Work has begun on the renovation of Perseverance Hall No. 4, one of the
historic city-owned buildings that have sat vacant and deteriorating in
Armstrong Park. The Preservation Resource Center has signed a Cooperative
Endeavor Agreement with the City of New Orleans to begin construction on
the building. The scope includes major interior repairs, such as masonry tuck
pointing, plaster repair and more, and Trine Builders has already started
work.
The PRC will not be involved in choosing who the city selects as the new
tenant for this building, but our construction efforts will preserve this historic
structure for future use. We are grateful to state Rep. Alonzo Knox for
shepherding a General Fund allocation through the Louisiana Legislature,
making this work possible.
Perseverance Hall No. 4 is the oldest Masonic Hall in the state, and it was
built by free people of color in the early 19th century. Its preservation is
imperative to cultural heritage conservation efforts in New Orleans.
After this successful renovation, we hope the effort to repair Perseverance
Hall will shine a light on the other forgotten “jazz park” structures in
Armstrong Park, which are all in terrible shape and at risk of being lost due to
climate conditions.
The PRC is optimistic about Armstrong Park’s future now that the city has
signed an agreement with the Save Our Soul coalition to being master
planning for the park. We hope that the final plans include the revitalization
and use of all the historic buildings there
