The Pontalba Apartments, built at the request of New Orleans native Micaela Almonester, Baroness de Pontalba (if you look closely, you can see her initials in the intricate wrought iron balcony railings) stand at either side of Jackson Square and consist of the Upper Pontalba building (to your left when facing the Cathedral) and the Lower Pontalba building (to your right when facing the Cathedral). Constructed in the mid-19th century in a style inspired by Parisian architecture, the upper floors of the twin buildings served as residential rowhouses with retail space on the ground floor. Today, part of the Lower Pontalba building is home to the 1850 House, one of several properties that make up the Louisiana State Museum. Open to the public for self-guided tours, the 1850 House offers visitors the best bargain by far of the historical homes in the French Quarter.
The Pontalba Apartment buildings are considered to be the oldest surviving apartments in the U.S. Past tenants of what is now the 1850 House include first tenant, New York merchant Isaac Soria, his wife Hetty and their two grown daughters; Amelia Cammack, widow of Horace Cammack former treasurer of the U.S. Mint, who lived here with four of her five children; and William Hewes, railroad executive and bank president, and his daughters Caroline and Anna.
Following a period of decline and subsequent purchase by cigar manufacturer and philanthropist William Irby, who bequeathed the property to the museum in the 1920s, the house was restored in the 1950s. As a historical museum, the 1850 House now reflects the lavish life-style of an upper middle class family of the mid-19th century.
Your self-guided tour begins in the ground floor museum shop, formerly the 19th century hardware store operated by French immigrant Adolphe Lanauze. Purchase your admission tickets near the main entrance, then continue through the back door, which leads to the courtyard.
Enter the museum through the first door on your right, and make your way to the second floor via the beautiful staircase.
On the second floor you’ll see the Dining Room (on your right at the top of the stairs) decorated with beautiful wooden sideboards, Old Paris porcelain, and locally smithed silver;
and the Parlor (at the end of the hallway) a room where the residents would have entertained their guests. Here you’ll see a hanging ‘gasolier’, musical instruments, such as a harp and piano, a black marble fireplace, and elegant Rococo Revival style furniture, including a marble-topped table from the 19th century Royal Street furniture shop of Irishman William McCracken.
Continue on up to the third floor to see the Lady’s Bedroom (on your right at the top of the stairs) featuring a beautiful 6-piece rose- and lemonwood bedroom set which includes mirrored armoires, marble-topped vanity table and chiffonier, and an eye-catching half-tester bed. The set reportedly belonged to Angèle (Labatut) Puig (she’s the woman depicted in the portrait above the fireplace);
the Nursery (at the end of the hall) features a child’s half-tester bed from the McCracken furniture shop, an early model baby walker, a marble-topped washstand, and a table set for a child’s tea party;
and the Gentleman’s Bedroom (to the right of the Nursery) decorated with Empire style furniture including a four-poster bed, a mirrored dresser, washstand with a barley twist leg, an elegant Ogee arch standing mirror, and a black faux-marble fireplace mantle.
Make your way to the back gallery for a view out over the courtyard, which likely served as additional workspace. Notice the flagstones (replicas of the originals) marking the covered drain that carried waste water to the gutters in the street. Unlike other homes at this time in the French Quarter, such as the Hermann-Grima House, there was no cistern.
Running the length of the gallery is the Service Wing, or former Kitchen Building, which in the 1850s housed storage space, domestic workspace, and the living quarters for servants and slaves.
Return to the second floor where you’ll see one of the cramped and simply decorated rooms that would have served as a bedroom for enslaved workers.
Continue down to the first floor gallery, for a glimpse inside the kitchen, equipped with a rustic wooden table, ladder-back chairs, and a mid-19th century cast iron stove and pie safe.
Getting there:
The 1850 House is located at 523 St. Ann Street, facing Jackson Square.
Ticket Info:
Adult Admission = $3.00; 20% discount with purchase of tickets for two or more museums in the Louisiana State Museum system.
Summary
Reviewer
Mike Young
Review Date
Reviewed Item
The 1850 House
Author Rating
One Trackback
By Things to do in New Orleans - Visit the 1850 Ho... 24 Sep ’16 at 3:12 pm