely entered.
Rather than rushing to corral our awareness of historic neighborhoods
back into the “sliver by the river” in the interest of optimism, we should take
advantage of this broader interest in our city, promoting a greater understanding
of the historic neighborhoods of New Orleans and their significance.
Tourists who visit Tremé, Bywater and Holy Cross might come across some
flooded houses, but they might also see a side of New Orleans they didn’t
expect, one that is no less important than the Garden District or the French
Quarter. Maybe this idea is a “misconception,” but I think people might actually
enjoy it.
Want everyone
to know
your business
Advertise in
Preservation
in Print
For information call:
Jackie Derks
Advertising Manager
636-3053
CURRENT LISTINGS
379 BELLAIRE $425,000
616 BELLECASTLE $420,000
1922 CADIZ $239,000
3429 JEFFERSON $249,000
610 JOHN CHURCHILL
CHASE $572,000
5420 S. LIBERTY $299,000
6425 MILNE(LOT) $135,000
114 RINGOLD(LOT) $99,000
1523 SONIAT $2,125,000
1020 TERPSICHORE G
$189,000
JEFFERSON PARK CONDO’S
$75,000-$82,200
HOWARD SCHMALZ
& Associates, Real Estate
1518 Magazine St.,
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 581-2804
ALGIERS POINT COTTAGE
Bungalow style shotgun double renovated to a 3 br 2
bath single. Great brick porch columns. Large open
living dining area opening to the kitchen. Two bedrooms
share a bath while the third bedroom has a private
bath with a spa tub (also his & hers closets). The
ceilings are high. The floors are wood in the entertaining
areas & carpeted in the bedrooms. There is a
large attached storage room that could be finished to
ad even more space. The back yard is big enough for
pool, kids, or dogs. The price has just been reduced.
Call Josie 561-8690 or Bert 296-9669 to view.
2524 NASHVILLE AVENUE
Fabulous renovation featuring spacious den opening
to large deck to rear yard, black granit counters,
Master bedroom suite 19'X15' bedroom with spa
tub, wood buring fireplace. Great Uptown Location.
Call Howard: 504-621-5564
www.prcno.org

34 APRIL 2007 PRESERVATION IN PRINT
FRENCH QUARTER
NEW! 510 ESPLANADE
Creole Townhouse w/4 floors
main house w/2 story wing.
Terrific. $1,200,000
924 ORLEANS
Could be 6 condos or super
single. Ready to go. 4700 sf
$1,295,000
525 MADISON
Just off Jackson Square. A
complex w/garden & pool &
pkg. Price upon request.
SALE PENDING1200 ROYAL
Lg crtyd w/pkg fabulous main
house & 3 story dep $1,695,000
NEW! 505 ROYAL
Stunning classic townhouse
w/commercial. $3,750,000
933 BURGUNDY
Award winning 3 story Creole
Town House w/dep. $995,000
CONTRACTOR’S SPECIAL
1026 Conti. Famous Norma
Wallace house 6000 sf. 7 units.
Pkg. Several cars $865,000
823 BURGUNDY
Second flr condominium 2BR
nice bldg & assoc. $399,000
835 URSULINES
Victorian w/open floor plan
udated/garden $749,000
1228 ROYAL #6
Efficiency condo, pool, 500sf +
lofts. Location! w&d $215,000
831 ST. LOUIS I
Top 2 flrs/stunning gallery
views/pkg/2BR 3BA. $695,000
1005 BARRACKS
Brand new elegant condominium
complex workmanship. 8 units
$199,000 and up
NEW PRICE! 837 MARIGNY
The cutest & most affordable 1B/1B
cottage. Courtyard. $179,000
NEW ORLEANS
45 Newcomb Blvd
NEW! 45 NEWCOMB BLVD.
Exclusive enclave-stylish Mediterranean
w/5410 sf 4BR/3BA 2
car garage $895,000
NEW! GUEST HOUSE
1118 Ursulines, 14 rooms, turn
key, with parking. $1,395,000
807-09 MARIGNY
Double w/rental good income
$199,900
1223 URSULINES
Tremé Victorian side hall
cottage. Garden. $239,000
2275 BAYOU ROAD
Landmark Inn & Indigo Rest.
Turn key. 2+ acres. $3,650,000
4336 RAYNE
Gentilly flooded/ gutted and
ready to go. 1400 sf 68x124 lot.
$65,000
3620 CANAL
A Classic Villa Landmark, Now
a B&B. 7 BR 61/2 BA All 2nd &
3rd floor levels. Pkg & gardens
$995,000
1314 URSULINES
Two apts/was a 5 room deep
single $275,000
729 KERLEREC
Raised Vict in mint condition. Pkg.
3000 sq ft 3 BR 2-1/2 BA $695,000
7726 JEANNETTE
Totally redone/great style light/
space/fenced. $775,000
Ernesto Caldeira
601.888.7151
www.ernestocaldeira.com
NEW ORLEANS
5513-15 TCHOUPITOULAS
All brand new…Victorian double
large owners income $472,000
170 WALNUT 5F
Stylish high rise living on the
river w/pool & pkg $899,000
WOODVILLE, MS
512 SLIGO
Solid 3BR Craftsman w/pool
Lg. lot good condition $230,000
424 MAIN STREET
Great Federal mantels, pkg
5000 sf B&B $199,000
KENILWOOD FARM
Two houses on 212 acres
w/pond half mile from
Woodville Hwy. 24. $895,000
LOUISIANA PROPERTIES
IN FELICIANAS/ROSENEATH
A dazzler of an 1832 country
home in Jackson. $1,500,000
CHRETIEN POINT PLANTATION
Landmark 1831 house on 12
acres nr. Layfayette. $1,650,000
5929 HIGHWAY 39
18 acres & a new two story
galleried house $989,000
NEW PRICE! LOYD HALL PLANTATION
Two homes and outbuildings on 12
acres nr. Alexandria. $1,250,000
CREOLE COTTAGE IN CONVENT
Fabulous early house on River
Rd. Needs completion. 14
acres $225,000.
SANDBAR PLANTATION
Across the river from BR.
Great 1837 house & interior.
3 acres. $895,000
MARY PLANTATION 1820
Classic columns all around,
upper galleries, at levee, 30 minutes
down river, 7 acres.
$1,200,000
POPLARVILLE
321 GO GO ROAD
Exciting 3 BR Lambert/Bond house
w/77 acres on river. $585,000
NATCHEZ
NEW! RAVENNASIDE
Stunning Colonial Revival
9627 sf furnished w/elegant
antiques $1,995,000
NEW! VICTORIA INN
In Lafitte on the water, 14 guest
rms, 6 acres lush gardens, 3
structures, pool, pkg, restaurants,
events income! $1,600,000
WILKINSON COUNTY, MS
CROSBY SCHOOL BLDG.
Exciting possibilities 10,000 sf
solid bldg & 1 acre lot $125,000
663 E. JOSEPH
Post-war 4BR on 18 acres
w/bldgs in Centreville $289,000
504.944.3605 www.sothebysrealty.com
Inspired by the past…
Ravennaside
Ravennaside
DOWN THE BAYOU!
David Abner Smith
504.495.2387
www.davidabnersmith.com
Victoria Inn
301 Decatur Street
Prime Fr Qtr, rare “coveted” corner loc.
zoning allows live ent., was rest w/mezz on
1st flr. 2nd flr could be residential, 3rd flr
presently config as offices. Possible owner
finance. SQFT does not inc approx. 2k sqft
attic. Owners in process of completing
extensive masonry maintenance and painting
of exterior. Beautiful light filled loft style
spaces, within 4 blcks of 12 hotels, riverfront
activities, casino, Jackson Sq. etc.
828 Royal Street, New Orleans, LA 70116
Direct: 504-388-3023 • Office: 504-524-5839 • Fax: 504-301-2274
www.JudyFisher.net
MASTER OF PRESERVATION STUDIES
The Tulane School of Architecture now offers a one year graduate program
in preservation studies. Contact the Director of Graduate Admissions for
more information.
Tula n e
School of Architecture New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 504/865-5389
Created for today. Fabulous project now under
construction on St. Charles Ave. Architectural details, wood floors,
parking, pool, exercise. Live the Good Life with gardens & roof top
patios in a historic district. From $465,000
Everyone has different
ideas about location.
Unless it’s St. Charles
Avenue at the Park.
Twelve Opportunities
To Make It Yours.
$199,000 - $439,000
8338 GREEN ST., FRIBURG - $225,000
New construction, corner lot. 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths.
Kitchen w/stain. appliances. Wood flrs in living room,
dining room & kitchen. Modular construction. Sold “as
is.” Replica of old New Orleans cottage. Approx. 1,488
sq. ft.
813 OPELOUSAS AVE., ALGIERS PT. - $425,000
Dbl. w/3,227 sq. ft living area. Beautiful victorian
bracket, camelback on oak-lined avenue. Hi-end
renovation. Fabulous millwork, high ceilings,
kitchens & baths updated. Spacious backyard with
rear shed. Termite contract.
Isabel Reynolds
451-0903
8001 Maple Street
New Orleans, LA
504-866-7733
Hopper
451-0903
Pat Curtis
Owner/Agent
862-5414
New Orleans Properties
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
LATTER
Stephanie Benson
ABR,CRS,HHS,GRI
(504) 650-3735 Cell
(504) 361-0920 Home
(504) 362-1823 Office
sbenson@latterblum.com
www.stephaniebenson.com
BLUM
INC/REALTORS®
Since 1916
www.prcno.org

PRESERVATION IN PRINT APRIL 2007 35
Office: 866-2785 • Cell: 236-6834
e-mail: info@lettyr.com
1 3 2 2 Seventh. . .$5 8 5 ,0 0 0
Beautiful, renovated camelback in
the heart of the Garden District.
Built in 1885, this lovely home has
12 foot ceilings, wide pine floors,
pocket doors, working fireplaces, and
3 floor-to-ceiling windows
overlooking tree-lined
Seventh St. 3273 square feet,
3 bedrooms, 4 baths, downstairs
master suite, charming
rear porch and patio.
Letty Rosenfeld
GRI, CRS
R A R E 1 8 2 0 ’ s
French QuarterCompound
C
1331 DECATUR STREET
ompletely renovated
commercial property. Harry
Anderson’s Oswalds Club. Hot
Quarter location – facing
Decatur St and Esplanade Ave
and steps from the jazz clubs of
Frenchmen St. Five renovated
apartmentsup – ready to rent or
condo conversion. Wrap around
balcony, exposed brick and
beams, great detail.
Approx - 8238 Sq. Ft.
For more information please contact:
MICHAEL WILKINSON 504-491-0484
wilkinson66@hotmail.com
French Quarter Realty 504-949-5400 • www.fqr.com
730 & 734 ST. PHILIP STREET. These important masonry
Creole townhouses are in a prime location - boasting 14 ft. ceilings,
voluminous rooms (25 ft x 35 ft), approx. 5,850 sqft, ready for
restoration, new slate roofs on all buildings with copper flashing
and downspouts, 4 new dormers with copper roofs that offer spectacular
views of the New Orleans skyline; courtyard, endless possibilities!
Only $975K or $598K.
The Francher-Perrin Team
Prudential Gardner, Realtors
L. Bryan Francher Owner/Agent
504-251-6400 • 504-891-6400 Office
www.NewOrleansHomes.prugardner.com
WATERFRONT, EQUESTRIAN & ESTATE PROPERTY
EXQUISITE COUNTRY ESTATE. Gorgeous
Southern style home with wrap-around porches,
heated in-ground pool, barn, 2 fireplaces,
heart of pine floors, old cypress and pine
doors, 12 foot ceiling with triple crown molding,
gourmet kitchen with granite countertops,
custom flush mounted cabinets, loaded with
amenities situated on 53 acres beautiful park
like grounds with over 50 live oaks with barn
with a small apt. Call Jennifer Rice for a private
showing 985-966-1321.
JENNIFER RICE
Super Star Status
Multi-Million
Dollar Producer
1321 W. Causeway Approach
Mandeville, LA 70471
985-626-5687
(985) 966-1321
(985) 966-1320
www.jenniferrice.net
FOR A PRIVATE SHOWING CALL
Brooke Arthurs
Direct: 259-8311 • Office: 866-2785
Fax: 865-1574
1309 State Street
$895,000
Wonderful large Victorian, double parlors –
one is a library, huge dining room, cooks
kitchen, breakfast area overlooks rear yard,
big den, master suite with sit room, 4 other
nice bedrooms. This is a large
house with many fine features.
Elevator in property can be
made functional. Great location!
Brooke Arthurs 259-8311
LATTER
Since 1916
BLUM
INC/REALTORS®
www.prcno.org

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New Orleans, LA 70130
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