The Halfway House, a New Orleans Jazz destination

Back when Mid-City was still being built, Jazz was still a new form of musical expression, and streetcars were everywhere in New Orleans, the Halfway House was the place to be.

The Halfway House’s name is a reference to the Mid-City neighborhood, which is halfway between downtown and the Lakefront. For 30 years people riding the streetcar to the waterfront would hop off to dance to the “hot” jazz played inside before continuing on to the boardwalks and amusement parks on Lake Ponchartrain.

Unfortunately, over the years the streetcars pulled back and the entertainments on the lake were closed down. The dance hall’s popularity began to wane during the Great Depression, and it closed in the 1930s, alternatively vacant and rented for several years before pest-control company Orkin moved in, staying on the premises for 50 years.

The property had been abandoned by the time a fire seriously damaged the building in 2000, though the building’s bones and terrazzo dance floor were still intact, it would take a huge infusion of money and energy to bring the building back to its former glory.

It looked like a savior had been found earlier this year when the New Orleans Jazz Restoration Society stepped up to purchase and restore the property for an estimated $1.25million. It seemed a perfect place for a jazz history museum, dance hall and even a restaurant. Jazz historian Jack Stewart said, “You can just close your eyes and just imagine yourself back in time. It was a place where music was played for a long time, and it’s associated with some pretty top-flight people. It would be terrible to lose it.”

Unfortunately, it looks like we might lose it after all. The environmental tests of the site show very high concentrations of pesticides, even having seeped under the building’s slab. Costs rose dramatically, and plans to revamp the 911 call center changed the time table available to handle the renovation. At this time it appears that the project is stalled, but we will keep a hopeful eye on it and will continue to advocate for saving this culturally significant building.