New Orleans’ 7th Ward was once a multigenerational nucleus of Creole families. Traditions lived in the daily rhythm of the place: elders “stoop settin’” and talking, neighbors gathering at bars and restaurants, and families sharing stories across front rooms, kitchens and sidewalks. With the passage of time — and with storms, rising insurance rates and housing costs — many longtime residents have had no choice but to leave, taking pieces of the neighborhood’s history and culture with them.
Wesley “Kamau” Phillips, known as “Drummer,” began playing with the Mandingo Warriors after hearing them practice near his home at 1718 N. Robertson St. The house has deep community roots. It was originally owned by his great-aunt Rosalie Hébert, co-founder and vice president of Holy Aid and Comfort Church of Eternal Life, which was located in the original headquarters of La Société de la Persévérance on North Villere Street.
“For deeply rooted Creole culture to remain, the homes that hold it must remain, too“
After Hurricane Katrina, an unlicensed and uninsured contractor promised Phillips he could have the house ready by Christmas. The work was left unfinished. Now 72, he would like to stay, but rising costs and needed repairs are making that harder.
Four blocks away, at 1313 St. Anthony St., stands the Montana family home. Big Chief Allison “Tootie” Montana, Darryl Montana’s father, was born there, and family history holds that the first recognized Black Masking Indians emerged from the house in the late 1800s. Allison Montana’s supporters included Ernest “Dutch” Morial, who was born nearby on Touro Street.
Darryl began renovations in 2022, but hazardous infrastructure stalled the work. Instead of preparing to place a historic marker on the house, he is now at the point of leaving the neighborhood. He has lung cancer, and living in a house with mold damage is not safe.
Block after block, these are the stories. Wesley recalled how recent Mardi Gras days have felt eerily quiet. “People don’t come or come late because they live farther away or out of state.” Darryl described the absence of tradition bearers as “having gumbo without the seasoning.” My own family ran a restaurant in the 7th Ward for almost 50 years, preserving Creole foodways and maintaining a neighborhood gathering space. Now, there is a disconnect.
Home repair is also a wealth and equity issue. In “A Profile of Wealth in the New Orleans Metro,” The Data Center notes that home equity makes up a large share of household assets in the New Orleans area, yet disparities in homeownership and property values continue to shape the region’s racial wealth gap. In the New Orleans metro, 49% of Black householders own their homes, compared with 64% of White householders. For longtime homeowners in neighborhoods like the 7th Ward, major repairs can threaten not only a house, but the family history, cultural practice and neighborhood memory rooted there.
In interviews, Wesley and Darryl discussed how difficult it can be to find clear information about grant and loan programs, and to get help completing applications.
The Preservation Resource Center is helping residents navigate those programs by explaining qualifications, deadlines, historic homeownership and upkeep, and by offering online applications, phone assistance and in-person support.
PRC’s home repair programs include Revival Grants, which have assisted 25 families, and the Historic Home Repair Grant. Other resources include the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program, City Council Fortified Roof Gap Funding and Single Family Housing Repair Loans and Grants.
New Orleans’ inclusion on the World Monuments Fund’s Irreplaceable America list recognizes that the city’s distinctive people, spaces and heritage are connected. For deeply rooted Creole culture to remain, the homes that hold it must remain, too.
Dianne Honoré Montana is a member of the Preservation Resource Center’s Board of Directors and a 7th Ward native and culture bearer.
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