The Preservation Resource Center has been putting hammers to nails, making progress on important construction projects, and I am excited to share some updates.
Our Revival Grants program, which launched in 2019, proves free home repairs to low to moderate income residents of local historic districts. The program, which is conducted in partnership with the New Orleans Historic Districts Office, seeks to remediate violations, providing residents with safer homes and helping clear their municipal fines.
Our latest success has been for Denise Tate, a resident of the Bywater. Tate is a school bus driver, and she purchased her double shotgun house in the Bywater several years ago with the hopes of leasing one side for extra income. But, unbeknownst to Tate, the house had several city violations from incorrect repairs done by previous owners.
The PRC worked with Franklin Construction and Design to ameliorate these violations, including replacing inappropriate windows and doors, rebuilding the pair of front steps and more. We’re proud to have assisted this lovely resident, and in coming weeks, we forward to completing another Revival Grants project in the holy Cross neighborhood, where we are helping a resident replace compromised windows.
In an exciting update for the Tremé neighborhood, the PRC has signed a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with the City of New Orleans to begin construction on the Perseverance Hall No. 4 building in Armstrong Park. 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.
Finally, architectural plans are complete, and a contractor has been chosen to rebuild Holy Aid and Comfort Spiritual Church of Eternal Life, long known as the Perseverance Benevolent and Mutual Aid Society Hall in the Seventh Ward neighborhood. A site of cultural significance and early jazz history, the property was already in severe disrepair when Hurricane Ida blew down the entire back portion of the building in 2021.
Since then, the PRC has been working with the church’s pastor, Rev. Harold Lewis, to secure grants and raise money to rebuild. With only the façade standing, the PRC has helped Lewis raise $300,000 towards the building’s reconstruction. Thanks once again go to Knox, as some of the state’s allocation will be used toward this project, and also to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which provided a large grant through its Saving Black Churches fund.
More is still needed to complete the project, but soon construction will be underway to stabilize the front and rebuild the frame of the church.
Lewis’ vision for his rebuilt church is an inspiring one: a house of worship that honors the building’s important jazz history, but also acts as a place of respite and community for the neighborhood’s elders. If you are interested in donating to this noble project, please reach out, we’d love to tell you more.
More partnerships for construction work will be announced in coming months. For those of you undertaking your own repairs, be sure to check out our robust fall state of classes and programs that can give you the know-how to get your preservation projects done.
