Part 4

A stroll around the grounds on the First Street side gives a good view of the former servants' wing, which extends to the rear, looking today much as it did when the house was new. The beautiful grounds are particularly lovely in the spring when myriads of azaleas are in bloom as well as the large wisteria vine which drapes the arch of the front gate. Aged and majestic are the many magnolia trees, the largest of which some years ago was declared by E. H. Sargent, then curator of the Arnold Arboretum, to be the most magnificent specimen of _magnolia grandiflora_ in the United States.

Provision for fine private education for girls has long been a tradition in the Garden District. By a strange coincidence, three of the earlier schools were within the immediate neighborhood of what is now McGehee School, and one of these was on the very spot.

In 1853 the Reverend William Duncan, later a professor of Greek and Latin at the University of Louisiana, opened the Young Ladies' Seminary on the corner of Jackson and Prytania Streets. The seminary offered what was for that time quite an impressive curriculum in languages, arts and physical sciences.

Little is known today about the Carnatz Institute, a "fashionable academy for young ladies", which in the 1860's occupied a substantial brick cottage on the present site of McGehee School. This corner of First and Prytania streets had been one of the first settled in this part of Lafayette. Here Charles Conrad, one of a prominent family of lawyers, had his cottage. Nearby were the houses of Alfred T. and Frank Conrad, also barristers. Sometime later General W. R. Miles was said to have owned the Conrad house which subsequently became the Carnatz Institute. In addition to day students this school attracted boarding students from Mississippi, Alabama and Texas. The Institute was advertised as having a "healthy and secluded location with spacious rooms and shaded grounds." It is not known whether the academy moved or was disbanded when Bradish Johnson bought the property and removed the old house to make way for his new mansion.

Of more recent vintage was the school of Mrs. Francis D. Blake which was located in a large gray house, now demolished, on the downtown lake corner of Prytania and Philip Streets. Mrs. Blake, a daughter of the famous Bishop Leonidas Polk, was assisted in running the school by her sister, Mrs. Lucia Chapman. This school of Sally Polk Blake is of more than passing interest because in the last years of the school the English teacher was the youthful Miss Louise Schaumburg McGehee. When the doors of Mrs. Blake's were closed, parents of undergraduates asked Miss McGehee if she would undertake to run a school for their daughters.

In 1912 Miss McGehee began her school in a small cottage on Louisiana Avenue near St. Charles. The following year the school moved to more commodious quarters at 1439 Louisiana Avenue. Assuming corporate status in 1929, the school purchased the Johnson-Denègre house and moved to its present location. The carriage house of this mansion was converted into a gymnasium and the stable into a cafeteria.

A program of growth and expansion was undertaken in 1953-54 with the construction of a new building containing elementary classrooms and an assembly room. By 1960 McGehee School had acquired adjoining properties which complete the school's ownership of the entire Prytania Street frontage on the lake side of the 2300 block. Plans begun in that year call for the construction of a lower elementary building, new cafeteria and gymnasium and a studio-laboratory wing to the upper school building. This project will be financed by a drive for capital funds, launched in 1961.

During its history, McGehee's has seen changes not only in its physical plant but also in its organizational structure. In 1937 the school was re-incorporated as a non-profit institution, which status it has today.

HARRY MERRITT LANE HOUSE 1238 Philip Street

The classic Greek Revival Style and all that typifies antebellum life in the South are to be found in the stately Lane home. The handsome two-story-and-attic brick building with its front and side verandas was built in 1853-54 for John H. Rodenberg, a dealer in feeds. In addition to the stunning front portico, the view from the corner reveals the charm of the Chestnut Street elevation with the gently undulating effect achieved by the juxtaposition of a pair of shallow bays.

In the years after it was built, the mansion was the residence of the Hardie and Brooks families and for more than 50 years was known to New Orleans society as the Pipes house. For many years it was the home of the late Federal Judge Wayne G. Borah and his family, Mrs. Borah being the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. David W. Pipes. In 1969 the house was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Harry Merritt Lane, Jr., who have preserved all the notable traditional features of the house while adapting the rear section to accommodate the needs of their active young family of four.

The substantial methods of construction used by early builders resulted in the brick-bearing walls being 18 inches thick. The 14-foot-high ceilings are typical of houses of the period as is the Victorian parlor, 18 by 40 feet in size. The two large crystal chandeliers in this room are reflected in gold leaf mirrors over the twin white marble mantels. Lovely traditional furnishings complete the picture.

The cypress woodwork, doorframes in the so-called "keyhole" design, bronze doorknobs, and heart pine floors are in the best traditions of buildings of the period.

One of the focal points of the patio is a curious bit of Southern Americana, a plant bed made from the brick foundation of an old cistern where rainwater was collected. Every house had one or more of these tanks, made of wood and usually painted green. As a rule the cistern stood quite high, built upon a stilt-like frame, and was located in plain view near the back corner of the house. The sight prompted Mark Twain to write, "There is a mansion-and-brewery suggestion about the combination."

Here in the garden are many rare varieties of old camellias, grown from cuttings by Mrs. Pipes, who brought them from her family home in the Feliciana section of Louisiana more than fifty years ago. In addition to these fine specimens, this lovely Southern garden abounds in other interesting plant materials. Around the pond are plants of Creole boxwood (_Buxus japonicus_) which were propagated many years ago to supply the beautiful box hedge which flourishes on the property. The very tall palm tree is one of the few remaining in the Garden District where once they were plentiful, as old pictures show. Hurricanes, time and freezes cut down their numbers. On this tree grows a spreading wisteria vine which seems a shower of lavender in the spring.

Notable also are the sweet olive trees, crape myrtle, pear, Japanese plum (loquat) and coral tree (_Erythrina Cristagalli_). The latter is nicknamed locally the "crybaby tree" because at certain times the flowers emit a colorless fluid reminding some of tears. Contributing a tropical touch are the showy bougainvillea which climbs the side of the house, and the Hawaiian ti plant.

FORMER HARRIS-MAGINNIS-CRASSON HOUSE 2127 Prytania Street

As this edition goes to press, preservationists are fighting to stay the demolition of this handsome raised cottage. Its interesting and varied history dates from 1857-58 when it was erected for Alexander Harris, a cotton broker. In 1871 it was sold to John H. Maginnis, whose family lived there for many years. It was the local headquarters for the American Red Cross from 1939 until 1954 when it was purchased by Dr. and Mrs. Clyde Crasson, who restored the building to its original beauty as a home.

The well proportioned lines of the Greek Revival mansion were designed by James Calrow, who, with his partner Mr. Day, also served as builder. Although the three fine houses he designed during this period show Calrow to have been a man of unquestionable talents, he is otherwise unknown to architectural historians.

Symmetry and grace characterize the imposing portico with its eleven Corinthian columns, echoed by the capitals of the pilasters flanking the front door. While construction of this house was under way in 1858, an interested spectator of its progress was T. K. Wharton, one of the architects of the customhouse. In his diary, now in the New York Public Library, he notes on February 10 of that year that this house "promises to be the handsomest piece of work in the District." Its style, he later remarked, is "rich Corinthian, very handsome."

The broad gallery, so typical of the Garden District, is also embellished with the popular grillwork, "iron lace" as it is sometimes called. An astonishing diversity of ironwork patterns is to be seen in the area. This particular design of fruit and flowers is a fine example of both single- and double-faced cast iron used in alternation.

Proceeding up the broad, high flight of center stairs, the visitor crosses the wide veranda and reaches the handsome front door, which in its carved basket of fruit ornamentation repeats one of the motifs of the grillwork. An old-fashioned pull type of doorbell announces a caller. Inside one enters a center hall of breath-taking proportions. Within its area of 67 feet by 12 feet could be placed several rooms of a modern development house. Here again we find the reflection of the classic revival in the elaborate plaster work of cornices and ceiling.

On the right of the entrance hall is a large drawing room of the type called "double parlor" because of the suggested separation into two rooms, each of which was treated identically and had matching mantels. A balanced spacing of all openings in the room plus the treatment of windows as doors in the French mode give harmony to the room. Both mantels are of black and gold Italian marble with bronze trim. The front mantel features the _fleur de lis_ of France while the companion mantel has the crossed bows of Louis XVI and the roses of Marie Antoinette. Both fireplaces are backed with black iron embossed with the _fleur de lis_ design.

Across the hall is the dining room, which is lighted by the original gas chandelier, now wired for electricity. Here the graceful mantel is of white marble. Directly behind this room the Crassons have installed a family room kitchen in the early American style. Originally the kitchen was outside, as was the custom of that day, but the present owners made a more convenient arrangement for modern living by this relocation. The comfortable sitting room has a black and gold mantel with the same Louis XVI motifs as one in the drawing room.

No trace of the original garden which extended to Jackson Avenue remained when the Crassons purchased the property. They are now in the process of restoring this corner to some of its former beauty. In the front of the house, however, huge oaks and palms remain from the past. According to reliable sources, these massive oaks were planted as young saplings on September 14, 1874, the day the carpet baggers were driven out of New Orleans.

ATWOOD L. RICE, JR. HOUSE 1220 Philip Street

While it was the home of Isaac Delgado, this exquisite dwelling housed the art collection which became the nucleus of our city's art museum. Although this is one of the largest houses in the Garden District, a delicacy of proportion and the tree-shaded garden within which it stands serve to minimize its great bulk. A good notion of its size can be obtained from counting the many chimneys which rise from the slate roof. Constructed entirely of wood, it exemplifies the style developed locally just before the War Between the States. Here we find the characteristic fluted Corinthian columns used on both upper and lower galleries and linked by iron grillwork. Gracefully curved upper portions of windows and shutters lend a note of harmony. The semi-octagonal bay which extends on the north side of the house was once the dining room but was transformed into a bar and kitchen in recent years. The north wing of the house has also been converted into a separate _maisonette_.

Little is known about the construction of the house. It was built in the late 1850's for Mrs. Augustin Marius Tureaud, believed to have been the daughter of James Mather, who was mayor of New Orleans in 1810. In 1866 the house was sold at auction to Trinity Episcopal Church for use as a rectory. For some reason this purpose apparently was never carried out, and the house was sold again in 1868 to Samuel and Sarah Delgado for $12,400.

Samuel Delgado was a prosperous sugar and molasses broker. Childless, he and his wife took into their home their fourteen-year old nephew, Isaac Delgado, who came from Jamaica. Apparently having exceptional business aptitude, the boy entered the world of commerce almost immediately. In a few years he began amassing the fortune he was to use for charitable purposes. Long before his death Delgado, a bachelor, gave away huge sums. He donated his art collection and $150,000 to erect the Delgado Museum of Art in City Park. It was completed in 1911 and the old man was quite disappointed that ill health prevented his attending the dedication ceremonies. On his death in 1912, he left his millions for hospitals and the trade school which bears his name. His home he bequeathed to the city. For a brief period it served as the British Consulate, and then in 1920 it was sold to David Pipes, who owned the fine house next door which is now the Lane home. Present owners are Mr. and Mrs. Atwood L. Rice, Jr. who purchased the house in 1972 from Mr. and Mrs. John R. Fitz-Hugh. Charmingly furnished, this house is a fine example of how an early Victorian mansion can be adapted to modern living.

The beautifully landscaped garden is planned to feature color in the spring with a predominantly green effect for the hot summer months. Across the front of the yard is a hedge of white camellia sasanquas. From front to back on both sides, the garden is bordered with dwarf azaleas which range in color from deep red (Hexie and Henodegeri) to pinks (Pink Pearl and Coralbells) in the center to white (Snow) in the rear. The large azaleas in the side garden are Pride of Mobile. Among the other plants are camellia, crape myrtle, cocculus, cherry laurel, pear and wild plum, many of which are grouped around an inviting patio.

THOMAS JORDAN HOUSE 1415 Third Street

This great mansion on the corner of Third and Coliseum streets is an outstanding example of the age of opulence. Designed by an unknown architect, the house was completed in 1865 for Walter Robinson, a young Virginian who came to this city to buy Cuban wrappers for cigars and to purchase perique, an especially fine type of tobacco which to this day is grown only in St. James Parish of Louisiana.

The house's second owner, David C. McCan, a native of Cincinnati, is remembered for his philanthropy and civic endeavor. Third occupant was Peter Pescud of Raleigh, North Carolina. His wife, Margaret C. Maginnis, who reigned in 1874 as the second queen of the New Orleans Carnival, made it a center of gay social activity.

Douglass Freret assisted the present owner, Thomas Jordan, Esq., with a fine restoration.

Viewed from the street, the house presents an impressive sight. The unknown architect set it far back on the lot, sideways to the street, with a Palladian carriage house and iron gates. The impressive scale of the house results from stories of equal height, 15 feet, 8 inches. Double galleries with curved ends adorn the façade. These feature Doric columns below and Corinthian above. Linking the columns are panels of cast iron in a pattern somewhat heavier than usual, which admirably blends with the feeling of solidity which the building gives. On the southern exposure are double galleries framed in ironwork of a lacy design, which effectively lightens and gives delicacy to the whole. Not to be overlooked is the iron fence which, with its handsome shell motifs, contributes to the effect of beauty.

Detailing of the interior, with its elaborate carved door and window trim, fine plaster cornices and ceiling centerpieces, and especially the superb winding staircase, is among the most elaborate in the city. All the rooms are palatial, furnished with choice antiques, many the work of America's foremost cabinet makers.

Painted ceilings are features of both living and dining rooms, that of the latter executed with great delicacy after the manner of Robert Adam. The wallpaper in the dining room is the famous Züber 1834 "Scenic America". The chimney piece of this room was designed to contain a wooden eagle found at the mouth of the Mississippi after a hurricane. Carved from cypress, it is believed to be the sternboard of a pilot boat built in Charleston at the time of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.

A fascinating fact about this house is that it was said to be among the first in the city to have inside plumbing, water being supplied from cisterns on the roof, which also provided protection from fire.

THOMAS B. FAVROT HOUSE 1448 Fourth Street

During the fabulous 1850's when splendid mansions were rising all through the Garden District, no structure was larger or finer than this important house. Although usually identified as the "house with the cornstalk fence", this house has other features to recommend it.

The tremendous size, the asymmetrical design and the beautiful iron work galleries on front and sides make it an unusual structure. Designing during a period when romanticism was the ascendant trend in arts and letters, the architect Henry Howard turned to the Italian villa style, which he skillfully adapted to the hot and humid New Orleans climate. Built in 1859 for Colonel Robert Henry Short, a Kentucky colonel, the house cost the wealthy commission merchant $23,750. Cost of duplication today would be impossible to estimate.

The mansion presents an exterior which, except for the classical pilasters of the entrance doorway, is a radical departure from the then prevalent Greek Revival. Howard's expertness in the latter form at this period had been demonstrated in the recently completed Belle Grove plantation at Bayou Goula, one of the most magnificent of all the plantation houses. Some of the features of the Belle Grove plan he used again for Colonel Short. Despite the Italian façade beautifully allied with New Orleans' beloved iron lace, the interior of the house adhered strictly to the Greek Revival in woodwork and ornamentation. Marvels of workmanship are the handsomely carved door and window frames and the decorated plaster cornices and ceiling centerpieces.

The usual double parlors are found to the left of the entrance hall, but in this instance they are not identical rooms. The rear one extends farther into the side yard in a curved bay with an iron work gallery outside. Giving an idea of the magnificent scale of the house are the approximate dimensions of the parlors, which at their greatest points measure 43 by 26 feet. The ceilings are 16 feet high.

Across from the back parlor is a library which extends out in a similar manner on the Prytania Street side. The wide entrance hall is met at the rear of the parlors and library by a large cross hall which contains the stairway. This is of oak, evidently not the original since that kind of wood was not used for buildings in this locality at that period. This was one of many alterations made by one or both of the subsequent owners: Miss Mary Morgan, who bought it in 1892 from Short's succession; or Abraham Brittin, cotton broker, who acquired it in 1906.

Around the turn of the century other changes had been made in a determined effort to wipe out every vestige of the neo-classic. Deep red brocade was applied to the walls, and in one room the ceiling was painted red. All woodwork was painted a gloomy brown with imitation wood grain, while simulated wall panelling was used to change the character of other rooms.

Some of the changes, however, were not as heavy and unattractive to present day tastes. The already commodious dining room was further enlarged with a delightful semicircular bay on the Prytania Street end, and with an extremely decorative arcaded conservatory with open terrace at the other end of the room.

Under the sympathetic restoration of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Jay Moran, oppressive dreary paint gave way to light cheerful colors and spurious panelling was torn down with a feeling of expansive grace regained. In 1971 the house was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Favrot, for whose large family it is a handsome and congenial setting.

Outside, the distinctive fence of morning glories intertwining cornstalks which was falling to pieces in 1950 when the Morans bought the house, has been restored. When the repairs were underway, an exposed base of a fence post revealed that the iron work was supplied by Wood and Perot, the famous Philadelphia foundry. Through the local agents, Wood and Miltenberger, this firm supplied a good percentage of the cast iron used in New Orleans. It is likely that the "iron lace" galleries on this house were also their work.

BRYAN BELL HOUSE 1331 Third Street

Iron lace, delicate but dramatic, casting lovely shadows across the façade of the Bell house, has made this a favorite "shot" for photographers, both amateur and professional. These cast iron galleries, often called the finest in the city, make the house eye-catching, but locally it is also famous for its associations with the New Orleans family of the French painter Edgar Degas.

In 1850 Michel Musson, a prominent cotton merchant and postmaster of New Orleans from 1849 to 1853, purchased the site and is said to have commissioned James Gallier, Sr., to design his dwelling. Construction was soon completed on this interpretation in wood of a formal Italian villa, as its style has been defined by Samuel Wilson, Jr., local architectural historian. Certainly in those days the designation would have been more appropriate than now, the famous ironwork having been added in 1884. The original Gallier plan had two bay windows on the front, similar to one on the garden side of the house, with canopies such as are on the Coliseum Street side protecting the upper windows. The bracketed overhang of the roof on both sides is Italianate in feeling.