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Plessy's Legacies
In the immediate aftermath of Plessy v. Ferguson, the case itself received relatively little attention. Homer Plessy paid the twenty-five dollar fine for violating the Separate Car Act and went to…
Mayfair Department Store
In the early to mid 20th century, Canal Street was home to the New Orleans' largest department stores. Prior to the creation of department stores, shops typically specialized in one commodity. But,…
Church of the Holy Name of Mary
Sometimes called the “Cathedral of the Westbank” owing to its Gothic Revival architecture, the current Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church building was dedicated on November 25, 1929. The parish,…
17th Street Canal Levee Breach in 2005
In 1965, Hurricane Betsy demonstrated that a major hurricane could overtop the earthen levees of the 17th Street Canal. So the Army Corps of Engineers recommended two cost-effective plans which were…
London Avenue Canal Levee Breach in 2005
In 1965, Hurricane Betsy demonstrated that a major hurricane could overtop the earthen levees of the London Avenue Canal. So the Army Corps of Engineers recommended two plans -- raising the height of…
Lower Ninth Ward Levee Breaches in 2005
Pre-Katrina, the area immediately in front of the east breaches of the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (a.k.a. the Industrial Canal) was a dense, thriving neighborhood of primarily African American…
Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (Industrial Canal) and the Lower Ninth Ward
Now known as the historic Lower Ninth Ward, this area orginated as a cypress swamp featuring many bayous. In this rural setting, residents enjoyed ready access to fishing grounds and grew okra and…
New Zion Baptist Church
On February 14, 1957, New Orleans' New Zion Baptist Church hosted a meeting of local pastors. The Reverend Martin Luther, Jr. was in attendance, and by the end of the day, the Southern Leadership…
Girod Cemetery
The Girod Cemetery was the city's oldest Protestant cemetery, opened by the wardens of Christ Church in 1822. The cemetery had fallen into disrepair by the time most of these photographs were taken.…
Jackson Barracks
Jackson Barracks was established as a result of the Federal Fortifications Act, which was crafted in response to the War of 1812. Congress realized the lack of defense for coastal cities such as New…
Battle of New Orleans: Introduction
Almost 200 years ago, on January 8, 1815, Major General Andrew Jackson and his outnumbered American defenders overwhelmed veteran British troops at the Battle of New Orleans. The battle took place…
Battle of New Orleans: St. Louis Cathedral
Facing Jackson Square and the Mississippi River, the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis, King of France, is the oldest Catholic cathedral in continual use in the United States. With its three steeples,…
Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop and the Battle of New Orleans
For many years, a bar called “Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop” has occupied this building at the corner of Bourbon Street and St. Philip Street. Designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1970, Lafitte’s…
Old Absinthe House and the Battle of New Orleans
The Old Absinthe House, a stucco building at the corner of Bourbon and Bienville Streets, is one of the oldest structures in New Orleans, dating to approximately 1806.
In the nineteenth century,…
Maspero's Coffee House and the Battle of New Orleans
Maspero’s Exchange, also known as Maspero’s Coffee House and now called the “Original Pierre Maspero’s,” is located at 440 Chartres Street, on the corner of St. Louis and Chartres Streets, nearest the…
The Old Federal Courthouse: Present Day Andrew Jackson Hotel
The Andrew Jackson French Quarter Hotel, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located at 919 Royal Street, the former site of the old United States courthouse where Major General…
Jackson Square during the Battle of New Orleans
Formerly the Place d'Armes around which New Orleans was built, Jackson Square, a National Historical Landmark, is the most prominent location in the “Vieux Carre” or Old Quarter.
On December 18,…
From Fort St. Charles to the U.S. Mint
The United States Mint was once the site of Fort St. Charles, one of the defenses built in 1792 during the Spanish period. Fort St. Charles was the largest of five fortifications surrounding the city.…
Battle of New Orleans: Old Ursuline Convent
Almost 300 years ago, in 1727, the Ursuline nuns arrived in New Orleans at the invitation of Governor Bienville. While awaiting the completion of their convent in 1734, the Ursuline nuns established…
Preservation Hall
Preservation Hall - a concert hall in the French Quarter that began as a jazz performance space supported by artists, musicians, and civil rights activists in 1962.
Madame John's Legacy
Madame John’s Legacy is a National Historic Landmark and a property of the Louisiana State Museum. Throughout its history the true stories of those families and individuals who owned or have been…
Couvent School
Paper Monuments Project #022: Catholic Institution, the first community school dedicated to the education of children of color in the Deep South opened its doors in 1848 Funds for the creation of the…
Sintes Boat Works: Life and Business on the Banks of Lake Pontchartrain
Since 1952, the Sintes family has run Sintes Boat Works and Sea Chest Marina, providing a maritime outlet for New Orleanians and residents of the West End neighborhood.
L’Union, the South’s First Black Newspaper and New Orleans Tribune, America’s First Black Daily Newspaper
You are standing in front of the L’Union and the New Orleans Tribune building, the birthplace of civil rights history in the Crescent City. Here, surrounded by the howling madness of the Civil War,…