| :: New Orleans
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Attraction >Landmark
| Madame John's Legacy |
Address:
632 Dumaine St.
| New Orleans | 70116
Region:
New Orleans
Rating:
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More Info
Phone: (800) 568-6968
FAX:
Website
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Description and Basic Information ::
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Of all the buildings in New Orleans, there is no better example of the immigrant influx to New Orleans than Madame John's Legacy. French, Spanish, Italians, and Americans have either lived there or played an important role in the history of this building.
Construction began on the existing building in 1789. It had a succession of owners and existed as a private residence, an apartment building, and an inn. In fact, the newest exhibit at Madame John’s relates the history of the building through its various owners or inhabitants of this site that include the son of a governor, the family of a pirate, immigrants, and a colonial matron.
Madame John’s Legacy received its name from the writings of local author, George Washington Cable. Cable mostly focused on the difficulties that Creoles in New Orleans faced during the antebellum period. He used the building as a backdrop to one of his short stories and the name has stuck to the building ever since.
Many consider Madame John's Legacy the finest example of eighteenth-century architecture in Louisiana. The property is comprised of three buildings: the house, kitchen, and garconniere. The ground floor of the house was used as the living quarters while the second floor was used as a storehouse and work area. The ell-shaped courtyard in the back was used for laundry and other household chores. Walking into the main building causes visitors to be transported to another time and place. It truly makes the imagination wander.
Today, the house is available for tours and it also houses the art collection, Goin Cross My Mind: Contemporary Self-Taught Artists of Louisiana.' This exhibit focuses on 70 paintings, drawings, and sculptures of Louisianans trained outside of the formal art world. Among the artists featured in this collection are MC Jones of Shreveport, James P. Scott of Lafitte, and Sister Gertrude Morgan of New Orleans. |
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:: New Orleans :: |
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