Architecturally unique, New Orleans has been called the greatest outdoor museum in the world. Glimpses of history can be found in the balconies, arches, and stained-glass windows of its homes, from simple Creole cottages to suburban ranch houses. Written as a house-watchers guide, New Orleans Houses enables the layperson to estimate the date of a houses construction, within ten to fifteen years, and to place it in a historical time frame by studying its architectural details. The author discusses each building style in the context of the major events, personages, and issues of the period during which the buildings were erected. Over 100 illustrations, including drawings of existing New Orleans homes as well as composite sketches, highlight the characteristics commonly associated with certain types of homes, making New Orleans Houses as much an art book as it is a reference guide. A glossary clarifies the sometimes-confusing terminology used in discussing architecture. It also defines words peculiar to New Orleans architecture such as Creole and faubourg.

Surveys the varying styles of houses found in New Orleans and how they evolved.

Hurricane Katrina ravaged much of New Orleans in 2005, but thankfully the city’s most treasured historic homes survived. Plantations & Historic Homes of New Orleans is a poignant tribute of these storied mansions, whose architectural beauty brings a unique flair to the Big Easy’s most famous neighborhoods. From the French Quarter and Garden District to Uptown, Marigny, and Bayou St. John, many of New Orleans’ grandest old homes and nearby plantations are featured in this book, showcasing the massive brick columns, intricate cast-iron balconies, wide verandas, sumptuous parlors, and humble servants quarters that give this area its charm. Open these pages and you’ll travel to Destrehan, the oldest plantation house in the Mississippi Valley, originally built of hand-hewn bald cypress timber using briquette entre’pateaux, mud (clay, river sand, and Spanish moss) between post; the homes artist Edgar Degas and author William Faulkner lived in during their New Orleans’ stays; and the 1850 House located in the Lower Pontalba building on Jackson Square. Learn about the building’s namesake, a baroness with a tumultuous family life who managed to escape murder and was also responsible for building the American embassy in Paris. With lavish photographs of exteriors and rooms of special interest, gardens and curiosities, and detailed information about New Orleans’ diverse architecture and history, this book is both a perfect guide for visitors and natives alike and an enchanting visual tour of one of the greatest cities in the United States.

A study of historic architectural styles of New Orleans homes. This presentation of nineteenth-century gouache and watercolor archival paintings from the New Orleans Notarial Archives offers a glimpse at what old, renovated, restored, and new buildings in New Orleans neighborhoods not only might look like, but how they should look. Including examples of each New Orleans house type, ranging from the French colonial plantation home to the Creole cottage, this volume offers historic plans for each house along with contemporary adaptive-use alternatives to suit modern needs. An architectural pattern book, educational tool, city planner’s handbook, and stunning visual presentation, this gorgeous resource is intended for all interested in historic preservation and architectural history as well as those wishing to build a modern home in an authentic New Orleans style. Praise for A Pattern Book of New Orleans Architecture “An enchanting waltz through the heart of the Crescent City choreographed by the doyenne of New Orleans’ preservationists. [Toledano] presents two centuries of colored renderings from the New Orleans Notarial Archives in a stunning visual portrait of the city’s built heritage, while architect Gate Pratt’s pattern book of new homes designed in authentic styles provides an indispensable resource for rebuilding efforts. This work is destined to become the quintessential bible for historians, preservationists, architects, and all those interested in the true story of the architectural traditions that have shaped the ‘real’ New Orleans.” —Russell Versaci, AIA, traditional architect and author of Creating a New Old House and Roots of Home “For architects, builders, and developers working in the Crescent City, Roulhac B. Toledano’s A Pattern Book of New Orleans Architecture reveals an extraordinary new design resource. Toledano describes in detail the evolution of the city and the building types that have given the city a character unique in the world. Modern floor plans designed by local architects for historic house types demonstrate that the traditional architectural patterns of New Orleans are as accommodating today as in the past. For local practitioners and visitors wishing to build in New Orleans, Toledano’s pattern book is essential for sensitive and thoughtful design in this most exotic and precious city.” —Paul Ostergaard, AIA, Urban Design Associates, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

From the popular buildings of the French Quarter to the lesser-known gems of River Ridge, the Crescent City is filled with exquisite historical structures that families have lovingly tended and proudly called home for centuries. In this book, the residents of New Orleans's notable homes invite readers inside.

After fifteen years of living like a vagabond on her reporter's schedule, Julia Reed got married and bought a house in the historic Garden District. Four weeks after she moved in, Hurricane Katrina struck. The House on First Street is the chronicle of Reed's remarkable and often hilarious homecoming, as well as a thoroughly original tribute to our country's most original city.