Even 97 years ago, New Orleanians couldn’t escape road construction. This photo, taken on this day (July 14) in 1926, shows construction work occurring on the corner of Nashville Avenue and Magazine Street. Today, like much of Magazine street, this is a busy commercial corridor in the city. The building pictured here is 739 Nashville Ave., which has been a pharmacy for many years with an apartment above. The building is easily recognizable for its eclectic mix of styles, blending a Queen Anne-style residence with a Mission-style storefront along Magazine Street. Records indicate that the building was constructed sometime in the first decade of the 1900s. At the time this photograph was taken, 739 Nashville was occupied by Joseph Bowes, his wife Katherine, and their two children. The Bowes’ had been living in the home since around 1920. Joseph, a river boat pilot, passed away at the age of 70 just three months after this photograph was taken.
Historic Photograph taken from the Special Collections of the New Orleans Public Library, present-day photos by Jack Gillespie
