Living and Dying With Preservation

Living and Dying
with Historic Preservation

Anthony DelRosario
Studio in Building Preservation - Master in Preservation studies - Tulane School of Architecture

Living and Dying
with Historic Preservation
Anthony DelRosario
Studio in Building Preservation - Master in Preservation studies - Tulane School of Architecture

Anthony Del Rosario M.P.S. Candidate
PRST 6150
Studio in Building Preservation - Spring 2010
Master in Preservation Studies
Tulane School of Architecture
Professors: Eugene D. Cizek, Ph.D., FAIA
Heather Knight, M.P.S.
Mark W. Thomas III, L.Arch., M.P.S.
Front cover: Bohemian glass door panel, Grace Episcopal Church.

Inside front cover: Portland cement and eroded bricks, slave cabin, Magnolia Plantation.
Inside back cover: Ruins, Kate Chopin House.
Back cover: Floor cloth, Rosedown Plantation.
Living and Dying with Historic Preservation - Studio in Building Preservation - Spring 2010 iii
Table of Contents
Introduction v
Living with Historic Preservation

Spring 2010 Field Sessions 2
Maps: Field Sessions Maps 3
National Park Service Maps 5
Historical Map 7
Photographic Essay 9
House Museums 43
Large Scale Sites 49
Materials and Construction 55
Adaptive Reuse 63
New Construction in Historic Settings 67
People of Preservation 71
Future for River Road and Preservation 75
Sources 78
Dying with Historic Preservation

Cities of the Dead: Schwegmann Family Tomb 83
HABS Drawings 90
Sources 94
Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture
iv Living and Dying with Historic Preservation - Studio in Building Preservation - Spring 2010
Evergreen Plantation, Wallace Louisiana.

Living and Dying with Historic Preservation - Studio in Building Preservation - Spring 2010 v
Introduction
The world in which we live is not static; it is a constantly evolving place. For
those involved in preservation, this is one of the most important variables to consider.
How do we preserve the past in the present when there is always a future?
During the Spring 2010 semester, the Studio in Building Preservation class ex-
amined and considered a number of aspects of cultural resources in Louisiana with
a focus on the Great Mississippi River Road. From house museums to houses in dis-
repair to outdoor museums to heritage areas, the class studied the successes and the
misses of preservation in the region.
For preservation in the present to remain relevant to future generations, we

must understand and save, as Professor Eugene Cizek stated, the “continuity and
value” of our cultural resources. To do so, we need to maintain not only the who,
what, where, and when of cultural resources but also the why.
This document will look at what the class learned how to document, preserve,
interpret, and present the why.
-Anthony DelRosario
Longwood, Natchez, Mississippi. Old State Capitol, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

vi Living and Dying with Historic Preservation - Studio in Building Preservation - Spring 2010

Living and Dying with Historic Preservation - Studio in Building Preservation - Spring 2010 1
Living with Historic Preservation

2 Living and Dying with Historic Preservation - Studio in Building Preservation - Spring 2010
Spring 2010 Field Sessions

Friday February 19 Fort Pike and St. Joe Brick Works
Friday February 26 Destrehan and Homeplace Plantations
Friday March 5 Evergreen and Whitney Plantations
Natchez Weekend
Friday March 12 Grace Episcopal Church and Cemetery; Rosedown Plantation;
Natchez Historic Foundation; Gaudet Residence
Saturday March 13 Natchez Visitor Reception Center; Longwood; Villa di Caprone;
Stanton Hall; Downtown Natchez; St. Mary Cathedral;
William Johnson House; Traveler’s Rest
Sunday March 14 Melrose; Natchez Trace; Emerald Mound; Mt. Locust
Friday March 19 Oak Alley and Laura Plantations
Friday March 26 Felicity and St. Joseph Plantations
Independent Spring Break Visits

Monday March 29 Drayton Hall and Aiken-Rhett House - Charleston, South Carolina
Tuesday March 30 Savannah, Georgia
Wednesday March 31 Macon, Georgia and Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site
Friday April 9 Rural Life Museum; Old State Capitol; New State Capitol;
State Historic Preservation Office
Natchitoches Weekend
Saturday April 17 Vermilionville; Acadian Cultural Center; Downtown Opelousas,
Bennett House
Sunday April 18 Cane River National Heritage Area: Kate Chopin House Ruins and
Magnolia, Melrose, & Oakland Plantations; Downtown Natchitoches
Monday April 19 National Center for Preservation Technology and Training

3
4
2
2
2
1
2
1
1
Google Maps
Field Sessions
1. Fort Pike 1. Rural Life Museum
2. St. Joe Brick Works 2. Old and New State Capitol
1. Acadian Cultural Center and Vermilionville 1. St. Francisville - Grace Episcopal Church and Rosedown
2. Historic Downtown Opelousas 2. Natchez - Longwood, Melrose, Stanton Hall,
3. Bennett House St. Mary Cathedral, William Johnson House
4. Cane River National Heritage Area 3. Natchez Trace - Emerald Mound and Mt. Locust
5. Historic Downtown Natchitoches and NCPTT River Road Plantations
See detail map.

4
12 3
Google Maps
River Road Plantations
1. Oak Alley Plantation 5. Whitney Plantation
2. St. Joseph Plantation 6. Evergreen Plantation
3. Felicity Plantation 7. Homeplace Plantation
4. Laura Plantation 8. Destrehan Plantation
Google Maps
Independent Spring Break Visits
National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Plantations on the Mississippi River from Natchez to New Orleans, 1858

Louisiana State Museum Map Database
http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/lsmmaps


Photographic Essay
All photographs
and sketches by
Anthony DelRosario
unless noted

Fort Pike - New Orleans
Citadel and parade grounds. Corner damage.
Top of outer wall. Nutria.
View of lake. Example of cypress log on which the fort is built.

St. Joe Brick Works - Slidell
St. Joe bricks found at Fort Pike Dirt shed.
AutoBrik Machine. Drying shed.
Beehive kiln. Bricks ready for shipment.

Destrehan Plantation - River Road
Main house. Colonial Revival door from 1915.
Bousillage with finger holes. Original bricks from 1790.
Historic house and site donated by Amoco Oil Company. Rear of house.

Homeplace Plantation - River Road
Main house. National Historic Landmark. Ground floor secure area with gun holes next to door.
Creole staircase. Exposed bousillage.
Main floor interior with plywood over termite damaged floors. Sketch of pigeonnier.

Evergreen Plantation - River Road
Main house. National Historic Landmark. View of garden from rooftop.
Staircase. Pigeonnier and kitchen.
Storm damaged slave cabin. Slave cabins.

Whitney Plantation - River Road
Main house. The Field of Angels.
Only surviving French Creole barn in Louisiana. “Memory” of ceiling painting before restoration.
Exterior wall mural. Ram’s horn or moustache hinge. Slave cabins.

St. Francisville - Natchez Weekend
Grace Episcopal Church, St. Francisville, Louisiana. Sketch of Egyptian Revival tomb, Grace Episcopal Cemetery.
Grace Episcopal Church and Cemetery. Rosedown, Plantation, St. Francisville. National Historic Landmark.
Sketch of dovecote, Rosedown Plantation. Interior staircase and wallpaper, Rosedown Plantation.

Natchez - Natchez Weekend
Historic Natchez Foundation. Gaudet Residence. New construction designed by Professor Cizek. Natchez.
View from Natchez Visitor Reception Center. Longwood, Natchez, Mississippi. National Historic Landmark.
Behind the scenes access to the top, Longwood. View up to dome, Longwood.

Villa di Caprone, Natchez, Mississippi. Stanton Hall, Natchez, Mississippi. National Historic Landmark.
St. Mary Catherdral, Natchez, Mississippi. Trompe l’oeil murals inside St. Mary Cathedral.
William Johnson House, National Park Service, Natchez, Mississippi. Hotel Eola. Natchez.

Trinity Episcopal Church, Natchez, Mississippi. Water tower seen from Stanton Hall.
Natchez Under-The-Hill. View from Natchez Under-The-Hill.
Attic room, Traveler’s Rest, Natchez, Mississippi. Restoration work, Melrose, Natchez, Mississippi.

Melrose, Natchez, Mississippi. National Historic Landmark. Sketch of Melrose.
Behind the scenes access to the attic, Melrose. Old Natchez Trace.
Emerald Mound, Natchez Trace. National Historic Landmark. Mt. Locust, National Park Service, Natchez Trace.

Hand painted sign, Franklin St. Package Store, Natchez, Mississippi.
Donald Roller Wilson painting, Villa di Caprone, Natchez, Mississippi.

Oak Alley Plantation - River Road
Main house. National Historic Landmark. Alley of oaks.
Peripteral collande. Sketch of the rear of main house.
Outbuildings. Barn.

Laura Plantation - River Road
Main house. Rear of main house.
House of Thirty marking. Scarf joint.
Slave cabins. Maison de reprise.

Felicity Plantation - River Road
Main house. Sketch of main house.
Rear of house, 2009. Rear of house, 2010.
Scarf joint. Tin ceiling.

St. Joseph Plantation - River Road
Main house. Sketch of main house.
Rear of main house. Sketch of rear of main house.
Briquette-entre-poteaux construction. Plantation store.

Drayton Hall -Charleston, S. C.
Drayton Hall, Charleston, South Carolina. National Historic Landmark. Sketch of front of house.
Rear of house. Model of house. Only item in main floors of house.
Mantel in Great Hall. Upper Great Hall.

Aiken-Rhett House - Charleston, S. C.
Aiken-Rhett House, Charleston, South Carolina. Rear courtyard.
Gothic revival privy. Original exterior faux finish scored to resemble masonry and mortar.
megnificence on flickr.com
Faux finish on shutter. Stablized and conserved interior.

National Historic Landmark District - Savannah, Georgia
Colonial Park Cemetery. Sketch of tomb.
Oyster shell walkway in Colonial Park Cemetery. City Hall.
New construction federal building. Old Chatham County Courthouse on Wright Square.

Macon, Georgia and Tuskegee, Alabama
St Joseph Catholic Church and First Baptist Church of Christ, Macon. Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site.
Lawrence Mayer Florist, Macon. “Ghosts” of demolished buildings, Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site.
Historic facade fronting a parking lot, Macon. Interactive display, Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site.

Rural Life Museum - Baton Rouge
Burden Family Home.
Germain Bergeron House. Sketch of Acadian House.
Dog-trot house from central Louisiana. New construction exhibit barn.

Old State Capitol - Baton Rouge
National Historic Landmark. View from River Road. Free-standing staircase.
Stained glass rotunda. Senate Chamber.
Statue of Huey P. Long. View from atop Shaw Center for the Arts.

New State Capitol and SHPO - Baton Rouge
Louisiana State Capitol. National Historic Landmark. Exterior detail, State Capitol.
Exterior detail, State Capitol. Interior detail, State Capitol.
Capitol Annex Building, home of State Historic Preservation Office. Exterior detail, Capitol Annex Building.

Natchitoches Weekend - Lafayette
Acadian Cultural Center, National Park Service, Lafayette, Louisiana. Acadian Cultural Center, National Park Service, Lafayette, Louisiana.
Restoration project, Vermilionville, Lafayette, Louisiana. La Maison Broussard, Vermilionville, Lafayette, Louisiana.
Le Presbytère, Vermilionville, Lafayette, Louisiana. Merlin Fontenot, cultural interpreter, Vermilionville, Lafayette, Louisiana.

Natchitoches Weekend - Opelousas & Alexandria
Old Federal Building, Opelousas, Louisiana. Bennett House aka Bleak House, outside Alexandria, Louisiana.
Greek Revival law office, Opelousas, Louisiana. Old Bennettville Store, outside Alexandria, Louisiana.
St. Landry Parish Courthouse, Opelousas, Louisiana. Matt’s Cabin, outside Alexandria, Louisiana.

Natchitoches Weekend - Cloutierville
Ruins of Kate Chopin House. Birdhouse version of Kate Chopin House.
Carpenter bee holes in bousillage on Bayou Folk Museum barn. Burned Bayou Folk Museum sign.
Vernacular building, Cloutierville, Louisiana. Vernacular building, Cloutierville, Louisiana.

Natchitoches Weekend - Magnolia Plantation
Store, Magnolia Plantation. Full site is National Historic Landmark. Sketch of Magnolia Plantation Store.
Blacksmith shop and pigeonnier. Cotton Gin/Press Barn.
Slave/tenant cabin. Portland cement and eroded bricks on slave/tenant cabin.

Natchitoches Weekend- Melrose Plantation
Yucca House, Melrose Plantation. Full site is National Historic Landmark. New gutter, Yucca House.
Carpenter bee holes in bousillage, Yucca House. Scarf joint, Yucca House.
African House. Sketch of African House.

Natchitoches Weekend - Oakland Plantation
Main house. Full site is National Historic Landmark. Mule barn.
Bousillage wall of pigeonnier. 1950s interior of main house.
1950s interior of main house. 1950s interior of main house.

Natchitoches Weekend - Downtown Natchitoches
Roque House. Bousillage and poteaux-en-selles construction, Roque House.
Stair case. Natchitoches Parish Courthouse.
Church of the Immaculate Conception. Old Courthouse.

Natchitoches Weekend - NCPTT, Natchitoches
National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, Natchitoches. Preservapedia, NCPTT.
Clean lab, NCPTT. Dirty lab, NCPTT.
Atmospheric conditions lab, NCPTT. Atmospheric conditions lab, NCPTT.

Sketches
Slave quarters, Evergreen Plantation. Slave quarters, Evergreen Plantation.
Front elevation, Felicity Plantation. Side elevation, Felicity Plantation.
Front elevation, Mt. Locust. Rear elevation, Mt. Locust.


House Museums

Many sites visited by the class through-

out the semester are house museums that in-
clude Destrehan, Oak Alley, Laura, St. Joseph,
Longwood, Stanton Hall, Melrose (Natchez),
Mt. Locust, and Rosedown. They are run by a
range of organizations such as not-for-profits
(River Road Historical Society - Destrehan, Oak
Alley Foundation, Pilgrimage Garden Club -
Longwood and Stanton Hall), private enterprise
(Laura Plantation Company, St. Joseph Plant-
ing and Manufacturing Company), the State of
Louisiana (Rosedown), and the National Park
Service (Melrose, Mt. Locust).
All of these homes are interpreted to
the antebellum era but differ in the manner
of presentation. Several houses cater to what
Professor Cizek calls the idea of “Moonlight
and Magnolias” such as Stanton Hall and Long-
wood by using guides in period costume to give
a scripted tour of roped off rooms. The tours
at each house focus on the family or families Oak Alley.
that owned the house with cursory mention of
slavery. At Oak Alley, in addition to women
in hoop skirts, mint juleps are offered for sale
to take inside the house during the tour. Also,
photographs are not allowed inside of these
house museums None of the these three houses
offer a program in heritage education for
school children.
“Moonlight and Magnolias” by Mort Künstler. Mt. Locust.

Other houses offer tours with guides not display about the history of sugar cane indus-
required to wear period costumes. At Melrose try and a small display about H. H. Richard-
and Mt. Locust where most rooms are roped son, the famous architect that was born on the
off, the tour is led by a National Park ranger. nearby Priestly Plantation.
At St. Joseph, often a member of the Wagues- Destrehan and Laura are the two that
pack family that owns St. Joseph Planting and offer the best history education selection.
Manufacturing Company leads the tour through Destrehan has craft demonstrations by cos-
the house which is not roped off. The tour at tumed artisans six days of the week in addi-
Rosedown passes through each room with only tion to the daily tours led by costumed guides.
one room having sections roped off where the Also, Destrehan offers a robust heritage pro-
original carpet is on the floor. Rosedown has gram for all grade levels from kindergarten
a history program for school groups and Mt. to eighth grade as well as a weekend of heri-
Locust has a daily interpretive program while tage days in the spring and in the fall. Of all
Melrose and St. Joseph do not offer heritage these house museums, Laura offers the richest
programs. However, St. Joseph has a large story with its “Creole Family Saga” tour using
History of sugar cane industry, St. Joseph. Listening to park ranger, Mt Locust.
Rosedown. Melrose.
information gathered from 5,000 pages of conservation. Three major projects have cen-
documents that were found in the French Na- tered on the mid 19th century plaster ceiling
tional Archives, from oral histories from family in the Great Hall, the late 19th century interior
members who lived on this plantation, and from painting throughout the house, and the 18th
the memoirs of Laura Locoul. Two specialty century exterior masonry. The upper floors of
themed historical tours are available that cover the house are empty except for a model of
the effects of slavery on those that lived on the the house in the Great Hall and benches in one
plantation and the role of four generation of room and the basement is empty except for a
women owners. display about joining the Friends of Drayton
During spring break, the author visited Hall. Recently, the National Trust purchased
two unique sites in Charleston, South Carolina - the land across the river from the grounds to
Drayton Hall and the Aiken-Rhett House. Built ensure the unadulterated view from the house.
on the shores of the Ashley River from 1738 Several different heritage education programs
to 1742, Drayton Hall is the oldest surviving are available at Drayton Hall. The author saw
example of Georgian-Palladian architecture in a number of school groups taking advantage
the United States. The house had been virtu- of the educational opportunities.
ally unaltered when the National Trust for His- The Aiken-Rhett House is the most intact
toric Preservation purchased the property from townhouse complex in Charleston. Built in 1818
the Drayton Family in 1974. Unbelievably, and expanded in the 1830s and 1850s, the
electricity and plumbing were never added; house has been virtually unaltered since 1858.
however, now the house has very minimal elec- The house remained in the Aiken-Rhett Family
trical wiring to power fire and intruder alarms. for the entirety until being donated in 1975 to
The Trust made the unprecedented decision to the Charleston Museum who initially intended
preserve the house as it was received. Thus, to completely restore the building. After years
the house was not restored to reflect any single of fundraising for various projects, the museum
period. decided in the late 1980s to conserve the
Instead of restoration or recreation, original historic fabric on the first floor and also
the focus of preservation is stabilization and made a proposal, but never carried out, to
Buildings for artisan interpretation, Destrehan. Laura.

use the second floor as an exhibition space of The type of interpretation at Drayton
decorative arts. The Historic Charleston Foun- Hall and the Aiken-Rhett House could be con-
dation assumed ownership in 1995 after the sidered for Homeplace. If the house were
financial burden was too much for the Charles- stabilized and made safe, Homeplace con-
ton Museum. The HCF decided to restore only served with its historic fabric would make for
the the art gallery which had suffered exten- an excellent complement to Destrehan since
sive water damage and conserve and stabilize the two were possibly constructed by the same
the rest of the interior following the precedent free man of color, Charles Paquet. This would
set at Drayton Hall. The exterior was restored make Homeplace unique among the River Road
to its 1858 appearance since the exterior was plantations.
in a state of decay that was allowing moisture
to migrate to the interior. The tour of the house
is an audio tour. Heritage education opportu-
nities are offered for Girl Scouts to earn their
local lore patch.
Plaster ceiling, Drayton Hall. Room with benches, Drayton Hall.
Restored exterior faux finish, Aiken-Rhett House. Homeplace.


Large Scale Sites

In addition to house museums, the class Park which is part of the Cane River National
visited several large scale sites that were ei- Heritage Area in Natchitoches Parish. Oak-
ther intact plantation settings or outdoor mu- land and Magnolia Plantations, now under the
seum collections. A range of experiences were administration of the National Park Service,
provided by Evergreen Plantation, Whitney “owe their physical integrity to the families that
Plantation, Rural Life Museum, Vermilionville, kept them intact for seven and eight genera-
Magnolia Plantation, and Oakland Plantation. tions” (NPS CRCNHP). Both plantations were
Evergreen is a rare example of a plan- designated as a National Bicentennial Farm
tation complex with a significant number of by an Act of Congress in 1988 as part of the
outbuildings. In particular, Evergreen has the 200th Anniversary Celebration of the Ratifica-
largest number of antebellum buildings, as tion of the U.S. Constitution.
most of the few other large complexes are Magnolia, continually owned by descen-
from the late nineteenth century, and has the dants of Jean Baptiste LeComte II until sold to
largest row of slave cabins in the South. This the NPS, has rare structures such as the row
unique complex is open to public; however, of masonry slave cabins and the last in situ
only two tours are offered on six days of the wooden screw-type cotton press in the United
week. Since owner Matilda Gray Stream still
stays at Evergreen occasionally, the planta-
tion tour is not promoted as heavily as tours
of other plantations along River Road. Ever-
green represents a fine example of a privately
owned National Historic Landmark that pro-
vides cultural and academic access. Evergreen
does not have a heritage education program
aimed at school children; however, Evergreen
does have a public archeology project and an
oral history collection project.
Two large intact plantations are located
in the Cane River Creole National Historical Site map, Magnolia, NPS.
Site plan, Evergreen, HABS. Site map, Oakland, NPS.

States. Self-guided tours are available with a land offers self-guided tours and cell phone
large site plan and description as well as a cell tour. In addition, guided tours of the main
phone tour. Although the main house of Mag- house are available.
nolia is not part of the park, Betty Hertzog, a Cane River Creole National Historical
descendant of the LeComtes, still lives in the Park offers heritage education programs that
main house and offers guided tours. can be customized to meet the needs of groups
Oakland was owned by the Prud’homme according to size and time constraints. One
family until purchased by the NPS in 1998. pre-designed program is entitled “Daily Life
This plantation is unique in the domains of of a Sharecropper” which allows students to
parks operated by the NPS and of interpre- experience the activities of a sharecropper in-
tative house museums. Oakland was the first cluding cotton picking, learning field songs, and
national park focused on the story of Creoles. shopping at the plantation store. This program
Also, Oakland is a rare example of a post- meets the Louisiana standards of learning for
Civil War interpretation and the only example grades 3-6.
of a 1960s interpretation. This uniqueness can In addition to the intact sites, the class
be attributed to the continuity of ownership visited three outdoor museum settings. Two of
by a single family. According to the ranger at these are within the limits of the cities in which
Oakland, the attic of the main house was filled they are located and one is a rural setting.
items from several generations since the family Vermilionville, located on the banks of
never moved away. As with Magnolia, Oak- Bayou Vermilion, is a Cajun/Creole heritage
and folklife park located near the Lafayette
airport. The park is laid out as historic village
that depicts life in the Acadiana area between
1765 and 1890. The grounds contain about
twenty structures with about a third of these
being restored original buildings. Costumed
interpreters are in several buildings where
they demonstrate traditional crafts. The park
is densely arranged with concrete walkways.
Vermilionville feels like theme park - a Cajun
Map, Cane River National Heritage. Cell phone tour, Magnolia and Oakland, NPS.
Williamsburg. The park provides an Interpre- ana Folk Architecture collection. The plantation
tative Walking Tour brochure with detailed and folk architecture buildings were orphaned
information in English and French and a large buildings from Louisiana that would have been
site map. A variety of programs are offered demolished if not moved to the museum. The
for school groups. For an additional experi- museum offers maps for self-guided tours as
ence, the Acadian Cultural Center is adjacent well group tours. The Rural Life Museum does
to the park. Here the National Park Service not have costumed interpreters nor concrete
relates stories of the Acadians and other area walkways seen at Vermilionville. This summer a
groups. Rural Life Apprentice Program will be offered
The Rural Life Museum is within the where Louisiana craftsmen will teach children
city limits of Baton Rouge but sits on a 450 traditional folk arts.
acre tract, once known as Windrush Planta- Whitney Plantation is on River Road
tion, donated by the Burden Family. A newly about one mile from Evergreen Plantation.
constructed barn houses a large collection of Lawyer John Cummings is the owner of Whitney
artifacts of rural life from prehistoric times to and a chaotic collection of orphaned build-
the twentieth century including paintings by folk ings. Among the plantation’s original buildings
artist Clementine Hunter. The outdoor section are the main house with rare exterior murals,
of the Rural Life Museum is composed of three the last surviving French Creole barn, and
main areas - Windrush Gardens and Burden the oldest kitchen in Louisiana. Cummings has
Home, the Working Plantation, and the Louisi- collected a number of buildings including sev-
Site map, Vermilionville, Lafayette Parish Bayou Vermilion District.

eral slave cabins and a church. The vision that

Cummings has for Whitney is a mixture of the
Rural Life Museum, Cane River Creole National
Historical Park, and a slave memorial. Like the
Rural Life Museum, Whitney is a building or-
phanage but with less cohesion. Like the share-
cropper program at Cane River, Cummings
wants to provide a hands-on experience but in
the harsher view as a slave. Plans for the slave
memorial include inscribing into granite slabs
all of the names of the slaves from Louisiana,
creating a Field of Angels dedicated to the
2200 slave infants that died before reaching Cemetery gate pieces, Whitney.
the age of two in St. John the Baptist Parish,
and making realistic statues of slave children.
The vision for Whitney comes from only Cum-
mings. With a board of administrators, a bet-
ter focused plan could be created for the site
which is full of educational possibilities.
Cemetery, Rural Life Museum.
Classmate with slave children statues, Whitney. Cemetery, Vermilionville.


Materials and Methods

The class saw firsthand a number of on sticks between large timber-frame posts.
materials and methods, both traditional and This method was also seen in Acadiana (Ger-
non-traditional. One of the first similarities main Bergeron House - moved to Rural Life
seen among site visits was the French Creole Museum from Bayou Lafourche, Amand Brous-
raised cottage style of Destrehan, Homeplace, sard House - moved to Vermilionville from 25
Laura, and St. Joseph. The class learned that miles away) and in central Louisiana (black-
Destrehan, Homeplace, and Laura were possi- smith shop - Magnolia, Yucca House - Melrose,
bly all constructed a free man of color, Charles pigeonnier - Oakland, Roque House - down-
Paquet. From the four plantation homes, two town Natchitoches). The bousillage of central
distinctive construction methods can be found. Lousiana is a different color from that found
Along River Road, Destrehan and Home- in southern Louisiana due to a higher content
place are both bousillage-entre-poteaux con- of iron oxide in the clay. Also, the bousillage
struction in which a mixture of mud or clay with of central Louisiana tends to attract carpenter
spanish moss or sometimes animal hair is hung bees. On River Road, Laura and St. Joseph
Bousillage, blacksmith shop, Magnolia. Bousillage, Roque House.
Sketch of exposed bousillage, Homeplace. Bousillage, Germain Bergeron House. Bousillage, Armand Brousssard House.

are both briquette-entre-poteaux construction In Slidell, the class visited St. Joe Brick
where bricks are used as infill between large Works which has been in operation since 1891.
timber-frame posts. This method was seen at The company continues to make moulded
several other sites on River Road including Fe- face brick using a machine that is nearly 100
licity, pigeonniers at Whitney, and the Mialaret years old. Brick from St. Joe was found at the
House at Whitney. nearby Fort Pike and as far away as the Afri-
Another construction method seen at sev- can House at Melrose outside Natchitoches. In
eral sites was the Norman truss roof. Destrehan addition to seeing the manufacture process of
has an unrestored room for educational pur- bricks, the class saw several sites facing vari-
poses that includes a window to the attic to see ous masonry problems. Fort Pike has several
the Norman truss roof in addition to exposed areas of severe damage, including the outer
plaster and exposed bousillage. A Norman wall and two corners, due to the fact that the
truss was also seen at the French Creole barn inner part of the fort was built on cypress logs
of Whitney, Evergreen, and St. Joseph. that rise and fall slightly with the tide and that
Moat and outer wall, Fort Pike. Corner damage, Fort Pike.
Brick between post, Felicity. Brick between post, Felicity, St. Joseph. Brick between post, Laura.

during some restoration time the outer wall was Alley is occuring currently.
cemented to the inner part. Magnolia does however have two exam-
Oak Alley faces severe masonry dam- ples of inadequate contemporary work. First,
age as well. To make the matter worse, im- the steel beams added to the barn that houses
proper repair methods are being used. The the cotton gin and press is more than is needed
brick columns that surround the house are being and takes away from the purity of the building.
repaired with Portland cement which is causing Second is the poorly place wheelchair eleva-
more damage and in turn is causing some of tor at the overseer’s house. The lift should have
the columns to buckle. Also, at Magnolia, the been placed in the back of the building by
use of Portland cement on a slave cabin has the additions. Likewise at Oakland, a poorly
created a lace-like pattern of cement where placed wheelchair elevator detracts from the
the softer brick has eroded away. The use of main house. In addition, the historic gallery
the cement at Magnolia was probably from railings have been reinforced with pieces of
decades ago while the use of cement at Oak wood that have been painted white and green
St. Joe Brick Works. St. Joe Brick at African House.
Oak Alley Oak Alley. Cotton gin/press barn, Magnolia.

to match the original.

Traditional methods have been under-
taken at Evergreen, Felicity and Laura. Failure
of exterior and interior paint at the main house
of Evergreen has been mostly solved with the
use of traditional lime wash. However, the
modern enclosure of the rear loggia has a few
problem areas where water is being forced
inside instead of evaporating on the outside.
Also at Evergreen, Charles Lesher of Milton
Freewater has been restoring the staircase and
making spindles that will wick less moisture.
The class saw the results of major restoration at Laura.
Felicity and the product of the post-fire recre-
Overseer’s house, Magnolia. Main house, Oakland.
Portland cement lace, Magnolia. Gallery rail, Oakland.

ation of Laura by Milton Freewater using tradi-

tional methods.
Major repair work was also under way
at Melrose in Natchez and at Yucca House at
Melrose outside Natchitoches. The work at
Melrose started as a paint job to recreate the
pink and tan faux marble grain that the house
had originally. However, during preparatory
work of fixing a water leak, major damage
was discovered from the copper gutters and
slate roof. The floor Yucca House was being
completely replaced. Also, new gutters were
being created for the house. Norman truss roof, Evergreen
At the National Center for Preservation
Technology and Training, the class visited vari-
ous laboratories where materials are tested.
Felicity, 2009. Felicity, 2010.
Melrose. Yucca House.

Norman truss roof, Destrehan. Norman truss roof, French Creole barn, Whitney.
Staircase spindles, Evergreen. Charles Lesher and Professor Knight examing water damage, Evergreen.
Non-contact 3-D digitizer, NCPTT. Where can we see bousillage?, Oakland.


Adaptive Reuse

Several successful adaptive reuse sites

were visited by the class. In Natchez, the offic-
es of the Historic Natchez Foundation is located
in the former Natchez Institute Building. Also
located in Natchez is the federal courthouse
which had been the Opera House, a building
that the Foundation owned for seventeen years
waiting for the right project to be proposed for
it.
The class was welcomed to a party at
Traveler’s Rest, outside of Natchez, which had
once been an inn for those traveling the Nat-
chez Trace by foot or by horseback. The Old Historic Natchez Foundation.
State Capitol in Baton Rouge has been beauti-
fully restored and now houses the Museum of
Political History.
Outside of Alexandria, the class saw the
old Bennettville store which has been converted
to an artist studio.
A site that is full of possibilities for
adaptive reuse is Felicity. Currently, the exte-
rior of the house is being restored by Milton
Freewater Construction. The interior is not cur-
rently being restored but needs a good deal
of attention.
The Waguespack Family, owners of St.
Joseph Planting and Manufacturing Company Federal courthouse, formerly Opera House, Natchez.
which owns Felicity, are open to ideas for the
beautiful Greek Revival building. Possible uses
for the building include bed and breakfast,
restaurant, reception facility, or a combination
of these. Including at least a restaurant would
be a good idea since Oak Alley is the only
plantation with a restaurant of the three that
offer tour along River Road in Vacherie.
Another option for Felicty could also in-
clude creating a grand garden in tribute to Le
Petit Versailles de la Louisiane, the lavish gar-
dens that Valcour Aime created nearby in the
1840s.
Old State Capitol.
Bennettville Store.
Felicity.


New Construction in
Historic Settings

The class saw several examples of new on the bluff overlooking the Mississippi River,
construction in historic settings. In downtown looks modern but respects the massing of the
Natchez, large scale examples were the new neighboring houses.
Natchez Convention Center and the new Nat- The group saw interesting projects on
chez Grand Hotel. Neither of these was very Jefferson Street in downtown Natchitoches,
inspired. The large hotel is a fairly simple de- the main street of the historic district that runs
sign using red bricks and does not have a sense along Cane River. First, the group considered
of grandeur that a hotel with the name Grand a new construction building at the end of the
Hotel should have. commercial blocks of Jefferson Street. The site
The convention center has façades that which had previously been a Ford dealership is
mimic the blocks of storefronts elsewhere in now filled with a large building that has com-
downtown Natchez. The façades look so real mercial space on the first floor and condomini-
that the convention center is practically camou- ums on the upper floors. The massing of the
flaged. Instead, the exterior of the convention building relates to the rest of the block; how-
center should define the purpose of the build- ever, façade and balconies do not quite fit. In-
ing. An example of residential new construction stead of balconies created from the façade of
that the class saw is the Gaudet Residence that the building to edge of the sidewalk to match
Professor Cizek designed. The house, which sits the other buildings, the building has balconies
Natchez Convention Center.

that start at the façade and go towards the

inside of the building.
Second, the group considered a historic
building in the middle of the commercial stretch
of Jefferson Street. The owners of this build-
ing turned down historic tax credits in order
to build the balconies as they wanted. The
balconies were not constructed in the historic
manner as those along Jefferson Street and
the “curved” corners of the balconies are not
smooth curves. In addition to the these large
scale examples, the class saw a bank on 2nd
Street with very bad faux-historic galleries. Oddly “curved” corners, Natchez.
Condominiums at the end of Jefferson Street, Natchez. Condominiums at the end of Jefferson Street, Natchez.
City Bank and Trust Company, Natchez. City Bank and Trust Company, Natchez.

People of Preservation

Over the semester, the class met a vari- led the class to the belvedere where he will
ety of people that are enthusiastic about their be restoring the railing. Steven Scott met the
roles in preservation. Jordan, grounds keeper class at Felicity to talk about the major exterior
at Fort Pike, showed his passion for the site restoration of Felicity. Charles and Steven are
which he has know since childhood. At Destre- dedicated to keeping alive traditional methods
han, Educational Director Angie Matherne ex- in their restoration work.
plained their heritage education program and At Rosedown State Historic Site, half of
thanked the M.P.S. candidates that had been the class was led on tour by a woman that has
volunteering. been studying Rosedown for over thirty years.
At St. Joe Brick Works, half of the class Despite her robotic inflection, she was excited
was led on a tour by a zealous Chris Schneider, to be working at her lifelong passion. Enthusi-
member of the Schneider Family which has astic National Park Service rangers welcomed
owned the business for over a century. Oc- the class at Melrose in Natchez and Oakland.
togenarian Mr. Keller welcomed the class to At Melrose, Ranger Melissa Tynes led the class
Homeplace and regaled the class with stories
of his childhood in the house. The Schneider
Family and Mr. Keller are wonderful examples
of continuity of history from first hand accounts.
At Whitney, the class met trial lawyer
John Cummings who is extremely enthusiastic
about saving orphaned buildings. His zealous-
ness, however, has led to a chaotic collection.
The class met two men from Milton Free-
water Construction which has helped restore
Laura, Evergreen, and Felicity Plantations.
Charles Lesher explained the work that he was
doing on the front staircase at Evergreen and John Cummings, Whitney.
Chris Schneider, St. Joe Brick Works. Sketch of Mr. Keller, Homeplace. Mr. Keller, Homeplace, 2009.
to a behind the scenes look at the attic. At ana. In Baton Rouge, several employees made
Oakland, Ranger Nathan Hatfield provided an a presentation about different facets of the
architectural focused tour. Louisiana State Historic Preservation Office.
Several people invited the class to their In Natchitoches, the class visited the National
private homes. The class was treated to par- Center for Preservation Technology and Train-
ties in Natchez by Mary Jane and Ed Gaudet ing and met people from the four main pro-
at their residence, by Bob Cannon and Wayne grams of the center.
Bryant at their home, Villa di Caprone, and by At the Historic Natchez Foundation, Mimi
Wendall Weeden and Steve Cook at Traveler’s Miller provided an introduction to Natchez
Rest. Kathryn and Scott Anderson welcomed through a pictorial history of the foundation.
the class to their home, Bennett House, and stu- These people, directly or indirectly, are
dio, the old Bennettville store, near Alexandria. involved with preserving cultural resources of
The class met several people at two of the region and showed their passion to the
the most important government offices in Louisi- class.
Party at Traveler’s Rest. Professor Cizek and Andy Ferrell, NCPTT.
Bryan Block
Charles Lesher, Evergreen. Steven Scott, Felicity. Ranger Hatfield, Oakland.

Future for River Road

and Preservation

Mark Thomas
Studio in Buidling Preservation class and friends, Stanton Hall, Natchez.
In both city and country young people are all too often
part of a throwaway society that values nothing except
immediacy and hence misprizes the lines running from the
past that could project a continuity into the future.
Professor Cizek “Why Historic Preservation?”
As M.P.S. candidates, the class is the near more recogintion is national heritage area sta-
future of preservation. However, one must to tus. As witnessed at Cane River, private and
look to the youth as the long term future for publicly owned sites work together to create a
preserving the cultural resources of the world. succesful partnership that conserves and pro-
To do so, we must instill the value of why these motes the local cultural landscape. Here, NPS
resources matter. This can be accomplished sites, state sites, and other sites contribute to
through heritage education programs such as the national significance of the area.
the successful program at Destrehan. And to Bringing in the NPS to River Road is a
have a successful program, we need the historic key element. One possibilty would be to allow
fabric to provide the tangible items and places the NPS to assume control of Homeplace and
to provide a firsthand setting. One cannot sur- create a site similar to Drayton Hall.
vive without the other. However, any future of River Road may
As shown by Destrehan, River Road can be made null and void due to the current en-
be an ideal setting for relating these exepri- vironmental disaster from the oil spill in the
ence to young and old alike. But what is in Gulf of Mexico. Charles Lesher said that Laura
store for the future of River Road? continued to draw tourists the day following
The U.S. Depart of Transportation has the fire, however, tourism virtually stopped for
named this corridor part of the Federal High- several months after Katrina due to lack of
way Administration’s National Scenic Byways people coming to New Orleans.
Program. We have a while to see how the oil spill
A designation that could bring even plays out and will affect the region.
Destrehan Brochure Destrehan Brochure

Heritage Education Program, Destrehan. Heritage Education Program, Destrehan.
Sources for Living with Preservation

Acadian Cultural Center Website. <http://www.nps.gov/jela/new-acadian-cultural-center.htm>.
Cane River Creole National Historical Park Website. <http://www.nps.gov/cari/index.htm>.
Cane River National Heritage Area Travel Itinerary. <http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/

caneriver/index.htm>.
Cane River National Heritage Area Website. <http://www.caneriverheritage.org>.
Cane River National Heritage Area Website. <http://www.nps.gov/crha/index.htm>.
Cizek, Eugene Darwin. “Why Historic Preservation?” Louisiana Buildings, 1720-1940. Ed. Jessie
J. Poesch and Barbara SoRelle Bacot. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1997.
342-348.
DelRosario, Anthony. Fields Studies Journal.
DelRosario, Anthony. Fields Studies Papers.
DelRosario, Anthony. Fields Studies Photographs.
DelRosario, Anthony. Fields Studies Sketches.
Destrehan Plantation Website. <http://www.destrehanplantation.org>.
Drayton Hall. <http://www.draytonhall.org>.
Evergreen Plantation Website. <http://www.evergreenplantation.org>.
Explore the History and Culture of Southeastern Louisiana: A National Register of Historic Places
Travel Itinerary. <http://www.nps.gov/history/NR/travel/louisiana/index.htm>.
Historic Charleston Foundation. Grandeur Preserved: The House Museums of Historic Charleston
Foundation. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2008.
Historic Charleston Foundation. <http://www.historiccharleston.org/experience/arh>.
Laura Plantation Website. <http://www.lauraplantation.com>.

Library of Congress Historic American Buildings Survey Collection Website. <http://memory.loc.

gov/ammem/collections/habs_haer>.
Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation’s National Register Website. <http://www.crt.state.

la.us/hp/nhl/default.htm>.
Louisiana Office of Historic Preservation Website. <http://www.crt.state.la.us/hp>.
Louisiana State University Rural Life Museum Website. <http://rurallife.lsu.edu>.
Natchez National Historical Park Website. < http://www.nps.gov/natc/index.htm>.
Natchez Trace Parkway Website. <http://www.nps.gov/natr/index.htm>.
National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. <http://www.ncptt.nps.gov>.
National Scenic Byways Online. <http://www.byways.org>.
Oak Alley Plantation Website. <http://www.oakalleyplantation.com>.
Pilgrimage Garden Club Website. < http://www.stantonhall.com>.
St. Joseph Plantation Website. <http://www.stjosephplantation.com>.
Vermilionville Website. <http://www.vermilionville.org>.


Dying with Historic Preservation


Cities of the Dead

Schwegmann Family Tomb:
Historic American Buildings Survey Documentation
in St. Roch Cemetery No. 1

The Cemetery The Schwegmann Family Tomb is a pedi-

ment tomb which, according to Dead Space :
St. Roch Cemetery No. 1 is located at Defining the New Orleans Creole Cemetery :
1725 St. Roch Avenue in the New Marigny St. Louis Cemetery No. 1: Guidelines for Pres-
neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana. ervation & Restoration, is “a multiple vault
The cemetery was started by Father Peter tomb whose height is greater than its width
Leonard Thevis when his largely German and whose top is surmounted by an integrated
Catholic congregation at Holy Trinity Church front gable end pediment or flat, triangular
was spared from the yellow fever epidemic or segmented design.” The tomb is construct-
after having prayed for intervention from St. ed of Dorian Gray granite according to the
Roch, one of the “Fourteen Holy Helpers” and specifications from the Albert Weiblen Marble
was reported to have performed cures of and Granite Company contract with the fam-
the plague during the 14th century. Father ily. Three variations of the granite are on
Thevis designed the cemetery after Campo the tomb: rusticated, polished, and flame cut.
Santo dei Tedeschi in Rome and the cemetery The granite probably came from the Albert
opened in 1874. He also designed a chapel Weiblen Marble and Granite Company stone
as a shrine to St. Roch and constructed it with quarry in Stone Mountain, Georgia.
the help of his congregation. A second part According to the tomb contract found in
of the cemetery opened in 1895. the company records, the specifications state
that the “Granite is to be set on a full bed of
The Tomb Mortar [sic], composed of Portland cement, and
clean sharp sand, and along the outer edge,
The Schwegmann Family Tomb can sheet lead, set in a careful and workman like
be found in St. Roch Cemetery No. 1 in plot manner, plumb and straight.” The original
numbers 8 and 9 in Square C on St. Bonifice mortar has been replaced with neoprene or
Walk. The tomb is adjacent to the Screwmen’s rubberized caulk. The specifications also state
Benevolent Association Society Tomb. that “All granite work to be solid piece and to
St. Roch Cemetery No. 1 Tomb Contract, Southeastern Architectural Archive

Ancestry.com
Drip Edge, Schwegmann Family Tomb John W. Schwegmann Tomb, Metairie Cemetery
have the proper drip all the way aroung [sic].” ke; four of their five children George August,
Professor Knight noticed the drip edge when John William, Mary, and Theresa; and George
she happened to look up at the author while August’s wife Annie Emmer.
on top of the tomb taking measurements. The This Schwegmann family can be traced
drip edge keeps rain water from eroding the to John Gerhrd (Garret/George/Gerald)
side of the tomb by causing the running water Schwegmann’s arrival in Louisiana October 29,
to drip about two inches from the sides. Other 1860, according to Passenger Lists of Vessels
than some slight discoloration of the polished Arriving at New Orleans, Louisiana, 1820-
granite on the door and pilasters, the Schweg- 1902. The passenger list notes that the port
mann Tomb is in great shape and is maintained of departure was Bremerhaven, Germany,
through Perpetual Care Program with the Arch- the ship name was Senator Iken, and the port
diocese of New Orleans paid by the George of arrival was New Orleans. According to a
August Schwegmann family. The tomb has family tree on Ancestry.com constructed by one
settled slightly in the back so that it leans back of Garret’s great-granddaughters, Garret’s
about one degree off vertical. older brother Bernh came to New Orleans from
Germany on February 13, 1881. They had a
The Family sister Catherine who remained in Germany.
A number of North German tribes used

the word “schwegman” which apparently de-
scended from antiquity. As used by the Jutes,
the word “schweg” means axe. The modern
English word “wedge” is derived from it (Laul-
er).
The Schwegmann Tomb is the burial
place of seven members of the family: patri-
arch Garret Schwegmann; his wife Mary Hen- Ancestry.com Ancestry.com
Garret Schwegmann Mary Henke and sons

In 1969, grandson John G. Schwegmann

wrote a series of three articles for The Times-
Picayune entitled “Just Like Meeting an Old
Friend” which he expanded to a fourteen part
series in 1978. In the first of the expanded
series, John G. related a short biography of
his grandfather, John George (Garret) Schwe-
gmann, who was born August 2, 1839 in Os-
nabruck, Hanover, Germany. After arriving in
New Orleans, Garret, a carpenter by trade,
German New Orleans screenshot
took a job cleaning privies. He enlisted in the 901 Piety Street
Union Army – Company “D” of the Second
Regiment, Louisiana Infantry – on August 29, cery business and take the family to California
1862. He was wounded in battle at Marks- then return and begin business again. In 1891
ville, Louisiana in May 1864 and was honor- after a five year non-compete clause with F.
ably discharged in September 1865. After B. Thriffiley, he established a grocery at 901
the war, Garret worked as a butter clerk at a Piety Street at the corner of Burgundy Street,
grocery run by two German brothers, Ferdi- with the family’s living quarters above the
nand and Henry Henke. On April 27, 1869, store. Once of age, the sons worked in the fam-
Garret married one of the Henke’s sisters, ily business. Garret and George August had a
Mary. The ceremony was performed by Father falling out over Garret’s excessive drinking and
Thevis at Holy Trinity Church. George went to work for Mr. Olstein at the
Garret Schwegmann opened his own corner of Poydras and Baronne. In 1895 after
counter service grocery store in 1869 after several years of estrangement, George heard
apprenticing under the Henke brothers. In the that his father was thinking of selling the family
years following, Garret and Mary had five store. When George met with Garret about
children: George August in 1870, Henry J. in possible purchase, Garret was unaware that
1873, Mary in 1876, Theresa in 1879, and it was his own son. After realizing, he offered
John William (John G.’s father) in 1883. Ac- to sell the store for a lower price but George
cording to John G., Garret would sell the gro- would not buy it for a penny less. Garret died
in New Orleans on November 23, 1924 and
his wife Mary Henke died October 8, 1923.
According to John G., mothers would
bring their daughters to the shop in search of
an “outstanding grocery clerk.” George August
met his wife Annie Emmer in this manner and
married her on February 16, 1898. George
Ancestry.com and Annie lived at 912 Pauline Street with their
two sons Leo Benjamin and George August, Jr.
Ancestry.com Leo attended Loyola University and remained
George A. Schwegmann John W. Schwegmann in New Orleans. George, Jr. attended law

Former Schwegmann Residence, 912 Pauline (2010) Frey Family Tomb, St. Roch Cemetery No. 1
school at Georgetown and remained in Wash- Oneil Barrios). Francis died of cancer in lymph
ington, D. C. where he was chief of the union glands in 1940 and is entombed in the Frey
catalog division of the Library of Congress. family tomb with his mother Marie who died on
George, Sr. died October 10, 1959 and his Mardi Gras day 1932. The Frey Family Tomb
wife Annie died July 15, 1916, becoming the is also in St. Roch Cemetery No. 1 and is near
first to be entombed in the Schwegmann Family the Schwegmann Family Tomb.
Tomb. In 1939, John W. rented the business
Henry joined his brother George in the from George, Sr. when he became ill. Later
grocery business in 1895. Within five years, he that year John W. revolutionized grocery
moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where he married shopping in New Orleans by making the store
Katherine Dietrich and had six children and self-service. Also that year, son John G. joined
opened a saloon called Schwegmann’s Cafe. John W. in the grocery business. In 1946, John
Theresa Schwegmann was married twice. In G. left the small family store, while brother
1906, she married Charles Henry Uter who Anthony stayed at 901 Piety Street, and joined
died only two years later. She later married with his brother Paul to open the first Schweg-
G. A. Newald. Theresa died October 2, 1966. mann Brothers Giant Super Market at Elysian
Mary Schwegmann never married and died on Fields Avenue and St. Claude Avenue. John W.
August 12, 1942. eventually sold the store at 901 Piety Street
John William joined his brother George in 1950 and joined his three sons in the super
in the grocery business in 1898. (Ancestry.com) market business becoming an active partner
On June 19, 1909, John W. married Marie in the chain’s latest store on Airline Highway.
Margaretha Frey who was the daughter of John W. died August 29, 1955.
Anton Frey who ran a meat stall in the French Under John G., the Schwegmann op-
Market for over fifty years. John W. and Ma- eration grew to eighteen stores including the
rie had six children: John G. in 1911, Anthony world’s largest super market at the time in
Joseph in 1913, Paul G. in 1914, Odilea Marie 1957. Schwegmann stores revolutionized the
(Mrs. Charles Thomas Acquistapace) in 1915, way people shopped with innovations such
Francis August in 1919, and Marguerite (Mrs. as in-store banks and gas pumps in the park-

Charles L. Franck
901 Piety Street (2010) Schwegmann Bros. Giant Supermarket, Airline Highway
ing lot. In addition to these, John G. led the
fight for trade rights such as opposing a law
requiring a minimum mark up on alcohol and
opposing milk price-fixing. This brush with the
legal system led to an unsuccessful race for a
Jefferson Parish seat in the state Senate. After
an unsuccessful campaign in 1959 for the Jef-
ferson Parish presidency, he won a seat in the
state House in 1961. Seven years later, he was
elected to the state Senate, and in 1975, he
was elected to the Public Service Commission. Aleta Grimbal on picasaweb.google.com
John W. Schwegmann Tomb, Metairie Cemetery
John W. died in 1995 before the Schweg-
mann business was sold in 1997 by his son The Research
John F. Schwegmann. John W. Schwegmann
is entombed in Metairie Cemetery in a large Research of tomb began with Google
granite tomb designed by the Albert Weiblen where the tomb’s inscription was found
Marble and Granite Company. at http://files.usgwarchives.org/la/or-
leans/cemeteries/roch/1/square-c/10-
boniface/t-008-009.txt which had copyright
info of http://usgwarchives.org/la/lafiles.htm
and lead to http://www.usgwarchives.org/la/
orleans.htm and to http://www.usgwarchives.
org/la/orleans/cemroch.htm.
Also via Google John G. Schweg-
mann’s obituary was found at http://files.
Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Ancestry.com usgwarchives.org/la/orleans/newspa-
Anthony, John G., and Paul Schwegmann pers/00000145.txt which lead to searching
The Schwegmann Brothers New Orleans Public Library for other obituar-

ies in Louisiana Biography and Obituary Index

at http://nutrias.org/~nopl/obits/obits.htm.
Information from here was used to find cop-
ies of obituaries of all of those in the tomb
in The Times-Picayune via a database called
America’s Historical Newspapers and via
microfillm at Tulane. In the index, names of im-
mediate relatives not interred in the tomb were
also found - Henry Schwegmann, Marie Frey,
and Charles Uter - and found obituaries. The
obituary for Theresa’s second husband, G. A. German New Orleans screenshot
Albert Weiblen Tomb, Metairie Cemetery
Newald, could not be found.
At the Latter Library, Ancestry.Com documentary showed Weiblen’s tomb in Metai-
Library Edition was used to find a copy of the rie Cemetery which looked very similar to the
arrival passenger list for John Gerhrd Schwe- Schwegmann tomb.
gmann. Also found were copies of several of Google was searched for Albert
the original documents used on http://www. Weiblen and information was found that the
usgwarchives.org/la/orleans.htm. Southeastern Architectural Archives (SEAA) at
At the Louisiana Division of New Orleans Tulane had an exhibit in 2007. Kevin Williams
Public Library, the vertical file on Schwegmann of SEAA was consulted to ask if he thought that
stores was requested which was very useful. It Weiblen had created the tomb. He thought so
contained copies of a series of three articles and found the tomb contract signed by G. A.
written by John G. July 28, August 1, and Schwegmann in the Albert Weiblen Marble
August 4, 1969, entitled “Just Like Meeting an and Granite Company Office Records.
Old Friend.” The vertical file also contained At Special Collections in Jones Hall, the
copies of some of the articles that were rerun vertical file for Schwegmann store was request-
in 1978 with additional information as a four- ed and was found to contain transparencies of
teen part series on Wednesdays from June 28 two of the screenshots from the DVD. They had
to September 27. The rest of the series was some information typed below picture.
found on microfilm at Tulane. The author signed up for a fourteen day
The New Orleans Public Library website trial with Ancestry.com and was able to find
was searched where found pictures of 901 Pi- Garret Schwegmann’s great-granddaughter,
ety Street from 1978 were found in the Mark Nancy Lauler. Mrs. Lauler was contacted to
J. Cooper Collection. ask for access to her family tree which pro-
The Tulane library catalog was searched vided extremely useful information. She was
with keywords Germans and New Orleans also very pleased with the information that was
which provided some books and a DVD called provided to her by the author.
German New Orleans, a WYES production from Jody Rome at the Archdiocese of New
2004. Screenshots from the DVD were taken. Orleans Cemeteries was contacted to inquire
The DVD mentioned German Albert Weiblen about the date of construction of the tomb.
who was a tomb and memorial builder. The Their database did not have that information.





Sources for Cities of the Dead
Albert Weiblen Marble and Granite Company Records. Collection 39, Southeastern Architectural
Archive. Jones Hall. Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118.
Ancestry.com Library Edition. Milton H. Latter Memorial Branch. New Orleans Public Library. New
Orleans, LA 70115.
Charles L. Franck / Franck-Bertacci Photographers Collection. The Historic New Orleans Collection.
http://louisdl.louislibraries.org.
Dead Space : Defining the New Orleans Creole cemetery : St. Louis Cemetery No. 1: Guidelines for
Preservation & Restoration. Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, Graduate School of Fine
Arts, University of Pennsylvania, 2002.
Florence, Robert, and Mason Florence. New Orleans Cemeteries: Life in the Cities of the Dead. Batture
Press, 1997.
German New Orleans. Greater New Orleans Educational Television Foundation, 2004.
Huber, Leonard Victor, Mary Louise Christovich, Peggy McDowell, Betsy Swanson, Edith Elliott Long,
Bernard Lemann, and Doyle Gertjejansen. New Orleans Architecture, Volume III: The Cemeteries.
Pelican Publishing, 1974.
Lauler, Nancy. Schwegmann Family Tree. Ancestry.com.
Louisiana Archives. USGen Web Project. http://usgwarchives.org/la/lafiles.htm.
Merrill, Ellen C. Germans of Louisiana. Pelican Publishing, 2005.
Marc J. Cooper Photograph Collection. Louisiana Division. New Orleans Public LIbrary.
http://nutrias.org/photos/cooper/cooper.htm.
Obituaries. The Times-Picayune. Various years. America’s Historical Newspapers. Online database.
Tulane University.
Obituaries. The Times-Picayune. Various years. Microfilm. Tulane University.
Schwegmann, John G. “Just Like Meeting an Old Friend” fourteen part series. The Times-Picayune.
June 28 to September 27, 1978.
Schwegmann Vertical File. Louisiana Division. New Orleans Public Library. New Orleans, LA 70112.
Schwegmann Vertical File. Louisiana Research Collection. Jones Hall. Tulane University. New Orleans,
LA 70118.
Where New Orleans Shopped. Greater New Orleans Educational Television Foundation, 2002.

Living and Dying With Preservation

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Living and Dying With Preservation

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Living and Dying

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Studio in Building Preservation - Master in Preservation studies - Tulane School of Architecture

Studio in Building Preservation - Master in Preservation studies - Tulane School of Architecture

Front cover: Bohemian glass door panel, Grace Episcopal Church.

Living with Historic Preservation

Dying with Historic Preservation

Evergreen Plantation, Wallace Louisiana.

Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

For preservation in the present to remain relevant to future generations, we

Longwood, Natchez, Mississippi. Old State Capitol, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

Living with Historic Preservation

Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

Spring 2010 Field Sessions

Friday February 26 Destrehan and Homeplace Plantations

Friday March 5 Evergreen and Whitney Plantations

Friday March 19 Oak Alley and Laura Plantations

Friday March 26 Felicity and St. Joseph Plantations

Independent Spring Break Visits

Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

National Park Service

Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

National Park Service

Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

Plantations on the Mississippi River from Natchez to New Orleans, 1858

Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

Fort Pike - New Orleans

Citadel and parade grounds. Corner damage.

Top of outer wall. Nutria.

View of lake. Example of cypress log on which the fort is built.

Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

St. Joe Brick Works - Slidell

St. Joe bricks found at Fort Pike Dirt shed.

AutoBrik Machine. Drying shed.

Beehive kiln. Bricks ready for shipment.

Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

Destrehan Plantation - River Road

Main house. Colonial Revival door from 1915.

Bousillage with finger holes. Original bricks from 1790.

Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

Homeplace Plantation - River Road

Creole staircase. Exposed bousillage.

Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

Evergreen Plantation - River Road

Main house. National Historic Landmark. View of garden from rooftop.

Staircase. Pigeonnier and kitchen.

Storm damaged slave cabin. Slave cabins.

Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

Whitney Plantation - River Road

Main house. The Field of Angels.

Exterior wall mural. Ram’s horn or moustache hinge. Slave cabins.

Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

St. Francisville - Natchez Weekend

Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

Natchez - Natchez Weekend

Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

Natchez - Natchez Weekend

Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture