2011 May • Preservation in Print 37
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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underpinnings and historical references,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
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Photos by Mary Fitzpatrick
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