2011 May • Preservation in Print  37 www.prcno.org The United States Custom House at 423 Canal St. with its Egyptian Re- vival vaulted masonry structure, built between 1848 and 1881, embodies the historical aspirations and realities of this city in the Mississippi Delta. J. David Waggonner III, FAIA Principal, Waggonner & Ball Architects The Howard Library (built in 1888 from a design by H.H. Richardson and now called the Taylor Library) on Lee Circle at 925 Camp St. has an unusual combination of craftsmanship, fine ma- terials and rigorous scholarship, includ- ing its precise plan with mathematical underpinnings and historical references, which range from Viking ships to Chris- tian and pagan iconography. (2) Errol Barron, FAIA Partner, Errol Barron / Michael Toups Architects I appreciate the Old U.S. Mint at 400 Esplanade Ave. in the French Quar- ter (built 1835) for its proportions and rich evolution of uses retained in the building fabric as it transitioned from the Mint to a federal prison and then a museum. Eean McNaughton, FAIA Principal, E. Eean McNaughton Architects The “building block” of New Or- leans, the shotgun house is a truly sustainable architectural model: often built of recycled materials (boards of wooden barges), raised off the ground to prevent flooding, narrow to provide cross ventilation and high ceilinged to take the hot humid air away from the inhabitants, and each has a uniquely detailed porch on the narrow street end that acts as both an inside-outside room and mask or face to the public realm. (3) F. Macnaughton Ball, Jr., FAIA Principal, Waggonner & Ball Architects Touro Synagogue, built in 1908 by Emile Weil at 4238 St. Charles Ave., is a monumental and beautiful structure tied to a long history of synagogues as a building typology; it houses the sixth oldest Jewish congregation in the United States (founded in 1828) and symbolizes the importance of Jews in the history of New Orleans over several centuries. (7) Kenneth Schwartz, FAIA Favrot Professor of Architecture and Dean, Tulane School of Architecture The circa 1799 Pitot House, 1440 Moss St., on Bayou St. John is a Louisiana French Colonial product of its time and place, rooted in classical principles of cli- matic adaptation and mathematical pro- portion, yet in some ways more delicate than more literal classical forms popular at the time and therefore expressive of a new and distinctly southern edge of form, shape and style. (5) Steven Bingler, AIA Founder, Concordia Architects The original 1833 buildings at Jack- son Barracks (at 6400 St. Claude Ave. between Douglas Street and the Mississippi River), based on a Colo- nial American Indian fort, are unusual to have survived to the degree that they remain intact today. (4) Z. Ames Yeates, AIA Yeates and Yeates Architects The Louisiana State Bank at 403 Royal St. by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, 1820, represents a uniquely modern early 18th century public building; its large domed banking hall is almost Roman in character. Ron Filson, FAIA, FAAR Professor and Dean Emeritus, Tulane School of Architecture Reconstructed in 1788 on the foundations of an earlier house using salvaged materials, Madame John’s Legacy at 632 Dumaine St. in the French Quarter represents an approach to architecture that is responsive to climate and inclusive of varied cultural influences that are the embodiment of New Orleans vernacular still being utilized in con- temporary designs: raised primary floor to address periodic flooding, high ceilings to increase ventilation and air movement, outdoor galleries as extensions of living spaces, a focus on gardens and courtyards and the use of indigenous materials. (1) Wayne Troyer, AIA Wayne Troyer Architects Antoine’s Restaurant at 713 St. Louis St. in the French Quarter, circa 1820, is a microcosm of our city’s and country’s culture, spirit, growth, philosophy, history, culinary and archi- tectural creativity. (6) Harvey George Burns, AIA Jahncke & Burns Architects Architects Speak Out on Their Favorite Historic Buildings in New Orleans 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Photos by Mary Fitzpatrick Ph o to b y A le x L em an n