PROJECT INFORMATION

COMPLETED: 2024

PROGRAM: 8,356 SF

BUDGET: $3,600,000

CLIENT: ST. ANNA’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

LOCATION: NEW ORLEANS, LA

In 1846, Louisa Marsoudet financed the construction of a grand masonry center hall house and a detached dependency on Esplanade Avenue, hiring two Creole free men of color from the Treme neighborhood to build it. In 1883, the site received additions, including a room linking the buildings and the first indoor bathroom. Unfortunately, the structure became blighted after Hurricane Katrina.

In 2018, St. Anna’s Church purchased the house to expand their after-school programming for Treme neighborhood children. The site offers classroom spaces, a yard for playtime and gardening, and a commercial kitchen to enhance their daily meal program and start a café to teach youth business and culinary skills. The design team transformed the blighted building into a vibrant community center, honoring both the building’s history and the neighborhood’s story.

The exterior retained many original features, but a unique seven-sided brick room, partially leveled by Hurricane Ida, required complete restoration based on historic photographs. The main interior, vacant for over 15 years and vandalized, still had its large doors and interior transoms intact. Major structural work was done, including reinforcing the foundations and shoring termite-damaged wood framing.

The renovation preserved the original floor plans while introducing a new commercial kitchen into the historic kitchen space. The historic red limewash on the exterior was meticulously restored, adhering to strict guidelines for masonry conservation. Modern mechanical, electrical, plumbing, sprinkler, and data systems were sensitively integrated. The rear porch and cantilevered balcony were restored, and every window and door was either restored or replicated to match the historic examples.

Despite setbacks, including the theft and recovery of historic doors, pandemic-related supply chain issues, and Hurricane Ida damages, the project stands as a testament to historic preservation and community resilience.

The design team included Mathes Brierre Architects and Southkick Historic Preservation.
Engineers were Morphy Makofsky Inc and GVA Engineering.
Contractor was Mayer Building Company.