Laurel M. Fay, MSHP - Portfolio by laurelmfay

Portfolio Laurel M. Fay

Master of Science, Historic Preservation Tulane School of Architecture 2020-2022 laurelmfay@gmail.com

Contents 3

Part 1 // Introduction

BUILDING DOCUMENTATION

PRESERVATION PRACTICUM

Part 2 // Tomb Documentation and Conditions Assessment

Part 3 // Materials Study: Patrick F. Taylor Library

URBAN CONSERVATION & SPATIAL ANALYSIS

Part 8 // Becoming the Crypt Keeper: Surveying Tombs in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 Part 9 // To Landmark or Not to Landmark: The Quest to Revitalize Central City, New Orleans

Part 4 // Latrobe Building: Mapping a Neighborhood’s Evolution

RESEARCH & WRITING

Part 5 // Preserving Lower Esplanade Avenue

23 31

Part 6 // Combatting Disinvestment: A Study of Under-Utilization and Blight in Esplanade Ridge Part 7 // Estimating Elevation Costs for Mandeville, LA’s Flood-Prone Homes

Touro-Shakspeare Home, New Orleans, LA, Laurel M. Fay, 2021. Cover image: John S. Dawson High School, St. Francisville, LA, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

52 54

Part 10 // Transformative Preservation: Reclaiming Spatial Legacies of African American Education for Community Futures Part 11 // National Register of Historic Places Nomination: Touro-Shakspeare Home, New Orleans, LA Part 12 // Select Writing Excerpts

Introduction This portfolio contains select project work completed in my Master of Science in Historic Preservation graduate program at Tulane School of Architecture in New Orleans, LA from August 2020 to May 2022.

Original Grand Central Terminal ceiling mural design, 1913, Gulbrandsen-Fay Family Archive.

INTRODUCTION Throughout this Master of Science in Historic Preservation program, I have delved into archival research, building documentation and the assessment of conditions, and survey work within the urban conservation sphere. I am drawn to projects with a strong social justice mission and have a passion for capturing the “DNA” of structures as they exist in my drawings, photography, and writing. In my preservation work, I seek to tell lesserknown stories that deserve to be told. My interest in historic preservation began with a family legend tied to New York City’s Grand Central Terminal’s iconic constellation ceiling mural. My great-grandfather, Charles Gulbrandsen, was a Norwegian immigrant and artist, and as a young man in 1913, he worked on Grand Central Terminal’s original ceiling mural (design pictured on previous page). During World War II in 1944, he was re-hired to restore the mural, which had been poorly maintained and had sustained substantial water damage. He ultimately decided that the course forward would be to panel over the mural and start again, resulting in the mural we see today. According to family lore, Charles and his team wrote secret messages and notes on the ceiling as they worked, recording the births of babies, letters to loved ones, soldiers returning home from combat, and celebrating the end of World War II. These moments of significance were chronicled among the constellations, too high up to be seen from the ground. Charles wrote his daughter, my grandmother, Signe Gulbrandsen Fay’s name on the ceiling under the Taurus constellation. Legend has it that my greatgrandfather recorded the birth of twins next to the Gemini constellation, which was fitting, considering these twins were actually my aunts - Geminis born in 1944! My father’s cousin, also named Chuck Gulbrandsen (though he adopted the moniker Chuck), led the 1990 restoration of his grandfather’s mural. My father commuted into New York City through Grand Central at the time, and incredibly, didn’t realize it was his cousin up there on the scaffolding for months! This family legend has inspired my love of historic preservation, architecture, and archival research. I hope one day to be able to climb up there myself to uncover and document all of these hidden messages.

The present-day iconic ceiling constellation mural at Grand Central Terminal. Source: Westgate Resorts.

Charles Gulbrandsen at work designing the constellation mural. Source: Gulbrandsen-Fay Family Archive.

My grandmother’s name, Signe Fay, Charles’ daughter, was inscribed in Taurus constellation. Source: Gulbrandsen-Fay Family Archive.

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

Tomb Documentation and Conditions Assessment For this project, I chose the Mrs. Jane Byrnes tomb, located inside St. Joseph Cemetery block #1 in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans. To conduct an existing conditions assessment, I began by hand drafting to-scale drawings, then utilized AutoCAD to create elevations and a site map, and Adobe Illustrator to document the most prevalent conditions.

St. Joseph Cemetery No. 1. Drone photography by Nick LiCausi and Building Preservation Studio students.

TOMB DOCUMENTATION AND CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT

TOMB LOCATION AND MATERIALS The Byrnes tomb is located in St. Joseph Cemetery #1 on Washington Avenue in New Orleans, LA. The tomb is a double-vaulted cement and brick step tomb built in the Colloquial Italiante Style. It has a marble pediment with the inscription “MRS JANE BYRNES” with a sacrificial lamb lying on a cross, and a marble tablet inscribed with the names of those interred.

Marble Brick Stucco Concrete

S. Liberty St

Sixth St

Washington Ave

Entrance

Loyola Ave

The above site plan (not to scale) shows where Mrs. Jane Byrnes’ tomb (blue) is located in the cemetery block.

BUILDING PRESERVATION STUDIO // FALL 2020

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

TOMB DOCUMENTATION AND CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT

HAND DRAWN ELEVATIONS AND DETAIL

FRONT ELEVATION SCALE 1/2” : 1’-0”

BUILDING PRESERVATION STUDIO // FALL 2020

SIDE ELEVATION SCALE 1/2” : 1’-0”

DETAIL SCALE 1” : 1’-0”

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

PRODUCED BY A TOMB DOCUMENTATION AND CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT

CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT

SCALE 1/2” : 1’-0”

SIDE ELEVATION SCALE 1/2” : 1’-0”

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION VERSION

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESKPRODUCED STUDENT VERSION BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION BUILDING PRESERVATION STUDIO // FALL 2020

Cracking

DESK STUDENT VERSION BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION PRODUCED

FRONT ELEVATION

The lifting, separating, peeling and detachment of one or more finish layers, resulting in an uneven and irregular contoured surface, resembling a topographic map.

ED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION ION

N AUTODESKPRODUCED STUDENT VERSION BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

Delamination

Loss

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

Listed in descending order of severity for this particular tomb:PRODUCED BY AN AUTOD

Loss of protective elements such as a stucco exterior can leave a tomb exposed to further damage.

PRODUCED BY AN AUTOD

Fractures of variable length and orientation, greater or equal to 0.40 mm. in width, with or without associated planar displacement of the finish, and differentiated by depth and pattern

Soiling / Biogrowth

Microflora such as algae, fungi, and lichens are often found in darker gray or black patches. Biogrowth breaks down the material it is growing on, making it susceptible for further growth.

PRODUCED BY A Vegetation

Hysteresis

Existing Paint

Oxidation

The roots of higher plant forms can exacerbate structural cracking, and create openings in the tomb that the elements can then intrude into.

Any remaining existing paint should be studied and preserved if possible, should an owner ever want to faithfully recreate the original paint coat and color.

Warping and bending of the marble stone tablet creates gaps and openings where elements such as rainwater can intrude into the interior of the tomb, creating damage.

Ferrous staining or streaking on masonry surfaces can show up as a green or rusty reddish brown color, depending on the type of metal that is being corroded.

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

TOMB DOCUMENTATION AND CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT

RECOMMENDATIONS This tomb was built at least before 1881, when the first member of Mrs. Jane Byrnes’ family, her daughter Sarah Ann Keating, was interred. Since then, the tomb has endured 139 years of harsh summers, perpetual heat, and torrential rain. With New Orleans’ subtropical coastal climate, this tomb has seen its fair share but still perseveres, much like its namesake, Jane Byrnes, an immigrant who lived a long, full life in her 78 years. The major conditions affecting this tomb are as follows: •

DELAMINATION: This is the most pressing issue facing the tomb. The exterior layers of stucco are visibly peeling away more and more each week with every passing storm. I recommend stabilizing the remaining stucco by injecting grout behind it to prevent further detachment. Potentially in the future, if funds were available, new layers of stucco could be applied to the exterior, but part of this tomb’s intrigue is its unique “topographical” side caused exactly by this condition (pictured in the side elevation to the right). I prefer to leave it be, and stabilize and conserve it as it is.

•

LOSS: Though nothing can be done to retrieve the loss that this tomb has incurred already, the areas of brick that have been revealed should be protected and sealed up so the tomb is watertight, which will keep the tomb stable for the long term.

•

CRACKING: There are a few large cracks that are in need of attention on this tomb. These cracks, the larger of which are affecting the tomb’s structural integrity, will only get larger due to exposure to the elements and vegetation, among other things, and they should be mended and sealed. Cracking of the marble name tablet should also be mended, since the pieces are still in place, before they fall away for good.

•

SOILING / BIOGROWTH: This tomb could use a good cleaning to remove the biogrowth that has built up over time. The picture to the right, taken during the 1981-83 survey of the cemetery, shows far cleaner marble steps. A gentle cleaning of the marble components especially would prevent further damage to these sensitive stones in the future.

Additional minor conditions affecting this tomb include: •

VEGETATION: When removing vegetation, such as ferns, one needs to be careful not to yank out any materials of the tomb with the roots and risk leaving the tomb more damaged than it was before.

•

HYSTERESIS: The original marble tablet should absolutely be kept - but potentially fortified or supported to prevent further bending of the material.

•

OXIDATION: On this tomb we see oxidation on the tablet screw and the wreath hook. This staining could ultimately damage the marble over time so a poultice could be used to remove this staining, and are small enough pieces of hardware that they could be easily replaced.

•

EXISTING PAINT: Though little paint remains, there are still notable areas where the paint is visible, namely beneath the overhand of the pediment, which seems to have protected this strip of paint from the elements. What is left should be carefully studied and preserved as a remnant of what once was - but if the tomb was repainted, it would risk losing its integrity and its aged patina, which makes it so special.

Pictured in 1981-83 during a survey, Historic New Orleans Collection.

Mrs. Jane Byrnes’ tomb, Laurel M. Fay, 2020.

Overall: Address pressing structural issues to keep the tomb stable and to prevent further deterioration.

Side elevation, showing detachment and loss, Laurel M. Fay, 2020.

BUILDING PRESERVATION STUDIO // FALL 2020

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

Materials Study: Patrick F. Taylor Library For this stone material study, I chose to document and map conditions on the former Howard Memorial Library in New Orleans, built of sandstone from Kibbe Quarry in Massachusetts. This building is the only one in the state designed by famed 19th century architect Henry Hobson Richardson, a Louisiana native who spent his childhood around the corner from this site on Julia Row. H.H. Richardson’s distinctive design style, famous for its stone work, Byzantine leaf work, ribbon windows, and arches, became known as Richardsonian Romanesque. I worked for more than three years for the architecture firm he founded in Boston, now known as Shepley Bulfinch, which executed this project after his death in 1887-1888.

Copies of original H.H. Richardson design at the Southeastern Architectural Archives (SEAA), New Orleans, LA.

MATERIALS STUDY: PATRICK F. TAYLOR LIBRARY

Patrick F. Taylor Library, New Orleans, LA, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

Byzantine scrollwork carving details at entrance, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

PRESERVATION TECHNOLOGY // SPRING 2021

Ribbon windows, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

Stone carving details, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

Conditions present near Gothic dormer, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

STONE BUILDING STUDY

STONE BUILDING STUDY Name: Patrick F. Taylor Library (formerly Howard Memorial Library) Address: BUILDING Ogden Museum of Southern Art, 925 Camp Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 STONE STUDY Architect: H.H. Richardson; Patrick F. Taylor Libraryexecuted by Shepley Rutan and Coolidge Builder: Norcross Brothers Patrick Library Year built:F. Taylor 1887-1888

Formerly Howard Memorial Library Style:at Ogden Museum Richardsonian Romanesque Located Southern Art Formerly Howard Memorialof Library Stone: Brownstone (sandstone) from Kibbe Quarry in Massachusetts 925 Camp Street of Southern Art Ogden Museum Roof: Akron red tiles (terra cotta) New LA 925 Orleans, Camp Street Cost: $100,000 New Orleans, LA 70130

Wood plates plates Wood Wood plates

PATRICK F. TAYLOR LIBRARY PATRICK F. TAYLOR PATRICK F. TAYLOR LIBRARY LIBRARY

PATRICK F. TAYLOR PATRICK F. TAYLOR LIBRARY LIBRARY

RoofRoof Roof

Gutter system Gutter system Gutter system

Vented air cavity Vented air cavity Vented air cavity

Wood paneling PATRICK F. TAYLOR LIBRARY

ODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

MATERIALS STUDY: PATRICK F. TAYLOR LIBRARY

PATRICK F. TAYLOR PATRICK F. TAYLOR LIBRARY LIBRARY

Insulation

Brick Brick

Brown stone veneer; Brownstone stone tooth chiseled; Brownstone veneer; stone random ashlar veneer; toothstone chiseled; toothrandom chiseled; ashlar random ashlar

F. TAYLOR PATRICKPATRICK F. TAYLOR LIBRARYLIBRARY

Brick

Basement window Basement Basement window window FRONT ELEVATION Vegetation Vegetation Vegetation

Water damage

Water damage Soiling

The presence of vegetation, primarily in the form of plant growth, is indicative of structural such as open mortar joints. These The presence of issues vegetation, primarily in the form joints need to be repointed to see these spaces off from water

There is evidence of water damage in areas where the gutter and drainpipe are weaker. There may a leakdamage that is causing water towhere the of There is evidence ofbe water in areas cover and damage the stone, rather than properly draining away plant growth, is indicative of structural issues such as gutter and drainpipe are weaker. There may be a leak from the building. These leaky areas should be sealed to prevent Architect: H.H. Richardson; executed by Shepley Rutan and Coolidge open mortar joints. These joints need to be repointed to that is causing water to cover and damage the stone, building, and threaten its structural integrity when left unaddressed. further damage to the exterior.

Builder: Norcross Brothers see these spaces off from water infiltration. Roots from rather than properly draining away from the building. Year built: can exacerbate 1887-1888 vegetation cracking in a building, and These leaky areas should be sealed to prevent further Style: Richardsonian Romanesque threaten its structural integrity when left unaddressed. damage to the exterior. Architect: H.H. Richardson; executed by Shepley Rutan and Coolidge Stone: Brown stone from Kibbe Quarry in Massachusetts Builder: Norcross Brothers Roof: Akron red tiles Year built: 1887-1888 Cost: $100,000 Style: Richardsonian Romanesque Stone: Brownstone (sandstone) Kibbe Quarry in Massachusetts PRESERVATION TECHNOLOGY // SPRINGfrom 2021 Roof: Akron red tiles (terra cotta) Cost: $100,000

Soiling

Soiling + Biogrowth

Soiling and biogrowth is present on many exterior stones, particularlySoiling closer to and the ground, as well as the entryway biogrowth is on present on many exterior staircase. This black-colored build-up can contain algae, fungi, stones, particularly closer to the ground, as well and lichens. The exterior stone should be cleaned to prevent as on the entryway staircase. This black-colored soiling from further breaking down the brownstone.

Brown stone veneer; Brownstone Brownstone coursed ashlar veneer; veneer; coursed ashlar coursed ashlar

Granite base Granite foundation Granite basebase foundation foundation Built upon 350 pilings driven to Built uponupon 350 350 Built depth of 55 feet pilings driven to to pilings driven depth of 55offeet depth 55 feet

build-up can contain algae, fungi, and lichens. The exterior stone should be cleaned to prevent soiling from further breaking down the brownstone.

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VER

Latrobe Building: Mapping a Neighborhood’s Evolution As part of our studio’s exploration into the old Latrobe Bank building in the French Quarter, which was designed by noted British-American architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe and completed in 1820, I worked with a small group (Samantha Smith and Hannah Hughes) to document the context of the surrounding neighborhood through time. Using historic Sanborn Fire Insurance maps, we categorized the buildings in a two-block radius and analyzed the driving forces behind the major patterns of change.

1940 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Key, Volume 1a, Library of Congress.

LATROBE BUILDING: MAPPING A NEIGHBORHOOD’S EVOLUTION

MAPPING HISTORICAL CONTEXT

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

Using historic Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps from 1885, 1908, and 1951, we categorized all of the buildings in the two-block vicinity around the Latrobe Building (red) to find evidence of patterns through time.

French Quarter (Vieux Carré) Latrobe Building Store Residential Hospitality Industrial Service Government Bank Vacant Mixed-use Parking

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

BUILDING PRESERVATION STUDIO // FALL 2020

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

LATROBE BUILDING: MAPPING A NEIGHBORHOOD’S EVOLUTION

STORES

RESIDENTIAL

Stores are commercial spaces that are tailored to people purchasing items, such as general stores, drug stores/pharmacies, candy stores, a wig shop, wholesale stores, and other establishments.

Residential refers to any dwellings, apartments, and any other buildings related to longer-term housing (i.e., not hotels or rooming houses).

Decatur

HOSPITALITY

INDUSTRIAL

Hospitality includes hotels, rooming houses, restaurants, theatres, bars, saloons, clubs, and any other establishment geared towards entertaining and tourism.

Industrial buildings encompass factories, breweries, warehouses, storage, and any other industry-related facility.

1951

1885

Iberville

Decatur

1951

Iberville

Burgundy

1908

St. Peter

Decatur

Burgundy

St. Peter

1908

St. Peter

Decatur

St. Peter

1885

St. Peter

Decatur

Burgundy

Iberville

Burgundy

St. Peter

Iberville

Burgundy

Decatur

1908

Iberville

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

Iberville

1885

St. Peter

Decatur

1951

Burgundy

St. Peter

Decatur

1908

Burgundy

St. Peter

Decatur

1885

St. Peter

Decatur

Burgundy

Iberville

Burgundy

St. Peter

Iberville

Burgundy

Decatur

1951

Mixed-use properties have a striped hatch over the different use colors.

BUILDING PRESERVATION STUDIO // FALL 2020

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

LATROBE BUILDING: MAPPING A NEIGHBORHOOD’S EVOLUTION

SERVICES

GOVERNMENT

Service-oriented buildings include furniture repair, upholstery, laundromats, photography studio, carpentry and other specialized trades, printing, and others.

Includes buildings like courthouses, fire stations, police stations, and any other government-operated places.

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

Additional banks in the vicinity, other than the Latrobe building (bright red), are marked in burgundy.

Decatur

Iberville

1885

Decatur

1908

VACANT

PARKING

Vacant buildings or empty lots are depicted with gray.

Parking garages and lots begin to appear with the rise of the automobile in the early to mid-20th century. Many formerly vacant buildings were paved and turned into parking, while other buildings were demolished to make more room for cars.

1885

Latrobe Building

Service

Store

Government

Residential

Bank

Hospitality

Vacant

Industrial

Mixed-use

Burgundy

Decatur

1908

Iberville

Decatur

1951

St. Peter

Decatur

Burgundy

St. Peter

BUILDING PRESERVATION STUDIO // FALL 2020

1908

St. Peter

Decatur

St. Peter

1885

Burgundy

St. Peter

Decatur

Iberville

Burgundy

St. Peter

Iberville

Burgundy

St. Peter

Decatur

1951

Burgundy

St. Peter

Decatur

1908

Burgundy

St. Peter

Decatur

1885

Burgundy

St. Peter

Decatur

Iberville

Burgundy

St. Peter

Iberville

Burgundy

Decatur

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

1951

LATROBE BUILDING: MAPPING A NEIGHBORHOOD’S EVOLUTION

PATTERNS OF CHANGE

Latrobe Building

Service

Store

Government

The 2020 Building Survey was created by walking on-site and making notes of what could be seen from the street. What became evident is the concentration of building uses that formed noticeable bands, which differed from previous maps, which exhibit more of a variety of building uses on any given street. The survey demonstrated that Chartres and Royal Streets are primarily comprised of stores. Bourbon Street is almost entirely geared towards hospitality and tourism, whereas Dauphine, Burgundy, and in-between streets show evidence of residential populations. The former ecosystem of factory production, as well as the many small businesses which served residents and tourists alike, have all but vanished from the area. The hospitality industry has taken over the French Quarter at the expense of smaller shops and increased vacancies.

Residential

Bank

Hospitality

Vacant

Industrial

Mixed-use

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

1908

Iberville

Decatur

1951

Burgundy

St. Peter

Decatur

St. Peter

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

BUILDING PRESERVATION STUDIO // FALL 2020

Burgundy

St. Peter

1885

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

St. Peter

Decatur

Iberville

Burgundy

Iberville

Burgundy

Iberville

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

Parking

Decatur

2020

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

Preserving Lower Esplanade Avenue For this project, I worked with a small group to conduct an overview of existing conditions and a residential density analysis with Emma Mooney and Mia Kaplan, and independently to comprehensively study one block of Esplanade Avenue on the Vieux Carré (French Quarter) historic district side, between Bourbon and Dauphine Streets. Although this affluent area has largely done an excellent job prioritizing preservation of its historic architectural fabric, there were many lessons to be learned about building uses, housing density through time, character-defining features of New Orleans architecture, as well as building conditions present.

Left: Pictured in 1939, Historic New Orleans Collection Vieux Carré Digital Survey; Right: Pictured in 2021, Laurel M. Fay.

PRESERVING LOWER ESPLANADE AVENUE: OVERVIEW OF CURRENT CONDITIONS

HISTORIC DISTRICT BOUNDARIES Vieux Carré Commission (VCC) The VCC protects, preserves, and maintains the distinct architectural, historic character, and zoning integrity of the Vieux Carré (French Quarter). The VCC regulates all repairs, alterations, and construction that affects any building element exposed to outside air (whether visible from the street or not) of any building on private property in the French Quarter. They also charge owners with violations of the City’s regulations to seek the correction of such infractions. Although the VCC’s regulations are stricter, they are all in the service of maintaining the “tout ensemble” of the Vieux Carré for generations to come.

MARIGNY (HDLC)

Source: nola.gov/vcc

Historic District Landmarks Commission (HDLC)

VIEUX CARRÉ (VCC)

The HDLC was established in 1976 and serves as the city of New Orleans’ regulatory agency for local historic districts outside of the Vieux Carré. It oversees the New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission and the Central Business District District Landmarks Commission. Their focus is on preserving and enhancing the quality of neighborhoods, especially with regard to cultural, social, economic, political, and architectural history. The Marigny falls into the HDLC’s jurisdiction, so homeowners are obligated to adhere to their regulations, but they do have more freedom than those in the Vieux Carré. For example, the VCC can restrict exterior paint colors, while the HDLC cannot. Source: nola.gov/hdlc

Study area

URBAN CONSERVATION STUDIO // SPRING 2021

Source: Google Earth Pro

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

PRESERVING LOWER ESPLANADE AVENUE: RESIDENTIAL DENSITY ANALYSIS

HISTORIC VS. MODERN HOUSING DISTRIBUTION 1885 - 2021 Housing Distribution in 2021:

DECATUR ST.

CHARTRES ST.

ROYAL ST.

BOURBON ST.

DAUPHINE ST.

BURGUNDY ST.

N. RAMPART ST.

HENRIETTE DELLILE ST.

ESPLANADE AVE

1885

Double 3-4 5+

Single

17%

3-4**

19%

26%

Double Multi-unit*

2021

<1%

Number of units

Number of units Single

1950

43% 82%

31%

50%

17% 14%

5+**

*Historical census and property records showed multi-unit buildings, but did not specify the number of units if it was more than double. **Modern records and resources yield more detailed information on number of units in buildings.

URBAN CONSERVATION STUDIO // SPRING 2021

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

PRESERVING LOWER ESPLANADE AVENUE: ANATOMY OF A REPRESENTATIVE BLOCK

CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURES 806-838 Esplanade Avenue

806 Esplanade Ave

810 Esplanade Ave

812 Esplanade Ave

820 Esplanade Ave

Bracketed eaves

Octagonal pane side lights

Ornamental soffit

Small attic casement windows

Raised parapet with dentils and ovular windows

Ionic columns

Façade banding

Italianate hood molds

Recessed brick panels

832 Esplanade Ave

838 Esplanade Ave

Vergeboards

Pedimented door with cartouche

Arched stained glass windows

Eastlake carving details

Corner turret

Split fan light window

Balustrade

Dentils

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

URBAN CONSERVATION STUDIO // SPRING 2021

Detailed carvings over doorframe

824-830 Esplanade Ave

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

806 ESPLANADE AVENUE

PRODUCED BY AN A

PRESERVING LOWER ESPLANADE AVENUE: ANATOMY OF A REPRESENTATIVE BLOCK

This single-family home was built in 1916 in the Classical Revival/Edwardian style. It is a raised center-hall frame cottage with gallery is a 1980 façade donation. Source: Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC) Vieux Carré Digital Survey.

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

Pictured in 1916, under construction. Source: HNOC Vieux Carré Digital Survey.

Pictured in 1964. Source: HNOC Vieux Carré Digital Survey.

Pictured in 2021, Laurel M. Fay.

Overall condition: Excellent

Existing conditions

Vegetation

Iron gate is worn and has gaps

Biogrowth and cracking

This project included documentation and conditions assessments for each building on this block.

URBAN CONSERVATION STUDIO // SPRING 2021

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

Combatting Disinvestment: A Study of Under-Utilization and Blight in Esplanade Ridge For this project, I teamed up with a partner to create a comprehensive landuse study in a portion of the Esplanade Ridge historic district of New Orleans to identify blighted buildings and under-utilized, vacant lots. Our research process led us to create a survey of our study area, identifying areas with potential for revitalization. We then identified types of ownership, zoning, and future uses and sought out existing architectural project precedents that align with the Historic District Landmark Commission’s design guidelines. This project combines historic preservation practices with appropriate, complementary new construction strategies.

Vacant lot in Esplanade Ridge study area, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

COMBATTING DISINVESTMENT: A STUDY OF UNDER-UTILIZATION AND BLIGHT IN ESPLANADE RIDGE

TWO DISTINCT TRAUMAS TO NEIGHBORHOOD Claiborne Overpass: Paving a Path of Destruction When the highway was put through Claiborne Avenue, it severed this area from the Vieux Carré, demolished irreplaceable, hundred-year-old oak trees, and leveled an entire segment of a vibrant community. Previously, Claiborne was a pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare, lined with Black-owned businesses, many of which were shuttered as a result of the construction of the overpass. The effects and ramifications of this event are still felt today.

Same view ten years later, May 2015.

Robert Fontaine walks past a burning house fire in the 7th Ward in the aftermath of Katrina, September 2005.

Devastation of Hurricane Katrina

Oak-lined Claiborne Ave, September 1967.

Present-day overpass.

After the devastating impacts and tragic losses caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the City of New Orleans is still in a recovery process to address the damage and loss that was incurred. Although the city has made herculean strides in disaster recovery since the hurricane, there are lasting effects that are seen in much of the neighborhood’s historic architectural fabric.

Sources, left to right: Antigravity Magazine and Louisiana Weekly, USA Today; Mario Tama, Getty Images.

URBAN CONSERVATION STUDIO // SPRING 2021

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

COMBATTING DISINVESTMENT: A STUDY OF UNDER-UTILIZATION AND BLIGHT Barracks St IN ESPLANADE RIDGE

MAPPING DISINVESTMENT Assessment of Vacant Lots and Blight

Governor Nicholls St

Ursulines Ave

We started with a walking survey of our study area, identifying properties and lots that might fit within our criteria for Vacant and Blighted Buildings. To be considered a Vacant property, it had to be an empty, underutilized lot, not used for parking. Blighted Buildings had serious, outwardly obvious structural and aesthetic issues, were open to the elements, and were not currently inhabited. Using information from the Tax Assessor’s website, we pulled relevant data into a database. N

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t iS nt To t S e

n To

c Ro e

ge or

c Ro

D St

ge or

oa Br

Laharpe St

N Laharpe St

BY THE NUMBERS Columbus St

Desoto St

Bell St

Barracks St

Bayou Rd

Desoto St

Bell St

Ave EsplanadeEsplanade Ave

Barracks St

Governor Nicholls St Governor Nicholls St

Ursulines Ave

URBAN CONSERVATION STUDIO // SPRING 2021

CLAIBORNE HIGHWAY OVERPASS

Bayou Rd

Number of vacant lots:

Columbus St

Number of blighted buildings:

Total under-utilized square footage:

198,537

Vacant lots: 165,546 sf Blighted buildings: 28,869 sf

Vacant lot Blighted building

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

COMBATTING DISINVESTMENT: A STUDY OF UNDER-UTILIZATION AND BLIGHT IN ESPLANADE RIDGE

RISK MAPPING Levels of Damage Minor (3)

la C

er D

e Av

y gn

n or

t zS

ie Pr

m Ro

n so

al G

iro M

t iS

nt To

hn Jo

is no

ge or D

e ch Ro

Laharpe St

Properties in moderate need of addressing are more urgent than properties in the Minor category but are less of a priority than the properties in the Major category. These properties need to be addressed both aesthetically and structurally; there is some threat of weather damage and pest infestation.

d oa Br

Moderate (3)

Properties are in slight disrepair from neglect but are not in urgent need of attention. These properties appear to be uninhabited and are in need of mostly aesthetic changes. Necessary changes are not structural in nature, and they might be the quickest fixes.

Columbus St Bayou Rd

Desoto St

Bell St

Esplanade Ave

Major (1)

Properties in urgent need of addressing; they are almost completely open to elements and are in immediate danger of being destroyed.

Barracks St

Governor Nicholls St

Destroyed (39)

Properties are no longer extant; a vacant lot remains in their place. Once a property is demolished or destroyed, it is irreversible.

URBAN CONSERVATION STUDIO // SPRING 2021

Ursulines Ave

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

COMBATTING DISINVESTMENT: A STUDY OF UNDER-UTILIZATION AND BLIGHT IN ESPLANADE RIDGE

RISK MAPPING Levels of Damage Minor: 1422 N. Prieur Street

Moderate: 2307 Columbus Street

Major: 1206 N. Broad Street

Destroyed: 1610-1618 Laharpe Street

This project included analysis of each blighted building and vacant lot in this study area.

URBAN CONSERVATION STUDIO // SPRING 2021

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

COMBATTING DISINVESTMENT: A STUDY OF UNDER-UTILIZATION AND BLIGHT IN ESPLANADE RIDGE

OPPORTUNITIES Zoning and Future Uses of Vacant Lots HU-MU

HU-B1

Historic Urban Neighborhood Mixed-Use District

Historic Urban Neighborhood Business District

Mixed-use areas compatible with adjacent or nearby land uses and pedestrian-oriented in character. Active retail and personal service uses along the ground floor with residential uses above are encouraged. Residential dwellings are also allowed.

Historic Urban Two-Family Residential District

These are commercial areas that predominantly serve the needs of the nearby residential neighborhoods. Character of this type of development should be sensitive to and compatible with its residential surroundings.

Two-family developments on smaller lots mixed with detached single-family dwellings. Limited compatible non-residential uses such as places of worship, historic neighborhood commercial establishments, and recreational facilities may be allowed.

Total: 53,982 sf

Total: 9,176 sf

Future Land Use: MUM (Mixed-Use Medium Density)

Total: 102,388 sf

Future Land Use: MUL (Mixed-Use Low Density)

Future Land Use: RLD-PRE (Residential Low Density Pre-War) N

C ne

e Av

ie Pr

m Ro

t zS

iro

n To

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ge or

c Ro

N Laharpe St

HU-RD2

Zoning Type by Percent of Square Footage:

Columbus St

Bayou Rd

33%

Desoto St

Bell St

Esplanade Ave

62%

Barracks St

Governor Nicholls St

Ursulines Ave

URBAN CONSERVATION STUDIO // SPRING 2021

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

COMBATTING DISINVESTMENT: A STUDY OF UNDER-UTILIZATION AND BLIGHT IN ESPLANADE RIDGE

REVITALIZING VACANT LOTS Complementing Neighboring Historic Fabric These examples aren’t meant to “masquerade” as older buildings, but their designs emulate historic details and mix well within their historic neighborhood fabric. These new construction projects still have fenestration patterns that mirror historic properties, as described in the HDLC guidelines. New contributions to the urban architectural sphere represent the mark our generations are leaving on the existing historic fabric, and new construction buildings can integrate beautifully in a historic context.

The Enchanted Yam, located in the 7th Ward, is a volunteer-run community garden with a goal to build healthy soil, combat flooding, grow food, and collect food waste. Source: @EnchantedYam on Instagram.

New construction double gallery side-hall townhouse designed by Adamick Architecture in the Greek Revival style. Source: Adamick Architecture.

A 1908 shotgun in Uptown was renovated with a modern addition, designed by Marty McElveen. Source: My New Orleans.

URBAN CONSERVATION STUDIO // SPRING 2021

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

COMBATTING DISINVESTMENT: A STUDY OF UNDER-UTILIZATION AND BLIGHT IN ESPLANADE RIDGE

REHABILITATING BLIGHTED BUILDINGS Before-and-After Precedents

There is a huge opportunity here to add value to the neighborhood in the form of new amenities and contemporary architecture. All that is needed is the initial investment. By giving these properties a meaningful purpose again, we can help sew together the fragments that still exist within the Esplanade Ridge community, and help it further heal.

Rehabilitation of 429-431 S. Dupre St. by RedMellon Restoration & Development.

Rehabilitation of 2822 St. Philip St. by the Preservation Resource Center.

Source: RedMellon.

Source: Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans.

URBAN CONSERVATION STUDIO // SPRING 2021

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

Estimating Elevation Costs for Mandeville, LA’s Flood-Prone Homes For this project, I conducted a representative study of an area within Old Mandeville, Louisiana, a historic neighborhood on the northern edge of Lake Pontchartrain that has seen 14 major floods in the last 15 years. Individually, I researched extensively and consulted industry experts to estimate the costs of elevation for commercial buildings and residences on different foundation types in order to protect and preserve Mandeville’s historic structures for future generations. I teamed up with a partner at the end of this project to translate the data I collected into an ArcGIS web application that is accessible to and can be utilized by local stakeholders and residents.

Biker trekking through flooded street after Hurricane Barry, 2019, Jonathan Bachman/Reuters and ABC News.

ESTIMATING ELEVATION COSTS FOR MANDEVILLE, LA’S FLOOD-PRONE HOMES

OLD MANDEVILLE, LOUISIANA Marigny Ave.

Girod St.

Lafitte St.

Mandeville, LA

Carroll St.

Representative Survey Area

Madison St.

New Orleans, LA

Jefferson St.

Claiborne St.

Lakeshore Dr.

Old Mandeville

Source: Google Earth Pro.

Survey Area

URBAN CONSERVATION STUDIO // SPRING 2021

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

ESTIMATING ELEVATION COSTS FOR MANDEVILLE, LA’S FLOOD-PRONE HOMES

BUILDING USES Select Non-Residential Styles

Select Residential Styles Madison St

Marigny Ave

Girod St

217 Carroll Street - Mandeville Bible Church

Carroll St

Jefferson St

2018 Jefferson Street - Craftsman Cottage

Claiborne St

Lakeshore Dr

201 Carroll Street - The Candy Bank

Residential

Bar/Restaurant

Commercial

Religious/Educational

Government/Civic

National Register-eligible Commercial District

Bar/Restaurant Hospitality/Tourism Hospitality/Tourism

2021 Claiborne Street - Varsity Sports URBAN CONSERVATION STUDIO // SPRING 2021

All images: Laurel M. Fay, 2021. Commercial

Residential

321 Girod Street - Cape Cod Cottage

211 Girod Street - Eastlake Three-bay Shotgun LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

ESTIMATING ELEVATION COSTS FOR MANDEVILLE, LA’S FLOOD-PRONE HOMES

RESEARCH PROCESS FEMA and LSU Flood Maps I utilized the LSU flood map to ascertain the base flood elevation (BFE), then added two feet, per Mandeville’s elevation requirements. Next, I logged the ground elevations for each property in my study area. I ultimately found 90 properties in these nine blocks that were not elevated. Depending on a property’s location in either a VE or AE flood zone, I then estimated and recorded the height the nonelevated structures were off of the ground. If located in a VE flood zone, the height of the structures off the ground is measured to the bottom of the lowest horizontal member; if located in an AE flood zone, the height is measured to the top of the finished floor. My partner and I geo-located the 90 property addresses to be inputted into GIS. Having the BFE+2, ground elevation, and height of the structure off the ground enabled me to estimate the height of elevation needed. My formula was the following: (BFE + 2) - Ground Elevation - Current Elevation off of Ground = Elevation Height Needed

Source: FEMA and ESRI.

URBAN CONSERVATION STUDIO // SPRING 2021

Source: LSU Ag Center.

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

ESTIMATING ELEVATION COSTS FOR MANDEVILLE, LA’S FLOOD-PRONE HOMES

RESEARCH PROCESS Estimating Cost of Elevation Next, I updated the available 2012 cost estimation figures for residential elevation by foundation type to reflect current 2021 pricing. One-story building elevation costs increased by 10%, while two-story building elevation costs increased by 15%. Commercial structures required an additional $15 per square foot for wood-frame buildings, and $30 per square foot for masonry buildings. Depending on the elevation height needed, which I rounded up to the next whole foot to be safe, I multiplied the correct price per square foot by the square footage of the building. This simple calculation gave me the general estimates of the cost of elevation for the properties in my study area. In future studies and analysis, one could take this process one step further and conduct a cost-benefit analysis, but this was out of the range of my scope. Costs may be offset by federal funding through FEMA, grants, and other sources.

2021 - ONE-STORY RESIDENTIAL ELEVATION COST PER SQUARE FOOT 10% increase from 2012 Elevation Height (feet)

Open Foundation

(Pilings or Posts/Columns)

2021 - TWO-STORY RESIDENTIAL ELEVATION COST PER SQUARE FOOT 15% increase from 2012

Slab Separation

Slab on Grade

Elevation Height (feet)

Open Foundation

(Pilings or Posts/Columns)

Slab Separation

Slab on Grade

$55.00

$66.00

$77.00

$57.50

$69.00

$80.50

$56.10

$67.10

$78.10

$58.65

$70.15

$81.65

$57.10

$68.20

$79.20

$59.80

$71.30

$82.80

$58.30

$69.30

$80.30

$60.95

$72.45

$83.95

$59.40

$70.40

$81.40

$62.10

$73.60

$85.10

$60.50

$71.50

$82.50

$63.25

$74.75

$86.25

$61.60

$72.60

$83.60

$64.40

$75.90

$87.40

$63.80

$74.80

$85.80

$66.70

$78.20

$89.70

$64.90

$75.90

$86.90

$67.85

$79.35

$90.85

$67.10

$78.10

$89.10

$70.15

$81.65

$93.15

$68.20

$79.20

$90.20

$71.30

$82.80

$94.30

$69.30

$80.30

$91.30

$72.45

$83.95

$95.45

$71.50

$82.50

$93.50

$74.75

$86.25

$97.75

$72.60

$83.60

$94.60

$75.90

$87.40

$98.90

These figures are approximate cost estimations and should be used for research purposes only. True elevation cost is dependent on a number of factors, including foundation design variations, proposed elevation, at least a 10% contingency, and costs of labor from design professionals and contractors.

URBAN CONSERVATION STUDIO // SPRING 2021

Source: Roderick Scott, CFM.

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

ESTIMATING ELEVATION COSTS FOR MANDEVILLE, LA’S FLOOD-PRONE HOMES

DATA VISUALIZATION Using GIS to Map and Create a Web Application for Estimating Building Elevation Cost https://corr.maps.arcgis.com/home/item. html?id=0e3d181eb838463abde746bc43a310ac

How to Navigate the Web Application: Open the link above and select the blue button labeled “View Application” to open the Web Application. The application will load a dark base map with three selectable layers in the bottom right corner, one layer will be turned on by default, the “Unelevated Structures” layer. Click the check boxes next to any of these layers to turn them on and off. As you toggle between the layers, the legends will change intuitively in the bottom left corner of the application. To view the chart, select “Estimated Cost to Elevate (Chart Results), click “Apply” and wait a moment for the chart to generate results. The chart will populate, and you can drag the small gray arrows left and right to adjust what data is visible. You can also make the chart full screen by clicking the full screen button in the right-hand corner of the chart box. Select the minimize button to minimize it again. Hover over the bars to see the information they offer. At the top left of the Web Application, there are more helpful features. Use the magnifying glass icon to search addresses to see what their estimated cost to elevate is, and how many feet is required. The filter tool (funnel icon) includes four filters that can be turned on and off to view different points. The measure tool (ruler icon) allows you to measure a distance on the screen. Finally, clicking the printer icon allows you to print a pdf of the map for future reference.

URBAN CONSERVATION STUDIO // SPRING 2021

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

Becoming the Crypt Keeper: Surveying Tombs in St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 The first of my award-winning practicum projects in Summer and Fall 2021 was a digital mapping project with New Orleans Catholic Cemeteries in St. Louis Cemetery No. 3, one of the city’s largest cemeteries, spanning the equivalent of about six city blocks. This project was accomplished using an ArcGIS application called Survey 123, culminating in a comprehensive digital survey that will be used by New Orleans Catholic Cemeteries, as well as the greater public.

St. Louis Cemetery No. 3, New Orleans, LA, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

PRESERVATION PRACTICUM

UTILIZING ARCGIS SURVEY123 IN ST. LOUIS CEMETERY NO. 3 Client: New Orleans Catholic Cemeteries As a Digital Cartographer, I, along with my mentor, Heather Veneziano, designed and tailored the St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 digital survey to capture all of the unique information that these above-ground tombs yield in this historic cemetery. Throughout the duration of this year-long project, I documented 3,446 tombs in the cemetery, which spans about six city blocks. As a final deliverable, I created a guide for digitally mapping cemeteries in New Orleans with all of the best practices and lessons I have learned for future surveyors, preservationists, students, and volunteers to use as a resource. Conditions were not a part of the scope of this phase of the project, but will be captured in a future phase remotely using the photography and digital information I collected. Our survey captured the following information: · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Date Geolocation Square # Section # Lot # Facing (street) Primary photograph Additional photographs Tomb size (single, double, oversize) What is present on the lot (i.e., family tomb, coping style family plot, monument, society tomb, religious order tomb, etc.) Language(s) Designer/Builder/Stone carver Perpetual care Military marker Branch or battle Enclosure Notes

View of beginning of St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 survey in Survey123 app on smartphone.

Completed survey, as of May 2022.

Practicum report and New Orleans Digital Cemetery Mapping Guide available upon request. PRESERVATION PRACTICUM // SUMMER + FALL 2021

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

PRESERVATION PRACTICUM

24-vault mausoleum, St. Louis Cemetery No. 3, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

View down St. Pierre Avenue in St. Louis Cemetery No. 3, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

Map of St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 that I used in the field. Source: New Orleans Catholic Cemeteries.

PRESERVATION PRACTICUM // SUMMER + FALL 2021

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

To Landmark or Not to Landmark: The Quest to Revitalize Central City, New Orleans My second award-winning practicum project was with Felicity Redevelopment, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in New Orleans, in order to learn more about preservation strategies for communities who are being disproportionately impacted by poverty, disinvestment, blight, and gentrification. Central City, a historic yet often underappreciated neighborhood that has seen some hard times in recent decades, is a perfect case study. Central City is the birthplace of New Orleans’ Civil Rights movement, and has always been a diverse, workingclass neighborhood brimming with vernacular architecture, especially in the form of double-shotgun houses.

O.C. Haley Boulevard in Central City, JPMorgan Chase, 2014.

PRESERVATION PRACTICUM

LANDMARKING AS A NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION TOOL Client: Felicity Redevelopment, Inc.

Double-shotgun houses in Central City, photographed by Lee Celano, NYTimes.

Central City neighborhood boundary within the City of New Orleans, Google Maps.

As the Head of Research, Neighborhood Preservation, my work with this organization primarily consisted of property research. I compiled comprehensive landmarking reports for properties, which included archival research, chains of title, historical maps, surveys, as well as narrative information about the building, its context, and significance. I spent much of my time at the city’s Notarial Archives, gaining a firm understanding of their archives and processes. I was also able to dive deeper into historical newspaper databases, as well as genealogy websites, in my search for the owners and living relatives of the properties I was researching. Practicum report available upon request.

PRESERVATION PRACTICUM // SUMMER + FALL 2021

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

PRESERVATION PRACTICUM

LANDMARKING PROCESS: COMPILING A PROPERTY REPORT Archival Research: 2435-37 First Street

1883 Robinson Atlas Publisher: E. Robinson (New York) Publication Name: Robinson’s Atlas of the City of New Orleans, Louisiana Plate: 13 Source: Orleans Parish Clerk of Civil District Court

PRESERVATION PRACTICUM // SUMMER + FALL 2021

1893 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Publisher: Sanborn-Perris Map Co. Publication Name: Insurance Maps of New Orleans, Louisiana, Vol. 4 Sheet Number: 112 Source: Library of Congress

Historical Survey (property noted here as “Lot 3.”) Author: A. Orr, C.E., D.C.S. Date: December 6, 1937 Location: Annexed to James A. Mounger, N.P., July 17, 2017 NA #: 2017-27223 Source: City of New Orleans Notarial Archives

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

PRESERVATION PRACTICUM

LANDMARKING PROCESS: COMPILING A PROPERTY REPORT Recent Imagery and Research: 2435-37 First Street I successfully landmarked this historic double-shotgun property in the summer of 2021, and it will now be protected for future generations. In total, I researched 19 properties, completed property reports for 17 of these that were submitted to the HDLC to be reviewed, and so far, six of these have been successfully landmarked, with more currently pending approval. Two of these reports were on historic African American churches: Mt. Ararat Missionary Baptist Church and Second Mount Everest Baptist Church. The other 15 reports were historic double-shotgun houses, dating to the late 19th century that are excellent historic examples of vernacular working-class housing in the American South.

Street View: August 2007 Source: Google Earth Pro

PRESERVATION PRACTICUM // SUMMER + FALL 2021

Street View: December 2013 Source: Google Earth Pro

Street View: August 2019 Source: Google Earth Pro

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

PRESERVATION PRACTICUM

REVITALIZING CENTRAL CITY, NEW ORLEANS Establishing a Historic/Conservation District Around Concentrated Landmarks Potential Historic/Conservation District Successfully Landmarked Pending Landmarking

Felicity Redevelopment’s Current Target Preservation Area

PRESERVATION PRACTICUM // SUMMER + FALL 2021

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

Transformative Preservation: Reclaiming Spatial Legacies of African American Education for Community Futures This research project was led by Tulane School of Architecture professors Laura Ewen Blokker, MPS, and Andrew M. Liles, AIA, and was made possible with the support of the 2020 Richard L. Blinder Award from the James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation. The project focused on finding former African American mid-century high schools in Louisiana that were closed after desegregation in 1970 and, if extant, gauging their potential for adaptive reuse.

Second Ward High School, Edgard, LA, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

TRANSFORMATIVE PRESERVATION: RECLAIMING SPATIAL LEGACIES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN EDUCATION FOR COMMUNITY FUTURES

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY By Laura Ewen Blokker, edited by Laurel M. Fay The Transformative Preservation project examines the potential to preserve and revitalize mid-twentieth-century African American schools in Louisiana. Across the state of Louisiana – as in other Southern states – sit many longvacant school plants that tell the story of African American education up until statewide desegregation in 1970. These once-thriving educational facilities are embodied energy waiting for a twenty-first century life. Inspired by the growing efforts of alumni of historic Black high schools across the South to preserve their alma maters for new community uses, this project combines historic preservation and architectural research, documentation, analysis, and collaborative design to provide a guide for rehabilitation projects for schools of this typology. Phase 1 entailed identification, research, and documentation of standing mid-century schools built for Black students across the state of Louisiana. The contents of the final booklet include names, locations, brief histories, historic topographical maps, satellite views, recent street views and images, as well as historic images whenever available.

OVERVIEW OF PROCESS The project team of three Graduate Research Fellows (myself, Kaylan Mitchell, and Mary Helen Porter) each focused on a region in Louisiana: Northern, Southwestern, and Southeastern, the latter of which was my area of focus. Utilizing Google Earth Pro, archival research, USGS topographical maps, newspapers, historic photography, and current sources, we recorded our findings in a master spreadsheet. When that phase of research was complete, we compiled our research into an InDesign template that I designed. I joined our pages into a master document, and edited our research into its final form: a comprehensive booklet for community members, stakeholders, potential investors, and developers. The booklet was organized to have sections for vacant or semi-vacant schools, extant schools by region, and lost schools. As a member of the team, I set project milestones, managed internal project processes, and created our comprehensive final booklet. Through attending community meetings and site visits, I engaged with local alumni and stakeholders, and photographed extant vacant schools extensively. This project was a catalyst for the ongoing, renewed revitalization effort of John S. Dawson High School in St. Francisville, LA (West Feliciana Parish), abandoned since integration, as well as John S. Slocum High School (formerly known as Crepe Myrtle High School) in Pineville, LA (Rapides Parish), which had been demoted into a middle school following integration but recently closed. This project has sparked and supported real-world action to reclaim and revitalize these under-utilized spaces with often painful histories for African American members of our community. Transformative Preservation booklet available upon request. Second Ward High School, Edgard, LA, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP // FALL + SPRING + SUMMER 2020-21

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

TRANSFORMATIVE PRESERVATION: RECLAIMING SPATIAL LEGACIES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN EDUCATION FOR COMMUNITY FUTURES

VACANT/SEMI-VACANT SCHOOLS

EXTANT SCHOOLS

Louisiana

Southeastern Louisiana

Vacant/Semi-Vacant Schools

Extant Schools in Use: Southeastern Louisiana

2 or more schools

3 or more schools

1 school

2 schools 1 school My focus area

Map of vacant and semi-vacant schools in the state of Louisiana, Laurel M. Fay, Kaylan Mitchell, and Mary Helen Porter, 2021.

Vacant/Semi-Vacant Schools

2 or moreRESEARCH schools GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP // FALL + SPRING + SUMMER 2020-21 1 school

172

Map of extamt schools in the Southeastern portion of Louisiana, Laurel M. Fay, 2021. Extant Schools in Use: Southeastern Louisiana

3 or more schools 2 schools

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

TRANSFORMATIVE PRESERVATION: RECLAIMING SPATIAL LEGACIES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN EDUCATION FOR COMMUNITY FUTURES

JOHN S. DAWSON HIGH SCHOOL St. Francisville, LA - West Feliciana Parish OPENED: 1951 CLOSED: 1969

OTHER NAMES OF SCHOOL: N/A

OTHER USES/CURRENT USE: Vacant SQUARE FOOTAGE: 39,000 sf

PROPERTY OWNER: West Feliciana Parish School Board

John S. Dawson High School is located about three and a half miles northwest of the town of St. Francisville, Louisiana. The school is named for John Sterling Dawson, a prolific educator who was born one decade after slavery ended. He arrived in West Feliciana Parish at the age of 19, graduated from Natchez College, and received a bachelor’s degree from Leland College in Baton Rouge. Dawson began teaching Black students in West Feliciana Parish in 1890. He retired in 1947 after more than 58 years in education, and died in 1951. After Dawson’s passing, three prominent White families gave West Feliciana Parish 13 acres to build a new, much larger school for African American students called John S. Dawson High School. This school was in operation from 1951 to 1969 and had a high school wing, an elementary wing (opened in 1962), and industrial arts, home economics, and agriculture buildings. Dawson’s two sons, John Dawson Jr. and Thomas Dawson, each served as principals when the high school was in operation. Dawson High School closed with integration in 1969 and has remained vacant ever since. Dawson High School was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 15, 2015.

Courtyard, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

Topographical map, USGS, 1965.

GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP // FALL + SPRING + SUMMER 2020-21

Aerial view of site, Google Earth Pro, 2014.

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

TRANSFORMATIVE PRESERVATION: RECLAIMING SPATIAL LEGACIES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN EDUCATION FOR COMMUNITY FUTURES

John S. Dawson High School, St. Francisville, LA (continued)

Exploring Dawson High School at a site visit with alumnae and stakeholders, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

Calvin Miller, alumnus of Dawson High School and the property’s current caretaker, stands where his desk once was in his first-grade classroom, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP // FALL + SPRING + SUMMER 2020-21

Outdoor corridor, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

TRANSFORMATIVE PRESERVATION: RECLAIMING SPATIAL LEGACIES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN EDUCATION FOR COMMUNITY FUTURES

SECOND WARD HIGH SCHOOL Edgard, LA - St. John the Baptist Parish OPENED: 1947 CLOSED: 1969

OTHER NAMES OF SCHOOL: Second Ward School OTHER USES/CURRENT USE: Vacant SQUARE FOOTAGE: 26,000 sf

PROPERTY OWNER: St. John the Baptist Parish School Board

Second Ward High School was led by Dr. Henry Yale Harris, a young African American WWII veteran who served in Africa, Europe, and the Pacific. He drew inspiration for the school’s curriculum from his experience as a student at McDonough 35 in New Orleans. Dr. Harris served as principal and teacher, and Second Ward High School was known for offering a higher educational caliber than the local school for White students. Second Ward High School closed with integration in 1969. The building is now vacant, and was recently used as a filming location for the AMC television show “Into the Badlands” in 2015. A non-profit organization is currently leasing the school to rehabilitate it.

Exterior, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

Topographical map, USGS, 1962.

GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP // FALL + SPRING + SUMMER 2020-21

Aerial view of site, Google Earth Pro, 2019.

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

TRANSFORMATIVE PRESERVATION: RECLAIMING SPATIAL LEGACIES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN EDUCATION FOR COMMUNITY FUTURES

Second Ward High School, Edgard, LA (continued)

Former classroom, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

Exterior, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP // FALL + SPRING + SUMMER 2020-21

Indoor area, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

National Register of Historic Places Nomination: Touro-Shakspeare Home The Touro-Shakspeare Home was built originally to serve as an almshouse for those in need, and later was converted into New Orleans’ only city-run nursing home. The Jacobean Revival and Neo-Classical Revival hybrid building was designed by William R. Burk in 1927 and completed in 1933. It has been abandoned since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. I presented my nomination for the National Register of Historic Places to the State of Louisiana in August 2021 and the panel voted unanimously to push my application forward to the national level. The Touro-Shakspeare Home was officially listed on the Register by the National Park Service on December 8, 2021.

Touro-Shakspeare Home, New Orleans, LA, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES NOMINATION

TOURO-SHAKSPEARE HOME 2621 General Meyer Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70114 Criteria nominated under: A (associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history) Architectural Classification: Classical Revival (Neo-Classical Revival); Tudor Revival (Jacobean Revival) Architect/Builder: William R. Burk (Architect); Caldwell Brothers and Bond Brothers (Builders) Areas of Significance: Criterion A: Health/Medicine; Social History Period of Significance: 1933-1971

The Touro-Shakspeare Home, located in Algiers, a New Orleans neighborhood on the Westbank of the Mississippi River, first opened as an almshouse for those in need, and later served as the city’s only public Home for the aged and sick for more than 70 years. It is named for its founder, Judah Touro, a local philanthropist, and former New Orleans Mayor Joseph A. Shakspeare. Designed and constructed between 1927 and 1933, the building represents elements of Neoclassical Revival and Jacobean Revival styles. It exhibits an eclectic appearance comprised of stucco and stone details, a tile roof, and colossal, classical columns. The building’s most distinctive exterior feature, a diapering brickwork pattern, adorns three elevations. Two central cloister gardens sit within the center of the square-shaped building, one on either side of a central core structure. The Touro-Shakspeare Home’s administrators witnessed society’s changing attitudes towards the elderly, sick, and impoverished during this period. They also saw the government’s changing strategies for funding their care and took the steps necessary to adapt to them. The facility underwent renovations needed to accommodate increasingly sophisticated care methods for those in need. Overall, the Home retains its character-defining features designed to facilitate communal living and provide a safe and healthy environment for those whose financial and medical circumstances were insufficient for independent living. It retains those essential features today, despite being vacant for more than 16 years. Full nomination available online. AUGUST 2020 - DECEMBER 2021

Front façade of Touro-Shakspeare Home in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans, Laurel M. Fay, 2020.

Nondenominational chapel, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

Cloister garden walkway, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

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Historic building in Old Port, Montréal, QC, Canada, Laurel M. Fay, 2019.

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STOLEN ANTIQUITIES AND PERSISTING OPPRESSION: MAKING AMENDS THROUGH REPATRIATION Historic Preservation Law Term Paper When one thinks of the world’s most precious artifacts and antiquities, no doubt world-class institutions such as the British Museum, The Metropolitan Museum, and The Louvre spring to mind as the places these priceless pieces are housed. After the birth and popularization of archaeology in the 16th century, the wealthiest countries in the world, who had made their fortunes from their colonial empires, sought to collect every valuable artifact they could get their hands on for a newfound type of political clout. Unfortunately, these explorers were governed only by greed, and did not concern themselves with treating these artifacts’ origin countries fairly. They stole and looted virtually every item of value they could claim as their own – in the same way colonists claimed North American land as soon as they set foot on it. The policies and norms these museums have retained through the centuries is one of the most enduring remnants of colonialism, and persists strongly today with regard to their treatment of antiquities and their countries of origin. Among the worst offenders are the three most famous museums in the world – The British Museum in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and the Louvre in Paris. The countries of origin who rightfully owned these stolen antiquities and have been most affected over the centuries are Egypt, Italy, Greece, Nigeria, and Cambodia, to name a few, but there are many more. When museums take part in purchasing looted antiquities either directly or indirectly, they are complicit in the continued oppression of the countries of origin. This research paper will discuss the museums who have found themselves in hot water and their most controversial pieces; countries that were targeted and how they dealt with this form of oppression; recent high-profile criminal prosecution of now-notorious antiquities dealers such as Robert Hecht, Marion True, and Giacomo Medici; existing relevant legislation; and finally, discuss repatriation efforts and the work that needs to be done to give stolen antiquities’ countries of origin the proper rights and compensation for their heritage. In additional to criminal prosecution when applicable, repatriation is a way to rectify historic wrongs and increase the equity within the antiquities and museum worlds. Full research paper available upon request. HISTORIC PRESERVATION LAW // FALL 2020

Elgin Marbles at the British Museum, stolen from the Parthenon in Greece. Source: Mirror.co.uk.

Benin Bronzes at the British Museum, looted from Nigeria in a massacre. Source: Lauren Fleishman, The New York Times.

One of two Kneeling Attendants statues at the Met, looted from Cambodia. Source: The History Blog.

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SAVING GRAND CENTRAL: HARNESSING THE CELEBRITY POWER OF JACQUELINE ONASSIS US Preservation Field Studies and Advocacy Term Paper One of New York’s most iconic and adored buildings, Grand Central Terminal, has endured more than a century of rapid, post-industrial change in America’s densest, most populous city. It is almost inconceivable to think that at one point, this magnificent Beaux Arts building was almost destroyed. Earlier generations of preservationists fought a hard-won battle to save it from the wrecking ball. The constitutionality of the New York City Landmarks Law, which protected all of New York’s landmarks, was also in jeopardy with the lawsuit put forward by Grand Central’s owners, who wanted the autonomy to do what they pleased with their property. After a shaky start with legal losses in court, the building’s future was hanging in the balance, and in 1975, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis stepped forward to champion the cause. Onassis became the public face of this battle, galvanizing the local and national community to save Grand Central from the devastating fate that another beloved New York terminal, Pennsylvania Station, met just a few years earlier in 1963. Jackie Onassis’ influence and passion for this project helped catapult historic preservation to the main stage, and set a strong precedent for how celebrities and public figures can influence and shape a debate, be a powerful advocate, and inspire their follower base into taking definitive action in the sphere of historic preservation.

Historic photo of Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, NY. Source: Grand Central Terminal.com.

Jackie O at Save Grand Central rally. Source: Harry Hamburg, New York Daily News.

The relevance of Jackie’s words in a letter to former mayor Abraham Beame, early on in the battle, echo strongly in today’s preservation sphere: “Is it not cruel to let our city die by degrees, stripped of all her proud moments, until there is nothing left of all her history and beauty to inspire our children? If they are not inspired by the past of our city, where will they find the strength to fight for her future?” The bright national spotlight on Grand Central’s lawsuit changed the field of preservation, ensuring that landmarks would be protected, and set a powerful precedent of fighting against a monopoly entrenched in greed, disrespectful change, and the stripping of integrity. This win was not just for Grand Central, but for historic landmarks and buildings everywhere that are emblems of our shared cultural heritage. Full research paper available upon request. US PRESERVATION FIELD STUDIES AND ADVOCACY // FALL 2020

Marcel Breuer’s proposed skyscraper design for Grand Central. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Bustling present-day Grand Central Terminal. Source: Architectural Digest/Grand Central Terminal.

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EXPLORING THE ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF RAPID GLOBALIZATION AND URBANIZATION ON TRADITIONAL CHINESE VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE Economics and Practice of Preservation Term Paper In recent decades, China has undoubtedly become a global economic force, shattering development records and growing beyond comprehension in a relatively short time. This growth has been strategic in nature, and has developed out of political ambition stemming from the origins of the People’s Republic of China and the Cultural Revolution. The rapid-fire systemic erasure of cultural heritage, especially with regard to the built environment, has been burning for decades, and the true scope of this loss is perhaps only just coming to light. Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution between 19661976 largely succeeded in its goal of eradicating traditional Chinese customs and culture, paving the way for the rise of a new brand of communism. One of the gravest and most noticeable losses as a result of the Cultural Revolution, rapid globalization, and urbanization has been the disappearance of traditional vernacular Chinese architecture. Chinese vernacular architecture has become increasingly rare throughout the country as it is being rapidly demolished and replaced with density-driven high-rises, which are often shoddily built with lowquality materials. This research paper will focus on the select vernacular examples of siheyuan, tulou, yaodong, and shikumen. These typologies represent distinctive building traditions and are living remnants of the past, representing cultural heritage of some of China’s 55 total state-recognized ethnic minorities, and are in great danger of being eradicated. In the frenzied climate of modernization that China has created in its ambition to become the single most dominant world power, economically and otherwise, historic preservation of the sparse remains cultural heritage that survived the Cultural Revolution is falling by the wayside, and heritage is being lost forever. Facing a goliath regime and its dogmatic agenda, making a case for historic preservation remains an uphill battle, but one worth fighting.

Full research paper available upon request. ECONOMICS AND PRACTICE OF PRESERVATION // SPRING 2021

Inside the courtyard of a siheyuan in Beijing, 1990s. Source: Asian Tradition in Architecture.

Cluster of tulou in Fujian Province, 1970. Source: Easy Tour China.

Yaodong cave houses in Lijiashan village, 2020. Source: Architecture on the Road.

Demolition of a shikumen neighborhood in Shanghai, 2019. Source: Cody Ellingham/Bloomberg.com.

LAUREL M. FAY // PORTFOLIO

Touro-Shakspeare Home, New Orleans, LA, Laurel M. Fay, 2021.

Laurel M. Fay

For more information, please email me at laurelmfay@gmail.com.