Author Archive
World Monuments Fund targets Phillis Wheatley Elementary
Posted by: | CommentsThe World Monuments Fund (WMF) today announced their global watch list of endangered sites around the world. Of the 90+ sites named in the 2010 report, 9 are from the United States, with two of those in New Orleans.
Photo thanks to the Visual Resources Curator at Tulane School of Architecture
WMF describes itself:
World Monuments Fund is an advocate for the preservation movement. Every project is an opportunity to raise awareness among the public, government agencies, community organizations, and potential donors about the importance of heritage preservation. Through programs like the World Monuments Watch, WMF speaks out in support of the protection of sites around the world.
Concern for Phillis Wheatley has become a focus of several agencies, and certainly has been on the PRC’s radar for some time. Hopefully being elevated to this prestigious list by yet another respected organization with worldwide attention will be enough to save this building.
To read about Phillis Wheatley, St. Louis No. 2 (the cemetery that is the other endangered New Orleans location) or to explore the global map, visit the WMF’s page at www.wmf.org/watch
Modernist Architecture- OTHER NOTABLE BUILDINGS
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New Orleans Public Library
1958 |
| Automotive Life Insurance Building
1963 |
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National Maritime Union
1956 |
| K&B Building
1962 |
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Whitney Bank Building
1964 |
Modernist Architecture- DEMOLISHED
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The Rivergate 1968 Port of New Orleans Exhibition Center Curtis and Davis |
| St. Francis Cabrini
1962 |
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Longshoreman’s Hall 6
1959 |
| State Office Building Annex
1958 |
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Also: National American Bank Building (no photo available)
Early to mid 1960s
Lee Circle, new Orleans
Goldstein, Parham and Labouisse
The Halfway House, a New Orleans Jazz destination
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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.
Armstrong Park’s $1.2million proposed sculpture garden
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Congo Square/Armstrong Park is one of the city’s first greenspaces, going back over 250 years. It was a place of rare freedom for the slaves of the time, who were allowed one day off to worship and fellowship with one another. It rejuvenated battered spirits and gave the slaves their only real outlet for self-expression, as well as providing visitors to the city a deeper feel for the different aspects of life in New Orleans.
The surrounding Treme neighborhood was twice disrupted by additions to Congo Square as it grew to be Armstrong Park- once in the 1920s when the auditorium was added and then in the 1960s, when an urban renewal project annexed the land to form the rest of what became the balance of the park. Both projects ate blocks of the surrounding neighborhood, causing a huge outcry as dozens of homes were demolished.
The creation of an advocacy organization, “Friends of Armstrong Park,” helps to alleviate these sorts of tensions, coordinating locally interested parties to create the best possible park as well as harmony with the surrounding community.
Now, however, come plans being put forth by the Mayor’s office to make major changes to the Park without consulting any of these local groups. The repair work- to the fountain, the old Fire House and to the promenade- is necessary and welcomed. It’s the addition of an sculpture garden that have some people concerned and shaking their heads.
The seven proposed statues would honor the musical and cultural roots of the city, but many are worried about the lasting impression of a long-term installation where neither residents nor the City Planning Commission on Design Advisory Committee have been consulted. Typically in such situations, these experts are called to form a panel to review installations, determine the longterm viability of the art and its ability to stand the test of time, insuring that their works are right for the proposed site and will be properly maintained.
The neighborhood’s concerns go beyond the artwork itself- how can the massive price tag be justified when there’s so much work to be done in the surrounding blocks?
At a September 14th meeting in the Treme Community Center, former state Rep. Louis Charbonnet III said:
They took people’s land, people’s houses, people’s culture. Let’s give something back to the people.I say scrap the statues.
Mr. Charbonnet and others at the meeting stated that spending so much money on something that will provide a small improvement to the park will have much less of an impact than creating recreation for children and other residents or cleaning up the residential blocks behind the park.
Even Leo Watermeier, head of the Friends of Armstrong Park, calls the proposal “an extravagance.”
Mayor Nagin’s office is using a donation, and not taxpayer dollars, so neither City Council nor citizen’s approval is required to move forward on these plans, although the City Planning Commission Design Advisory Committee does have jurisdiction over all installations in public spaces, no matter the funding source.
This week’s meeting was the first (and may be the last) opportunity the community had to make their views known because the Mayor’s administration is saying that this is an issue that has been decided, and no further input is required. However, if you’d like to let him or your City Council representative know how you feel, please click here for Council contact information, and here for Mayor Nagin’s.
Henry “Red” Allen Jr.
Posted by: | CommentsAs you may be aware, PRC’s Ethnic Heritage Preservation program works to identify and preserve the homes of New Orleans’ jazz musicians. We research the lives of the musicians, work to restore the properties where needed, and mark the home’s history with a plaque to inform visitors about the men who lived there.
One such home is Henry “Red” Allen’s birthplace, at 414 Newton Street in Algiers Riverside.
Born in 1908, Red Allen’s father led the popular Allen Brass Band, and taught him about Jazz from an early age. He took up the trumpet and as a teenager he sat in with his father’s band and several others around town before leaving to play his music on a Mississippi riverboat. He’d already had quite a local following, but now gained a wider audience as tourists rode the river between St. Louis and Cincinnati.
His popularity gained him work in New York City, where he cut many albums with his own band as well as playing with the likes of Duke Ellington, Coleman Hawkins, Jelly Roll Morton, and, of course, Louis Armstrong. It’s Armstrong Allen is most often compared to, and it’s said that he was the first musician good enough to take what Armstrong had done and improve upon it, taking it one step further.
A little taste of Red Allen in action:
Red Allen worked up until his death from pancreatic cancer in 1966. His childhood home in had fallen into terrible disrepair, and PRC’s Operation Comeback was thrilled to have the opportunity to restore the building and return it to commerce.
The house is now happily occupied, beautifully cared for, and will be there to tell people about Algier’s musical heritage for years to come!
Allison “Tootie” Montana- New Orleans craftsman
Posted by: | CommentsTootie’s best known for being the prettiest Mardi Gras Indian of all time, of course- the “Chief of Chiefs” who had a fatal heart attack in the middle of a City Council meeting, while trying to bring the police and community together around the unique issues of culture and heritage in New Orleans.
What he’s less well known for is being a master craftsman- a lather, in fact. Tootie explains:
Well, the thing about [master lath work] is you have to work your skills together, which is something that’s kinda hard. Because a lot of times when you put accuracy and speed together, if you have speed, you lose accuracy. . . . When you can use your accuracy, when your speed and accuracy work together, you’re good. You’re a good mechanic. You do plenty good work. Whenever you mention you’re a lather-L-A-T-H-E-R-people always say, “Well, what that is?” You have to explain ‘em. See, we the ones prepare the job for the plasterers. The plasterers put their plaster on the work that we put up. . . . Now a long time ago, when I started-the old houses that you see around the city, there’s wood laths underneath there-and we used to nail the little laths. You had to have a little mortar that you keeping between them. You kept the key and you nail the latch.*
Tootie worked on hundreds of buildings around the city, known for the quality his workmanship and never missing a day on the job. Unfortunately, due to the nature of lathe work, his frames are hidden beneath plaster, making it hard to know at a glance which houses are “his,” but one notable example of his large-scale work is on the front of Le Pavillion, on Poydras Street:
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The medallion is set upon a metal frame of Tootie’s design. It needed to be strong enough to keep the adornment from collapsing under its own weight while still being lightweight enough to be applied to the outside of the building. He worked on the interior of the Hotel as well, and is known to have worked on several other large-scale commercial projects, including the detail work in the Hotel Monteleone’s ornate lobby ceiling.
Tootie often said that without the knowledge and experience he’d earned on the job he wouldn’t have been able to construct such intricate suits:
I can see things and do it the way I see it. My trade helped me with my Indian suit [made to wear as Big Chief of the Yellow Pocahontas]. Measuring and centers. That’s how I work. In fact, my Indian suit, everything I done on that suit come from what I learned from building. I have a center line that I work. Every building has a center line that’s put in there that’s a jump start. Everything is worked off of that line. My crown, that’s my center line. My apron, everything center line. . . . Well, tell you the truth, my way of making the suit and getting the points, just designing the suit as a whole, my trade helps me, you see. The only thing is I’m working with cardboard and with my trade I’m working with iron, light iron and wire, metal lath. It’s no different. That’s why I can make a design, break it down, get it square to inches, but I can do the same thing with my trade. See, my trade helped me with making the suits, mending a suit.*
He worked on those suits with his wife in his New Marigny shotgun house, which he’d also spent years working on and customizing:
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We’ll be keeping our eyes open for other projects Tootie was involved in around the city.
If you’d like to learn more about Mr. Montana, his life, his work, and his death, the documentary “Tootie’s New Suit” is an excellent place to start:
*these quotes were used in “More than a Craftsman,” researched and put together by Louisiana Folklife. It’s fascinating information and well worth a visit.
Leeds & Co Ironwork
Posted by: | CommentsWhen we talk about New Orleans’ architectural and physical history it can be easy to forget the people behind them- local artisans who spent their lives creating these beautiful buildings. Some specialized in the larger-scale construction while others made gorgeous details that adorn buildings all around the city.
This is the first in an ongoing series meant to highlight the achievements of those artisans. We’ve elected to start in our own backyard, as it were- the PRC’s main offices are located at 923 Tchoupitoulas, in what was the Leeds Store and Warehouse building.
Jedediah and Charles Leeds were known as the largest and most technologically advanced foundry in the city, and although they focused primarily on sugar mill equipment, they also manufactured iron building fronts during the mid-19th century, including many pieces for their own building. For example, the downspouts and all the lintels decorating the gothic windows are made of cast iron, though a casual glance they could be mistaken for wood or stone.
It’s believed they also made smaller architectural details for other buildings around the city. Although the records for those have been lost we are lucky to have one of their original benches in our lobby.
Over time the Leeds’ became prominent members of local society, making generous charitable donations and (despite being born in Connecticut) manufacturing cannon and other ironwork for the Civil War. In part because of his philanthropy, Charles Leeds ultimately became the 33rd mayor of New Orleans in 1874.
The family built their own ornate tomb in Cypress Grove cemetery. Included in the design were downspouts, an iron fence and everlasting flame- naturally, it was all in iron.
If you know of an example of the Leeds’ work around town, leave us a comment to let us know!
Duncan Plaza as the Heart of a Modern Civic Center
Posted by: | CommentsWe’ve explored two of New Orleans’ public spaces that are wonderful, warm and inviting, full of music, art and people.
Unfortunately, Duncan Plaza isn’t another success story.
Built in 1959 for $7million, the Mayor’s report calls the new City Hall an “imposing structure, faced with stone and glass…to be located amid the landscaped plazas in the 11 acre Civic Center area.” The project was filled with hope for the future- City Hall was leaving Gallier Hall and moving into the modern era. Surely the rest of the city would follow suit?
Construction moved forward in this spirit of optimism. A reflecting pool in Duncan Plaza, the state office building, State and Civil Courts buildings and city library were all built within the next five years, meant to mark a new era of the city’s progress and inter-agency cooperation.
Sadly, those hopes have not come to fruition. Few repairs have been made over the last 50 years that weren’t bare-bones necessity, and, according to the city administration, City Hall now needs millions of dollars of investment to be brought back to a semblance of functionality. Meanwhile the clock’s already run out the reflecting pool in Duncan Plaza, on the court buildings, and on the state building which is currently being demolished.
Meanwhile, despite several facelifts over the years, Duncan Plaza is now best-known for its post-Katrina homeless encampment.
| State Courts building- in 1964 and today |
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A mere 50 years after its completion, the New Orleans Chapter of DOCOMOMO nominated the buildings in the Civic Center to Louisiana Landmarks Society’s 9 Endangered Places list, saying
Buildings dating from the modernist era are currently entering a period of extreme vulnerability. While their architectural and mechanical systems have reached the end of their life cycle and are costly to replace and restore, their architectural style has yet to reach their era of appreciation by the public. With a lack of admiration for modern architecture in general, and in particular, New Orleans, the economic argument for demolition and new construction inevitably prevails over the need to preserve what have yet to be considered significant, historic buildings.
The debate over remedying the situation has been going on for some time, and some have said that demolishing it and starting over would be the most cost-effective fix. Others feel that simply moving into a vacant space elsewhere in the city would be the way to go. Mayor Nagin has presented a repair bill in the tens of millions of dollars, and clearly something needs to be done and done quickly.
So how do we make it right?
We’ve referred to the Project for Public Spaces to illustrate why other New Orleans Parks work so well. PPS’ study of cities around the world has led them to create another list- this one of Stumbling Blocks to Creating Great Public Spaces:
- If you build it, make sure they come How: Create a program of events and activities based on a high level of community involvement. Once a public space has been built, people still need a reason to go there. One of the most compelling attractions is a full calendar of events and activities. .. When institutions work together on an events calendar for a shared public space, it builds mutual support and leads to more opportunities for partnerships and collaboration
- Fill in the missing linksHow: Work together to create a vision for the civic center as a livelier place by developing a neighborhood plan. Publicize local cultural events and businesses. During the day, civic centers are full of office workers, be they government employees, library aides or lawyers. They are a natural audience or nearby cultural institutions but this audience will not materialize unless a concerted effort is made to encourage them to patronize cultural institutions and local businesses.
- Get feet back on the street How: Create a neighborhood pedestrian and traffic calming plan…(which) encourages people to walk, bike, or take transit to various destinations within the civic center.
- What’s in a name? Everything! How: Introduce consistent signage throughout the civic center and in marketing.
Looking at this list, it’s easy to see why Duncan Plaza hasn’t been accepted as a true public gathering space. Unlike the other parks in town, there has been no effort to make the Plaza into its own draw- people come down to the area to take care of business, but once they’re done they simply go home. There are no big events, no prominent eateries overlooking the Plaza, no music to draw people in. There is no marketing or public attempt to keep people around after the workday’s over. PPS encourages making maps publicly available to visitors, informing them of what opportunities there are to eat, drink and play in the area and including a calendar of public performances and festivals.
The good news is that there is a solution- smart development around the Plaza will make all the difference. The even better news is that we actually have the space available for this development- something that wouldn’t be the case if we moved City Hall to a random vacant office building in the CBD. There is no other open greenspace anywhere in the downtown area that could function as a true public space.
In the first piece in the series, we quoted George Ranalli, dean of the City College of New York’s school of architecture:
Public architecture is symbolic of how society views itself. That’s how people want to view themselves — in beauty and dignity and something that empowers them.
While citizens might disagree on whether or not a particular building is beautiful, we can all agree that we want the best for our city- functional public offices , public parks we can come together in, in a space we can be proud of. Fixing Duncan Plaza is our best hope for getting there.
Lafayette Square: A Public Space True to New Orleans
Posted by: | CommentsPart of a series on New Orleans public spaces
Every city “should be like itself. Every city has differences, from its history, from its site, and so on. These are important,” she said. “One of the most dismal things is when you go to a city and it’s like 12 others you’ve seen. That’s not interesting, and it’s not really truthful.” ~Jane Jacobs, Reason Magazine, 2001
Lafayette Square History
1788 will always be remembered as the year of the great fire of New Orleans- a monster blaze that destroyed 856 of the 1,000 buildings in the fledgling city. Although it did not significantly damage Jackson Square (then, still called the Place d’Armes), that park quickly became a tent city, housing many of the people who’d lost their homes and everything they owned. For five years as the city worked to get back on its feet, Jackson Square ceased to be a quiet place to gather.
Lafayette Square, the heart of the Lafayette Square Historic District, arose to meet that public need. Situated in the city’s first suburb, there was ample room for growth, and soon official buildings began to spring up around its perimeter, owing in part to the damage and chaos in the French Quarter. Grand hotels for visiting dignitaries, military and commercial buildings all began to service businessmen and visitors.
A decade before the Civil War General Sherman was stationed in New Orleans, saying:
I went down to New Orleans in a steamboat in the month of September 1852, taking with me a clerk, and on arrival, assumed the office in a bank building facing Lafayette Square, in which were the offices of all the Army departments…
Gallier Hall was added to the landscape in the following year, solidifying the area as a seat of governmental power. Named for its famous architect/designer, the building functioned as City Hall for over a century and held the wakes of General Beauregard and Jefferson Davis. It also played a part in the dramas of Huey Long, as he fought with the registrar of voters for control over elections, going as far as to march National Guard soldiers across the Square, from Gallier Hall to the registrar’s offices on the other side of the park, inside the Soule building.
Politicians often met beneath the live oaks to work out deals,and it was a natural location for political protest and government largess as free public concerts were arranged in the park.
Local interest allowed the Square to grow and be nurtured, adding sculpture and ever-more impressive buildings as it went. Statues were added in added in 1872 (Ben Franklin), 1897 (John McDonogh, great benefactor of New Orleans’ public schools), and 1900 (Henry Clay). During the depression it became the recipient of several WPA projects, both in construction and in the creative arts.
Lafayette Square today
Lafayette Square’s historic live oaks sustained heavy damage in Katrina’s winds, causing concerned citizens to come together to form the Lafayette Square Conservancy (LSC), which oversees the park and its maintenance, brings new art to the Square and hosts musical performances and other public events.
Aside from the typical sculpture you would expect to find in a park, the LSC has broadened its range, searching out unique and new artists to contribute to the Square’s ambiance.
Life around the Square always bustles, but Mardi Gras is a particularly busy time. Viewing stands are put up along the St. Charles parade route, and Krewe royalty receive places of honor in front of Gallier Hall. Marching bands always stop on the block to give their best performance of their route for the judges. Balls are often held inside the Hall, and the Square is an excellent place to relax and recharge in the midst of Carnival excitement.
From the earliest days of its history, Lafayette Square has played host to musicians, but it’s only more recently that the schedule has become more structured. Two free, annual events that draw major talent have arisen- Wednesdays at the Square showcases local musicians over 12 Spring Wednesday evenings while the Louisiana Blues and BBQ Festival (an offshoot of Jazzfest) comes around in the fall.
Although the seat of city governance has moved, state and federal offices are still clustered here, bringing together official business with New Orleans-style fun and relaxation, assuring that Lafayette Square will continue to be a central gathering place for our citizens.
Why is this a great public space?
Let’s revisit the Project for Public Space’s list of what a public space must have:
- Activities & Uses:“Numerous things to do, attracting many different people” and “Being able to sit, converse, or just look at passersby is key.”
- Comfort & Image:“Good details can tantalize- they signal that someone took the time and energy to design amenities that welcome, intrigue or help.”
- Access & Linkage:“A good place is easy to see and get to- people want to see that there is something to do, that other have been successfully enticed to enter.”
- Sociability:“A good place is refreshing and rejuvenating; after you leave it, you feel better for having been there.”
Clearly, Lafayette Square meets and surpasses each of these requirements. Located at the heart of the Central Business District and on the streetcar line, it couldn’t be easier to get to. History abounds both in the buildings that surround it and the events that have occurred within it. The oak trees might have taken damage in the hurricane, but they still provide a wonderful shady canopy that makes the benches that much more enticing.
