Vieux Carre Survey Case Study
This case study takes a closer look into the social and cultural history of New Orleans and its relationship to the port. Ports have a way of influencing architecture, music, food, and other ways of life. This case looks specifically at City Block 19 of New Orleans to be used a resource to tell the larger story of colonization, urbanization, enslavement, immigration, and disasters.
About the Vieux Carre Survey
The Collins C. Diboll Vieux Carré Digital Survey is an digitized and online version of the Vieux Carré Survey, housed at The Historic New Orleans Collection since 1966. The survey is an in depth study of the land and buildings (properties) located in the French Quarter Created. The images, maps, and other primary sources used are kept in different places, like archives and museums, and The Historic New Orleans Collection.
About the creator
Shine Trabuco, Ph.D. was one of the Derven Scholars with The Historic New Orleans Collection in the summer 2021.
Colonial Era
New Orleans was founded by Jean Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville in 1718 and in 1722, King Louis XV gave a land grant to the Ursuline Nuns. City planners laid out the city in grids bending to the present shape of the river. The city soon became the capital of the territory in 1723, and the same was ceded to Spain.
Spanish, French, and U.S. Territory
The Ursuline Convent was designed under the watch of the royalty and was completed in 1752–1753. The convent is the oldest building in the Mississippi Valley. The convent has also been a school, residency for the archbishop, the archdiocesan central office, and was used by the Louisiana Legislature.
Spanish architecture began to replace the French wooden structures with cement and brick with colonial Spanish styles popular in the Caribbean, Latin America, and other US states colonized by Spain. In 1788 and 1794, two large and destructive fires destroyed most of the remaining French style homes. In 1800, the Spanish gave Louisiana back to France, only to have Napoleon sell the entire Louisiana , to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase.
Development of the Port
New Orleans was the the southern hub for domestic slave trade in the United States in the early 19th century. The city had a large number of auction sites and related business in the French Quarter. Because of this high attention to the area the Quarter was a destination for imported fashion and other goods from Europe, the Northeast and the Midwest. This soon led to more businesses popping up, such as food, beverage and hospitality, becoming a main spot for tourism.
Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction
In 1836, the Ursuline Nuns began selling off parts of their property. This led to the construction of new buildings meant for business and living. The buildings that were there before (besides the convent and sanctuary) were redesigned or knocked down.
In 1850, Mathilde Clothilde Simon, a free woman of color, was the owner of the property 532–534 Governor Nicholls St. Three years later, she purchased another property at 528 Governor Nicholls St. She would be the second owner of the property in its history, buy it from the person who bought it from the Ursuline Convent. During this time period the surnames of the various homeowners depict how diverse the community was; French, Spanish, African, Italian, Latin, German, Anglo, Irish.
Progressive Era
New Orleans' strength in trade was weakened and began to shift to railroad construction, redesigning the port and developing more secure infrastructure in the city. The city made municipal drainage system, water treatment, sewerage, sanitation, public health, and urban beautification. City residents also became interested in the history of the city and began to protect historic sites like parks, buildings, and areas.
