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A RTILLERY P ARK
The French Quarter is the oldest
part of the city, and after almost
300 years it is still a vibrant area.
Start your tour of the Jackson
Square, named for General
Andrew Jackson hero of the Battle
of New Orleans, and its surrounds
at Artillery Park, located on
Decatur Street in front of Jackson
Square. From here you can see
the Mississippi River behind you
and Jackson Square in front of you.
The Mississippi was the main
artery for trade between Europe and the New World. Jean Baptiste LeMoyne, Sieur de Bienville,
was ordered to move the capital of the French Louisiana colony from Fort Biloxi to a location on
the River. However, the mouth of the river was dangerous for navigation. The Native Americans
living in this area showed Bienville a “secret” way to get from Fort Biloxi, through two area
lakes that took them to Bayou St. John. From there, they could easily navigate to this point on
the Mississippi. The City was founded in 1718. The Streets of the French Quarterwere laid out
in 1721. Many of the streets running from the river are named for Catholic saints and many of
the cross streets are named for the Royal house of France at that time. So Bourbon Street is not
named for an adult beverage, but for the Royal House of Bourbon.
Two great fires nearly destroyed New Orleans in the 1700s. The first great fire of New Orleans
started in the house at Toulouse and Chartres (619 Chartres) when on a windy Good Friday,
March 21, 1788, Don Vincente Nunez lit a candle at a religious altar in celebration Good Friday
that caught fire. Because it was Good Friday, the bells of the St. Louis Cathedral, normally used
to alert the population of a fire, were padded to be silent. 850 homes were destroyed in this
fire within 5 hours. The second fire was on December 4, 1794, destroying another 212 homes.
After this, the Spanish implemented building codes that included thick brick walls, courtyards,
and arcades. Examples of such buildings are the Cabildo and the Presbytere, rebuilt after the
1794 fire.
The river itself, the fourth longest in the world, drains 40% of all of America and is over a half-
mile wide. Notice that you are actually standing on a levee. These levees were originally about a
foot high and formed naturally; Bienville ordered they be raised to three feet. After that, the
French riverfront landowners were to build and maintain levees at peril of losing their land.
Crevasses, or breaks in the levees, occurred during floods and caused casualties to life and
property. After the Americans bought Louisiana, the levee system was turned over to the Army
Corps of Engineers. Witness Hurricane Katrina--the rest is history.
When you look out at the Mississippi River, notice how it curves into a crescent to your left.
This gives New Orleans one of its nicknames, The Crescent City. The Mississippi continues to be
the lifeblood of the City. The Port of New Orleans handles about 500 million tons of cargo each
year, and is the largest port for rubber and coffee; in addition, more than 700,000 cruise
passengers sail through the port each year.
J ACKSON S QUARE
Walk across Decatur Street and go
into Jackson Square, an area that has
always been a public square since the
founding of the city in 1718. It was
originally named the Place d'Arms. It
was renamed when the statue of
Andrew Jackson, hero of the Battle of
New Orleans in the War of 1812 was
placed there during a renovation in
the 1850's. The inscription on the
statue was added by General
Benjamin Butler, the Union General
who was over New Orleans during
the Civil War to spite the citizens of
New Orleans. During that period, the women of New Orleans crossed the street to avoid
passing a Union soldier as a protest of Union occupation. Gen. Butler was not amused. He
announced that he would prosecute any woman who did so as a prostitute. After that the
women of New Orleans passed by Union soldiers on the street, but began putting pictures of
Gen. Butler in the bottom of their chamber pots.
St. Louis Basilica, or St. Louis Cathedral, is the building centered behind the square. To its left is
the Cabildo, formerly the seat of Spanish rule and now a part of the Louisiana State Museum. It
was damaged by a fire in 1988 and authentically restored. On the other side of the Basilica is
the Presbytere, former residence of the Capuchin monks, and later a courthouse. Today, it is
also part of the state museum system. The Pontalba apartments are the oldest apartment
buildings in the United States, having been built between the 1840-50’s. Today, the upper
floors remain residential while the lower floors are commercial.
Jackson Square is the heart of New Orleans in modern times, visited daily by locals and tourists,
surrounded by artists, street performers, and fortune tellers. It is also a main part of the French
Quarter Festival held every April.
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S T . L OUIS C ATHEDRAL
The St. Louis Cathedral, just
outside the Chartres Street gate
was originally completed in 1729.
It was destroyed twice by fires in
1788 and 1794. The existing
cathedral was built after the last
fire in 1794. This cathedral became
St. Louis Basilica when Pope John
Paul II visited in 1984.
Notice the two alleyways on the
sides of the cathedral. The one on
the left, between St. Louis Basilica
and the Cabildo, is Pirate's Alley. It
is thought to have been named
after Jean Lafitte, the buccaneer
who fought with Andrew Jackson
at the Battle of New Orleans. Also an adventurer, Lafitte was a smuggler who was popular with
the locals. After a price was put on his head by the governor, Lafitte in turn put a price on the
governor's head. Formerly officially Orleans Alley South, the alley was officially renamed in
1964. It is still paved with the original stones that had served as ballast on ships that cruised the
Mississippi, and its central drainage is European in design. Pirate's Alley does not always appear
on city maps, but it is an important area in the French Quarter. Faulkner House, where "A
Soldier's Pay" was written, is in the middle of the alley.
If you walk down this alley, notice the drainage in the middle. This is the Europeon method of
water drainage. Since New Orleans is in the Mississippi River Delta, we have no natural stone.
The stones used to pave these streets and alleys in the 1700s was ballast thrown on the banks
of the river by ships coming in to port and no longe in need of them. The citizens of New
Orleans collected thses discarded stones for use in paving. Soon, the captians of the ships
became aware of the use and began selling the stones.
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T HE A LLEYS O N E ITHER S IDE OF THE C ATHEDRAL
The alley, between St. Louis Basilica and the
Cabildo, is called Pirate's Alley, and is thought to
have been named after Jean Lafitte, the
buccaneer who fought with Andrew Jackson at
the Battle of New Orleans in 1816. Also an
adventurer, Lafitte was a smuggler who was
popular with the locals. After a price was put on
his head by the governor, Lafitte in turn put a
price on the governor’s head. Formerly officially
Orleans Alley South, the alley was officially
renamed in 1964. It is still paved with the original
stones that had served as ballast on ships that
cruised the Mississippi, and its central drainage is
European in design. Pirate’s Alley does not
always appear on city maps, but it is an
important area in the French Quarter. Faulkner
House, where “A Soldier’s Pay” was written, is in
the middle of the alley.
The alley between the St. Louis Cathedral and the
Presbetyre is Pere Antoine's Alley, named for
Friar Antonio de Sedella came to New Orleans around 1774. There are somewho say, Pere
Antoine still haunts the area.
T HE C ABILDO
The building to the left of the St.
Louis Cathedral (as you are facing
it) is the Cabildo, built in 1794. The
Cabildo is the site where the
Louisiana Purchase was signed. It
also served as the seat of
government during Spanish rule. It
is currently used as a Museum that
has the death mask of Napoleon in
one of its exhibits.
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T HE P RESBYTERE
If you're facing the Cathedral, look
to it's right. There you will see the
Presbytere, former residence of
the Capuchin monks, and later a
courthouse. Today, it is also part
of the state museum system.
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T HE P ONTALBA A PARTMENTS
On either side of the square are
the Pontalba Apartments built by
the Baroness Michaela Pontalba in
the 1850's. They are the oldest
apartment buildings in the United
States. The Baroness is a colorful
figure in New Orleans history. She
is the daughter of Don Andres de
Almonaster y Roxas, who is buried
under the floor of the St. Louis
Cathedral. Michaela survived an
attempted murder by her father-
in-law in Paris 1834. She returned
to New Orleans 1848 to find the
old Creole families were moving to Esplanade Avenue. Seeking to restore this area of the
French Quarter, she built her grand row houses, and convinced city officials to renovate the
Square, and surrounding buildings to resemble the great public squares in Europe. During
construction, Michaela would supervise, often climbing up and down scaffolding checking
everything. She constructed the buildings in 2 1/2 years at a cost of $302,000.
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L E P ETITE T HEATRE
Walk out onto Chartres Street,
past the Cabildo. At the corner of
Chartres and St. Peter Street, you
will see the Le Petite Theatre du
Vieux Carre. Theatrical
productions have been given here
regularly since 1922, and continue
today. It is reputed to be haunted
by an elegant man in evening
dress.
Walk up Chartres Street 1/2 block
and look for a pink building with a
historic plaque. It is here on March
2, 1788, that Sr. Vincente Nunez
was lit the candle that started the
fire that destroyed much of the city.
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T HE C AFE D U M ONDE
Maybe now you're ready for some
relaxation, a cup of coffee and
chicory, or cafe au lait and
some beignets (say, "ben yeahs").
Then walk over to the Cafe du
Monde next to Artillery Square
and enjoy. The Cafe du Monde has
been serving coffee since 1865
and is part of the original French
Market. It's open 24/7 except for
Christmas Day and the occasional
hurricane.
A H ISTORY OF THE F RENCH Q UARTER IN N EW O RLEANS
BY SHARON KEATING | Updated 05/16/17
The French Quarter is the oldest
area of the city, but is more
properly known as the Vieux Carre,
because although founded by the
French in 1718, it also reflects the
art and architecture of the Spanish
era. By the 1850's, the French
Quarter had fallen into disrepair. It
was saved by a woman with great
resolve and great courage. The
Baroness Michaela Pontalba,
daughter of the Spanish official
Almonaster, oversaw the
construction of two apartment buildings flanking the main square.
These apartments still stand and are the oldest apartment buildings in the United States.
Baroness Pontalba's efforts worked and the French Quarter was revived.
The French Quarter again fell on hard times in the late Nineteenth Century. Many of its now
elegant buildings had become little better than slums, home to the poorest immigrants. In the
mid-twentieth century, historic preservationists successfully began the authentic restoration of
this Eighteenth Century “time capsule," a project that continues to this day.
Boundaries
The French Quarter is bounded by Rampart Street, Esplanade Avenue, Canal Street, and the
Mississippi River. Although certain areas are well-known to tourists, there are actually several
distinct neighborhoods. The most well-known area is the entertainment section, with its
famous restaurants, bars, and hotels. Dining venues range from the Lucky Dog vendor on
Bourbon Street to the fine Creole Dining of Arnaud’s or Galatoires.
Music wafts from the Bourbon Street clubs, jazz institutions such as Preservation Hall, or the
newcomer House of Blues, or, just on any street corner on any given day. The many antique
shops on Royal Street contain treasures. A stroll down Decatur Street culminates at the bustling
Old French Market, where the Indians traded long before Bienville arrived.
Off the beaten track, residential streets and old Creole cottages in the lower quarter contrast
with the ongoing party that is Bourbon Street.
Sites to See Beyond Bourbon Street
The “Ladies in Red,” are the streetcars that traverse the streets along the banks of the
Mississippi, on the edge of the Quarter. Beyond the floodwalls, which have recently saved this
historic part of the city from catastrophic flooding, is Woldenberg Park. Constructed atop old
wharves, Woldenberg Park provides a relaxing green space to watch the busy river. Tankers sail
alongside cruise ships and paddle-wheeled steamboats. At this bend in the river, the reason we
are called Crescent City becomes obvious. The sound effects of the Quarter of sounds are
fascinating—the calliope on the Steamboat Natchez pounds out a happy tune, as a musician on
the Moonwalk hails the foggy sunrise; and the vibrant singing of street performers all blend in,
in surprising concert.
Take a Pictorial Tour
The heart of the Quarter is Jackson Square, flanked on its sides by the Pontalba Buildings and at
its top, by the St. Louis Cathedral, Cabildo(the seat of government for the French and Spanish),
and Presbytere. At the edge of the upper quarter, Canal Street demonstrates the contrast
between the Creole sector (Vieux Carre) and the American sector on the other side.
Double signs indicate that the old French “Rues” end at Canal Street and the Americanstreets
begin on the other side. Rampart Street is the inner boundary of the Vieux Carre. This was the
edge of the original city and the place where New Orleans buried the throngs of those lost to
the Yellow Fever epidemics of the early years of the city. Although the city has expanded on all
sides, its heart remains the French Quarter.