Not many American cities can hold a candle to historic New Orleans house design. Ripe with Queen Anne style residences designed by the iconic architect Thomas Sully, the St. Charles Avenue district is one of the best examples of historic preservation of both architecture and culture.
A main thoroughfare of the famous Mardi Gras parade route, St. Charles Avenue became the heart of New Orleans as the street car was making its major impact there. Primarily in the 1880s and 1890s, the streetcar ruled the road and ran right down the historic thoroughfare. The Victorian, Queen Anne, Antebellum, and Classical Revival architectural styles are all still visibly apparent in the historic district today. As structures age and decay, however, historic preservation of this great character architecture becomes all the more important.
The Mardi Gras parade and the route it follows takes New Orleans’ locals and visitors alike back in time through history to when things were more simple, quaint, and beautiful. For those looking to construct homes along this route today, traditional New Orleans house design needs to be painstakingly followed to preserve the feeling and character of one of the most important historical cities not only in the South but throughout the United States as a whole.
While the St. Charles Avenue historic district is one of the most famous areas for architecture in the country, the city of New Orleans as a whole contains a wealth of architectural gems throughout its various districts. There are actually 20 nationally listed historic districts in the city as well as 15 locally recognized historic districts and countless historic buildings and landmarks dotted throughout. The city is home to various designs and styles of structures that span 300 years of history. For example, at the turn of the 18th century the Creole style found its way into New Orleans, followed by Greek Revival, Italianate, the aforementioned Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, and by the mid-twentieth century, Arts and Crafts.
Whatever style may encompass a certain corner of the city, historic preservation is key to maintain the area’s charm and character. MLM Incorporated, rated as the top contractor in the city, specializes in this service to keep New Orleans looking and feeling the way that it has for centuries now.