Preserving the Past for a Better Future

THE LOUISIANA LANDMARKS SOCIETY HONORS SEVENTEEN ADMIRABLE PROJECTS IN PRESERVATION

By Jordan LaHaye

A 1905 Thomas Sully home, restored in absolute fidelity to its former glory using Sully’s original blueprints; James Freret’s asymmetrical two-story corner porch resurrected from one of his watercolors; the sole survivor South-brick Creole cottage of a circa 1835 row repurposed into The Jewel of the South; the Historic New Orleans’ Collection’s reclaiming of the Seignouret Brulatour House; a rare saved example of Walter Dorwin Teague’s Moderne style 1949 Texaco Service Station; and no less than three schoolhouses—neighborhood landmarks—saved and reborn to highlight architectural details in Aztec revival, Spanish Renaissance, and Victorian eclectic styles: New Orleans has always been fertile ground for ushering the treasures of its past into the future.

1626 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard, one of the seventeen recipients of this year's award, was built in 1913 and has been vacant for decades until its 2019 restoration. Photos courtesy of Louisiana Landmarks Society.

Images courtesy of Louisiana Landmarks Society

For its 2020 Awards for Excellence in Historic Preservation, the Louisiana Landmarks Society is honoring seventeen such projects for their outstanding achievements in historic restoration, renovation, and new design. “Our committee was a very vocal group,” said awards committee chair Sandra Stokes. “Very opinionated and passionate about preservation, about the restoration of neighborhoods. And they’ve selected such a spectrum of winners, ranging from individual residences—a double shotgun single-family home—to the restoration of schools to commercial buildings. It’s all across town, from the French Quarter to the Bywater to the Central City area, projects on smaller scales and massive scales and everything in between.” In addition to the talent required to achieve such remarkable transformations, the teams who oversaw these projects demonstrated deep commitments to preservation through meticulous research, sometimes painstaking artistry, and of course—significant investments. “These awards really showcase the diversity and talent of our local developers and architects,” said Stokes. “When they do restorations like this, they are demonstrating a real commitment to the future of New Orleans. Because it’s not just about preserving old things. We really promote quality of life, creating residential areas and opportunities, fostering resurgences in neighborhoods across the city. And reusing old buildings— well there’s nothing better.” Because the traditional awards ceremony was cancelled in early March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Society has spent the past several months developing alternative ways to honor its winners and to share their work with the public. In July, they released a virtual tour of the winning projects via a three-episode documentary series, available online alongside a self-guided driving tour, which will include a map and digital catalogue from which one can read the inspiring stories of each winning project. “People are looking for things to do,” said Stokes. “Hopefully this multi-faceted, multi-disciplined approach will not only honor these projects, but will bring even more people to explore the history and the communities here in the New Orleans area.”

Louisianalandmarks.org