Microsoft Word - Algiers Point FD

Algiers Point Historic District

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 CityofNewOrleansHDLC–AlgiersPointHistoricDistrict02‐1

Designated1993

Jurisdiction:New

OrleansHistoric

DistrictLandmarks

Commission

TheAlgiersPoint

HistoricDistrictis

boundedbythecurve

oftheMississippi

Riverontwosides

andbyAtlanticand

NewtonStreetson

theothertwo.

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Named for a navigation bend in the Mississippi River,

AlgiersPointwasanindependentmunicipalityfor30years

from its founding, and even today it retains a quiet small

town atmosphere.Bordered by the Mississippi River on

two sides, and lying directly across the river from the

VieuxCarré,AlgiersPoint

continuedtodevelopasalargely

independenttownwellintothe20

century.

Algiers Point’s economic origins began in a boatyard

established in 1819 by Andre Seguin.The Algiers‐Canal

Street Ferry began in 1827 and has been in continuous

operation ever since.Shipbuilding, repair and other

riverfront endeavors flourished, and in 1837 a dry dock,

said to be the first on

the Gulf Coast, was established at

the foot of present‐day Seguin Street.By the 1850s,

immense rail yards lined the riverside, providing

employment to large numbers of residents and funding a

periodofintensedevelopmentthatlasteduntiltheendof

the19

century.

The town of Algiers was annexed by the City of New

OrleansonMarch14,1870andcontinuedtodevelopinto

the early 20

 century.Martin Behrman, the longest

serving mayor of New Orleans (1904‐1920, 1925‐1926),

wasanAlgiersnativewhopreferredhishomeofficeat228

PelicanAvenuetoCityHall.

Some of the early buildings from the 1840s still exist

today, but the District is dominated by buildings in the

Greek Revival, Italianate and Victorian styles, reflecting

AlgiersPoint'speriodofgreatestgrowthanddevelopment

from 1850 to 1900.Adevastating fire in 1895 destroyed

hundreds of buildings in Algiers, and replacements were

built in the styles of the time.As a consequence, many

fineexamplesofearly20

centuryarchitecturalstylescan

befoundintheDistrict.

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InformationtakenfromtheAlgiersPointNationalRegisterof

HistoricPlacesnominationformandHDLCmaterials.

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Thismaterialisbaseduponworkassistedbyagrantfrom theDepartmentoftheInterior,NationalParkService.Anyopinions,findings,and

conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are  those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the

DepartmentoftheInterior.

PreparedbyDominiqueM.Hawkins,AIA,LEEDAPofPreservationDesignPartnership,LLCinPhiladelphia,PA,andCatherineE.Barrier.

02‐2CityofNewOrleansHDLC–AlgiersPointHistoricDistrict May2011

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Neighborhoodcommercialbuildings

arecommonintheDistrict

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ThebuildingofConfettiParkonPelican

Avenuewasacommunityeffort

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ThehomeofMartinBehrman,New

Orleans’longestservingmayor

LOCALCULTURAL

 AlgiersPointretainsavillageatmosphereandisisolated

fromthecityofNewOrleansbythenaturalbarrierof

theMississippiRiver

 TheAlgiers‐CanalStreetFerrywascreatedin1827,

providinganeasycommuteforitsresidents

 SeveralbuildingsreflectthegrowthofAlgiersPointasa

self‐containedcommunity,including2movietheaters—

theArtDecoAlgyTheaterandPhillipFoto’sFolly

Theater,bothofwhichwereadaptivelyreused

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 AlgiersPointincludesanumberofsmallparksalong

VerretStreet

 TheEastlakeornamentedQueenAnnestyleMartin

BehrmanHousewasthehomeoftheCity’slongest‐

servingmayor

 TheVallette‐BarrettHouse,builtin1848,isasignificant

exampleoftheGreekRevival2‐storycenterhall

 MartinBehrmanHighSchoolisanexcellentexampleof

theMissionRevivalstyleandalocalneighborhoodicon

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Frontyardsetbacksaretypically

shallow

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One‐storyhomesarecommoninthe

District

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Ironfencesenclosingsmallfrontyards

arefoundinmuchofthearea

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URBANFORM

Setting/Landscape

 Onthemajorityofblocks,sidewalksareseparatedfrom

roadwaysbyagrassstrip

 Streettreesareprevalent,particularlyonOpelousas

Avenue

 Mosthomesaresetbackfromthestreetwithshallow

frontyards,sometimesenclosedbyacastironfence

 Theoriginalbricksidewalksandlinesofironfences

remaininmuchofthearea

Massing/Form

 Themajorityofthebuildingsareresidential,singlestory

andraisedabovegrade

 Moststructuresareofwoodconstructionwithgabled

orhippedroofs

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Styles/Types

 StylescommonlyfoundintheDistrictincludeCreole,

GreekRevival,VictorianandEdwardianstyles

 Rebuildingafterthegreatfireof1895resultedina

numberofBungalow‐styleresidences,aswellassome

MissionRevivalandModernestylebuildings

 Anumberof2‐storydoublegallerytyperesidencescan

alsobefoundintheDistrict

PublicSpaces

 Anumberofsmallparksareusedforrelaxationand

recreation

Commercial/Industrial

 Cornercommercialbuildingsarescatteredwithinthe

District,typicallywithlivingspaceabove