society

Le Marche des Fetes Tres Bon

November 21, 2015 by Charlie London

On Saturday, December 5th from 10am-4pm, visitors enjoyed shopping with over 30 artist vendors for one-of-a-kind handmade art and accessories and Mignon Faget jewelry, they met Papa Noël, enjoyed live music, purchased great books autographed by their favorite New Orleans authors, and munched on tasty local and exotic treats. The creole colonial-style Pitot House was decorated in the traditional style for Christmas and was open for tours.

Click on any of the photos by Charlie London for a larger view.

Location of event:
1440 Moss St
New Orleans, LA 70119

Saturday, December 5th
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m

video by Charlie London

2552 St. Philip to Get an Inn with Neighbors

November 4, 2014 by Charlie London

Nearly everyone who spoke before the City Planning Commission this week about the proposal to convert the century-old New Orleans Police station at 2552 St. Philip Street into a bed-and-breakfast was in favor of it — including the neighbors, the commissioners and even the city staffers who said it was impossible.

Only the language of the city’s land use bureaucracy stood in the way, an obstacle that proved insurmountable Oct. 28. After the City Planning Commission voted to postpone a decision on the project, District D City Councilman Jared Brossett said he is preparing to amend city law to make it possible.

Please click here for the rest of the Mid-City Messenger’s story.

2552 St. Philip auction

A “Police Jail and Patrol Station” built in the turn of the 20th century in the Esplanade Ridge neighborhood was auctioned off for $175,000 Friday(December 13, 2013), according to city officials.

The 6,291-square foot Queen Anne and French Renaissance Revival-style building, located at 2552 St. Philip Street, was given a market value of $175,000 in September 2012. It is “in very poor condition,” with “substantial flooding and roof damage,” according to an appraisal done by Stegall, Benson and Associates, LLC for the city of New Orleans.

According to Tyler Gamble, the city’s press secretary, Liz and Raul Canache purchased the property.

December 16, 2013
http://midcitymessenger.com/2013/12/16/st-philip-street-police-station-from-1902-auctioned-for-175000/

*************************************************************************************************

by Charlie London
Property Disposition 12/12: Consideration of the sale of 2552 Saint Philip Street, Lots 99 and 100, Square 322, in the Second Municipal District, bounded by Saint Philip, Dumaine, North Rocheblave and North Dorgenois Streets. (ZBM C-13, PD-4)

You may remember that I have been passionate about the restoration of 2552 St. Philip for many years now. I happened upon the property while surveying the area after moving to Faubourg St. John after my previous house was destroyed by the Federal Flood. I literally gasped when I first saw the property. It is a stunning architectural gem of serious historical significance.

I am happy to announce today that dream of getting the property restored may indeed become a reality… with your help. You see, the city wants to auction 2552 St. Philip off to the highest bidder. I hear you saying, “so what, I can’t afford that!” Maybe not, but you may know someone who can. Let’s work together to find someone who will provide the care and restoration this property so desperately needs.

There are many people who helped bring this city property up for auction. Michelle Kimball of the Preservation Resource Center has been a stalwart fan of 2552 St. Philip and deserves much of the credit for keeping the pressure on the city to do something with it. The Louisiana Landmarks Society was also instrumental in bringing attention to 2552 St. Philip when it listed it as one of its “New Orleans 9 Most Endangered Properties”.

Former Councilperson Shelley Midura and present Councilperson Susan Guidry both of New Orleans Council District A and their staffs were also extremely helpful.

2552 St Philip Street was included in a presentation given to the Council Housing and Human Services Committee yesterday. It is among the City’s first list of surplus properties to be auctioned.

2552 St. Philip is just one of the historic city-owned properties being demolished by neglect…

Restoring City-owned historic properties would create anchors of positive development throughout New Orleans and give a big boost to our restoration efforts. My previous blog posts about 2552 St. Philip are in the links below:

PHOTO and DESCRIPTION of 2552 St. Philip
http://katrinafilm.wordpress.com/2009/04/28/2552-st-philip-street/

DONATION OF CITY PROPERTY
http://katrinafilm.wordpress.com/2009/05/29/donation-of-city-property/

CITY DEMOLISHES PROPERTY BY NEGLECT
http://katrinafilm.wordpress.com/2009/05/28/581/

PHOTO and DESCRIPTION of 2552 St. Philip
http://katrinafilm.wordpress.com/2009/04/28/2552-st-philip-street/

2805 Bell Street

March 30, 2012 by Charlie London

article and photo used with permission of the Preservation Resource Center

photo by Ian Cockburn

Home of Shawn Kennedy & Hal Brown
by Charlotte Jones

ONCE A SHOTGUN, this five-bay house with its central entrance between two large windows appears today to be a characteristic raised center-hall cottage. However, before the extensive 2002 renovations it actually was a typical double shotgun.

Visitors are greeted with a fleur-de-lis capped iron-fence, a myriad of hanging ferns and a leaded glass front door. Through this door is the center hall, flanked by an open parlor and dining room.

Windows and light are abundant throughout the house. Ample natural light permeates the vibrant blue master bedroom through french doors that replaced most of the traditional windows in the most recent renovation. For Brown and Kennedy, this has been a benefit for the many plants that adorn their home. Also illuminating the home is a glass wall leading to an insulated breezeway that connects the house and the garage. Through the glass wall, the deep blue walls of the primary living space contrast beautifully with the antiques and wooden furniture.

Despite these modern renovations, the house retains much of its historic character, in part by maintaining the traditional placement of the kitchen in the rear of the shotgun home. The garage along with a mother-in-law suite accessed through the breezeway stand where an outbuilding was once located.

After the house was sold by the original owners in 1904, it passed through inheritance to Leila Soniat Dufossat, with whom it remained until 1946 when, after changing hands several times over the course of a decade and one-half, it found its way to the family of Henry Songy, Jr. and his wife in 1961. The Songy’s raised their five children in the house and passed the property on to their children, who sold it to Russel Feran in 2002.

Click here to view the original article as printed in the March, 2012 issue of Preservation in Print. Article and photo used with permission of the Preservation Resource Center.

Doesn’t this house sound great? You can see more of this house and many more during the Preservation Resource Center’s Shotgun Tour of Faubourg St. John homes on Saturday, March 31st from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The headquarters for the PRC’s Shotgun Tour of Faubourg St. John will be at the PITOT HOUSE at 1440 Moss Street on Bayou St. John.

The tour is just…
$16 for PRC and Louisiana Landmarks Society members
$20 for non-members
$10 each for groups of 10 or more

All tickets are $25 at the Pitot House on the day of the tour so get your tickets early!

Ticketholders will receive discounts from area businesses including Bayou Beer Garden, Cafe Degas, CC’s Coffee House, Cork & Bottle Wine Shop, Fair Grinds Coffee House, Liuzza’s by the Track, Lux Day Spa, Pal’s Lounge, and Swirl Wine Bar & Market.

For more information call (504) 581-7032 or visit prcno.org

SPONSORS of the PRC Home Tour
Abry Brothers, Inc.
Cork & Bottle Wine Shop
Louisiana Landmarks Society
Mothership Foundation
Parkway Bakery & Tavern
Soprano’s Meat Market
Stafford Tile
Uptown Insurance Agency

Tour Headquarters: PITOT HOUSE

Built in 1799, the Pitot House is one of the oldest Creole country house buildings in New Orleans. It is traditional stucco-covered, brick-between-post construction with a double hipped roof and wide galleries. The house is named for James Pitot, the first mayor of incorporated New Orleans, who lived here from 1810 -1819.

Now open for tours and special events, the house was restored in 1960 by the Louisiana Landmarks Society, which uses the building as its headquarters.

Shotgun House ticket holders will have the opportunity to visit the historic Pitot House.

2819 Bell Street

March 28, 2012 by Charlie London

article and photo used with permission of the Preservation Resource Center

photo by Ian Cockburn

Home of Lynn Reeves, Laura & Sophie Vagianos

by Valorie Hart
Research by Valorie Hart and Sharon McManis

“LIVING SMALL” is a resurging option for many people, and the sweet shotgun home of Laura and Sophie Vagianos and Lynn Reeves epitomizes the advantages of preserving an historic home’s original footprint. The owners have lovingly renovated their 100-year-old cottag to utilize every inch of its 1,000 square feet.

“Before our renovation, we had a dysfunctional, strange space. We did not have a functional kitchen and our single bathroom was extremely small,” Laura said. It added up to about 300 square feet of usable space — a hefty percentage in a small house. The side-hall shotgun felt closed in, so the owners removed the wall dividing the living space from the hall, allowing in light from the exterior wall of windows. Reeves and Vagianos take great pride that much of the house is original including the walls, floor and most of the trim work, as are the side hall and the pocket doors.

The finishing touch to the renovation is the witty and unique decor of the house. From the cement pigs that grace the front porch (and get seasonal costume changes that the neighbors look forward to) to the spicy and warm color scheme, this is definitelya New Orleans home. The owners share the philosophy that, in decorating, they just include what they like while also striving to maintain the integrity of the structure and respecting the many years it sheltered others before them.

They love to collect art, and their favorite artists include Amy Cespedes Glisan, Bill Hemmerling and their daughter, Sophie. One of the most sriking installlations is where the humble kitchenmantel has been decked out with religious items and mementos, creating an altar of sorts.

At the back of the house is a funky, colorful garden that includes a place to dine among the tropical foliage and handmade metal art pieces created by Lynn’s brother, Paul.

Click here to view the original article as printed in the March, 2012 issue of Preservation in Print. Article and photo used with permission of the Preservation Resource Center.

The headquarters for the PRC’s Shotgun Tour of Faubourg St. John will be at the PITOT HOUSE at 1440 Moss Street on Bayou St. John.

The tour is just…
$16 for PRC and Louisiana Landmarks Society members
$20 for non-members
$10 each for groups of 10 or more

All tickets are $25 at the Pitot House on the day of the tour so get your tickets early!

For more information call (504) 581-7032 or visit prcno.org

Tour Headquarters: PITOT HOUSE

Now open for tours and special events, the house was restored in 1960 by the Louisiana Landmarks Society, which uses the building as its headquarters.

Shotgun House ticket holders will have the opportunity to visit the historic Pitot House.

2918 Esplanade Avenue

March 26, 2012 by Charlie London

article and photo used with permission of the Preservation Resource Center

photo by Ian Cockburn

Home of Booth Pohlmann & Dr. Kenneth Sumner
by MaryNell Nolan-Wheatley

THIS TENDERLY DECORATED house is intimate and refined, though the unassuming homeowner, Booth Pohlmann, is likely to describe the space as comfortable and functional. Pohlmann and his partner Kenneth Sumner purchased the house in 2005, just before the floodwaters of Katrina reached but did not cross the front and rear property lines, thanks to its location on the Esplanade Ridge.

The previous proprietor shied away from major structural alterations to the house, avoiding even modern amenities like central heating. As a result, Pohlmann and Sumner discovered an array of original architectural gems, such as a complete inventory of fully operable historic windows, doors, and fireplaces, as well as original hardwood floors. With no major repair work to tackle, Pohlmann and Sumner’s interior changes were mainly cosmetic, adding a master bathroom in the bedroom and marble flooring to the enclosed side hall and refinishing the interior woodwork that, according to an advertisement for the house in a 1927 newspaper, was originally painted ivory. Pohlmann and Sumner found and electrified an original gas chandelier, which now hangs in the dining room.

The home’s art selection illustrates the owners’ unique tastes. This is perhaps best exhibited in the library, which was originally a nursery, located at the end of the side hall just before the kitchen. The room contains a mix of antiques, art, crafts, and heirlooms such as two cherished sets of antlers dating to 1912, which Pohlmann rescued from his grandmother’s house. Images by Louisiana photographers including Debbie Caffery and Frank Relle create atmosphere and a sense of place.

Only a few changes have been made to the building’s floor plan over the course of its history, the most recent being the 1988 kitchen additon.

The home has received attention as the house where Estelle Musson Balfour, the cousin of Edgar Degas, lived. While the chain of title leaves Estelle’s exact connection to the property a mystery, the narrative continues to attract curious visitors. Her story, and particularly her legendary love for flower arrangements, which she organized by texture due to her blindness, as the inspiration for the front garden. Pohlmann described the garden’s aesthetic as “freeform,” like a painting that changes every year.

Click here to view the original article as printed in the March, 2012 issue of Preservation in Print. Article and photo used with permission of the Preservation Resource Center.

The headquarters for the PRC’s Shotgun Tour of Faubourg St. John will be at the PITOT HOUSE at 1440 Moss Street on Bayou St. John.

The tour is just…
$16 for PRC and Louisiana Landmarks Society members
$20 for non-members
$10 each for groups of 10 or more

All tickets are $25 at the Pitot House on the day of the tour so get your tickets early!

For more information call (504) 581-7032 or visit prcno.org

Tour Headquarters: PITOT HOUSE

Now open for tours and special events, the house was restored in 1960 by the Louisiana Landmarks Society, which uses the building as its headquarters.

Shotgun House ticket holders will have the opportunity to visit the historic Pitot House.

3100 Desoto Street

March 23, 2012 by Charlie London

article and photo used with permission of the Preservation Resource Center

photo by Ian Cockburn

Home of Missy & Bill Dalton

by Angela Timberlake
Research by Missy Dalton and Angela Timberlake

MISSY AND BILL DALTON are celebrating an anniversary this month. Ten years ago they spent an idyllic weekend at a neighborhood bed and breakfast and vowed then that they would live in Faubourg St. John. Their dream came true in early 2004 when they purchased this lovely shotgun.

Missy’s extensive research found that the home was likely constructed in 1892 by George William Bertoniere and changed hands fewer than five times before it was sold to The Fairgrounds Corporation in May, 1984 for use as a groundskeeper’s residence.

1996 renovations to the home by then owners Laura and Jim Elms included updating plumbing and electrical systems, swapping the functions of two rooms to include a modern kitchen, adding a staircase to the attic, which was renovated to include a sleeping area, installing a new bathroom adjoining he master bedroom and moving the kitchen forward to create privacy in the rear. These changes were featured on the 2003 PRC Shotgun House Tour.

The most recent renovations to the property include an indoor staircase to improve access to the basement laundry. As a bonus, after removing the rickety outdoor stairway, the Daltons were able to enclose the small back porch for a cheery sunroom hat looks out onto a newly built, larger back porch situated under a shady tree. Despite renovations through the years, the house maintains many original features such as the pocket doors between the parlors.

Click here to view the original article as printed in the March, 2012 issue of Preservation in Print. Article and photo used with permission of the Preservation Resource Center.

The headquarters for the PRC’s Shotgun Tour of Faubourg St. John will be at the PITOT HOUSE at 1440 Moss Street on Bayou St. John.

The tour is just…
$16 for PRC and Louisiana Landmarks Society members
$20 for non-members
$10 each for groups of 10 or more

All tickets are $25 at the Pitot House on the day of the tour so get your tickets early!

For more information call (504) 581-7032 or visit prcno.org

Tour Headquarters: PITOT HOUSE

Now open for tours and special events, the house was restored in 1960 by the Louisiana Landmarks Society, which uses the building as its headquarters.

Shotgun House ticket holders will have the opportunity to visit the historic Pitot House.

3104 Desoto Street

March 21, 2012 by Charlie London

article and photo used with permission of the Preservation Resource Center

photo by Ian Cockburn

Home of Kenny & Aimee Gowland
By Charlotte Jones

THIS NEO-CLASSICAL HOUSE is decorated with a balustrade, modillions and white Doric columns that contrast with stained-glass transoms and brilliant blue walls. The property shares some early history with 3100 Desoto Street , also featured on the tour, and was once owned by the Queyrouze family, which included champion fencer, Maxim, and famed Creole essayist, Leona, whose compositions were performed at the 1884 World Cotton Centennial Exposition. Current owners Kenneth and Aimee Gowland purchased the home in June of 2005 and completed their extensive renovations in 2009.

Multiple past renovations had altered the floorplan drastically, including the addition of a side gallery that was later insulated. Today, the only room reminiscent of the original floorplan is the children’s bedroom.

The living and dining rooms have a minimal, modernist aesthetic enlivened by original plaster ceiling medallions and arches. A massive portionof bargeboard that was salvaged during renovation decorates the main wall of the living room. In the modernized kitchen, original hardwood floors were found under several layers of linoleum and vinyl.

The Gowland’s renovation incorporated some major structural work, including the replacement of the original brick foundation, and provided an opportunity to raise the height of the basement ceiling by approximately one foot, allowing the family of four to create two additional bedrooms and a bathroom.

Click here to view the original article as printed in the March, 2012 issue of Preservation in Print. Article and photo used with permission of the Preservation Resource Center.

The headquarters for the PRC’s Shotgun Tour of Faubourg St. John will be at the PITOT HOUSE at 1440 Moss Street on Bayou St. John.

The tour is just…
$16 for PRC and Louisiana Landmarks Society members
$20 for non-members
$10 each for groups of 10 or more

All tickets are $25 at the Pitot House on the day of the tour so get your tickets early!

For more information call (504) 581-7032 or visit prcno.org

Tour Headquarters: PITOT HOUSE

Now open for tours and special events, the house was restored in 1960 by the Louisiana Landmarks Society, which uses the building as its headquarters.

Shotgun House ticket holders will have the opportunity to visit the historic Pitot House.

908 North Rendon

March 19, 2012 by Charlie London

article and photo used with permission of the Preservation Resource Center
photo by Ian Cockburn

Home of Ben Gauslin
By Gabrielle Begue
THIS MODEST, TWO-BAY shotgun was likely built as a rental house around 1906 by French Quarter travel agent Albert Ducombs, whose residence was one block away at 3230 Dumaine, but the property’s chain of title originates with entrepreneur and philanthropist John McDonogh.

Upon his death in 1850, McDonogh donated his vast real estate holdings to the City of New Orleans, which parceled the land in 1859 and sold it off to various parties, who in turn divided up and sold their parcels as smaller lots.

Due to its long-term use as a rental, this bargeboard single saw numerous interior alterations, yet its simple, sturdy bones were still evident to first-time homeowner, architect and Web developer Ben Gauslin, who purchased the house in 2010.
With spare, neutral furnishings and plenty of negative space, the house spotlights the architecture and feels more spacious that the shotgun’s limited dimensions. Each room features a different wall color, the refreshing blues, pinks, and yellows echoing the traditional Caribbean-influenced hues found throughout the city while also highlighting the spaces’ geometry in a decidedly modern way.

Combining his minimalist modern aesthetic with a respect for traditional building methods, Gauslin stripped out unoriginal elements and gutted the house to its worn, glowing pine floors and bargeboard walls. Gauslin re-covered most of the boards with insulation and plaster but chose to leave one interior wall exposed as a celebration of the house’s humble architectural roots. Its dark wood adds warmth and texture to the expansive parlor at the front of the house, which Gauslin created by knocking out an original non-supporting wall that had cut the space into two smaller living and dining areas.

A streamlined, chrome-and-white IKEA kitchen with ample storage space now stretches the length of one wall, offering a study in how to creatively use the challenging, narrow spaces of the shotgun layout.

While most buildings of this type feature a small backyard and side alleys, this house’s unusual off-center placement on the 28-foot-wide lot provides an ample side yard, which Gauslin is currently converting from a cracked concrete driveway to a landscaped patio for grilling, lounging with friends, and playing with his Catahoula-mix dog, Calvin.

Click here to view the original article as printed in the March, 2012 issue of Preservation in Print. Article and photo used with permission of the Preservation Resource Center.

The headquarters for the PRC’s Shotgun Tour of Faubourg St. John will be at the PITOT HOUSE at 1440 Moss Street on Bayou St. John.

The tour is just…
$16 for PRC and Louisiana Landmarks Society members
$20 for non-members
$10 each for groups of 10 or more

All tickets are $25 at the Pitot House on the day of the tour so get your tickets early!

For more information call (504) 581-7032 or visit prcno.org

Tour Headquarters: PITOT HOUSE

Now open for tours and special events, the house was restored in 1960 by the Louisiana Landmarks Society, which uses the building as its headquarters.

Shotgun House ticket holders will have the opportunity to visit the historic Pitot House.

2552 St. Philip Gets New Life

February 28, 2012 by Charlie London

UPDATE December 6, 2014

You can see the WWL’s story in the video below. WWL TV should have the story up on their LINKS ON 4 page soon.

UPDATE: A “Police Jail and Patrol Station” built in the turn of the 20th century in the Esplanade Ridge neighborhood was auctioned off for $175,000 Friday, according to city officials.

According to Tyler Gamble, the city’s press secretary, Liz and Raul Canache purchased the property.

December 16, 2013
http://midcitymessenger.com/2013/12/16/st-philip-street-police-station-from-1902-auctioned-for-175000/

by Charlie London | February 28, 2012
Property Disposition 12/12: Consideration of the sale of 2552 Saint Philip Street, Lots 99 and 100, Square 322, in the Second Municipal District, bounded by Saint Philip, Dumaine, North Rocheblave and North Dorgenois Streets. (ZBM C-13, PD-4)

You may remember that I have been passionate about the restoration of 2552 St. Philip for many years now. I happened upon the property while surveying the area after moving to Faubourg St. John after my previous house was destroyed by the Federal Flood. I literally gasped when I first saw the property. It is a stunning architectural gem of serious historical significance.
I am happy to announce today that dream of getting the property restored may indeed become a reality… with your help. You see, the city wants to auction 2552 St. Philip off to the highest bidder. I hear you saying, “so what, I can’t afford that!” Maybe not, but you may know someone who can. Let’s work together to find someone who will provide the care and restoration this property so desperately needs.

Former Councilperson Shelley Midura and present Councilperson Susan Guidry both of New Orleans Council District A and their staffs were also extremely helpful.

2552 St. Philip is just one of the historic city-owned properties being demolished by neglect…

PHOTO and DESCRIPTION of 2552 St. Philip
http://katrinafilm.wordpress.com/2009/04/28/2552-st-philip-street/

DONATION OF CITY PROPERTY
http://katrinafilm.wordpress.com/2009/05/29/donation-of-city-property/

CITY DEMOLISHES PROPERTY BY NEGLECT
http://katrinafilm.wordpress.com/2009/05/28/581/

PHOTO and DESCRIPTION of 2552 St. Philip
http://katrinafilm.wordpress.com/2009/04/28/2552-st-philip-street/

CITY PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2012

PUBLIC HEARING: 1:30 PM CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER (CITY HALL -1E07)

THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROVISIONS OF THE REVISED STATUTES OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA AND THE CITY CHARTER REGARDING PROPERTY DISPOSITIONS, WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2012 FOLLOWING THE ZONING PUBLIC HEARING, IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER (CITY HALL 1E07), ON THE FOLLOWING PROPOSED PROPERTY DISPOSITIONS.

Article below sent in by Robert Thompson | click on the article below for a larger view