Living and Dying with Preservation

Living and dyingwith historic PreservationAnthony delrosario

Studio in Building Preservation - Master in Preservation studies - tulane school of architecture

Front cover: Bohemian glass door panel, Grace Episcopal Church.Inside front cover: Portland cement and eroded bricks, slave cabin, Magnolia Plantation.Inside back cover: Ruins, Kate Chopin House.Back cover: Floor cloth, Rosedown Plantation.

PRST 6150 Studio in Building Preservation - Spring 2010Master in Preservation StudiesTulane School of ArchitectureProfessors: Eugene D. Cizek, Ph.D., FAIA Heather Knight, M.P.S. Mark W. Thomas III, L.Arch., M.P.S.

Anthony Del RosARio M.P.S. Candidate

Anthony DelRosario - Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

Living and Dying with Historic Preservation - Studio in Building Preservation - Spring 2010 iii

tAble of Contents

Introduction v

Living with Historic Preservation Spring 2010 Field Sessions 2 Maps: Field Sessions Maps 3 National Park Service Maps 5 Historical Map 7 Photographic Essay 9 House Museums 43 Large Scale Sites 49 Materials and Construction 55 Adaptive Reuse 63 New Construction in Historic Settings 67 People of Preservation 71 Future for River Road and Preservation 75 Sources 78

Dying with Historic Preservation

Cities of the Dead: Schwegmann Family Tomb 83 HABS Drawings 90 Sources 94


Living and Dying with Historic Preservation - Studio in Building Preservation - Spring 2010iv

Evergreen Plantation, Wallace Louisiana.


Living and Dying with Historic Preservation - Studio in Building Preservation - Spring 2010 v

Old State Capitol, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.Longwood, Natchez, Mississippi.

IntRoDuCtion

The world in which we live is not static; it is a constantly evolving place. For those involved in preservation, this is one of the most important variables to consider. How do we preserve the past in the present when there is always a future?

During the Spring 2010 semester, the Studio in Building Preservation class ex-amined and considered a number of aspects of cultural resources in Louisiana with a focus on the Great Mississippi River Road. From house museums to houses in dis-repair to outdoor museums to heritage areas, the class studied the successes and the misses of preservation in the region.

For preservation in the present to remain relevant to future generations, we must understand and save, as Professor Eugene Cizek stated, the “continuity and value” of our cultural resources. To do so, we need to maintain not only the who, what, where, and when of cultural resources but also the why.

This document will look at what the class learned how to document, preserve, interpret, and present the why.

-Anthony DelRosario


Living and Dying with Historic Preservation - Studio in Building Preservation - Spring 2010vi


Living and Dying with Historic Preservation - Studio in Building Preservation - Spring 2010 1

Living with histoRiC PReseRvAtion


Living and Dying with Historic Preservation - Studio in Building Preservation - Spring 20102

Spring 2010 Field SessionsFriday February 19 Fort Pike and St. Joe Brick Works

Friday February 26 Destrehan and Homeplace Plantations

Friday March 5 Evergreen and Whitney Plantations

Natchez WeekendFriday March 12 Grace Episcopal Church and Cemetery; Rosedown Plantation; Natchez Historic Foundation; Gaudet Residence

Saturday March 13 Natchez Visitor Reception Center; Longwood; Villa di Caprone; Stanton Hall; Downtown Natchez; St. Mary Cathedral; William Johnson House; Traveler’s Rest

Sunday March 14 Melrose; Natchez Trace; Emerald Mound; Mt. Locust

Friday March 19 Oak Alley and Laura Plantations

Friday March 26 Felicity and St. Joseph Plantations

Independent Spring Break VisitsMonday March 29 Drayton Hall and Aiken-Rhett House - Charleston, South Carolina

Tuesday March 30 Savannah, Georgia

Wednesday March 31 Macon, Georgia and Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site

Friday April 9 Rural Life Museum; Old State Capitol; New State Capitol; StateHistoricPreservationOffice

Natchitoches WeekendSaturday April 17 Vermilionville; Acadian Cultural Center; Downtown Opelousas, Bennett House

Sunday April 18 Cane River National Heritage Area: Kate Chopin House Ruins and Magnolia, Melrose, & Oakland Plantations; Downtown Natchitoches

Monday April 19 National Center for Preservation Technology and Training



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4

5

1. Fort Pike2. St. Joe Brick Works

River Road PlantationsSee detail map.

1. Acadian Cultural Center and Vermilionville2. Historic Downtown Opelousas3. Bennett House4. Cane River National Heritage Area5. Historic Downtown Natchitoches and NCPTT

1. St. Francisville - Grace Episcopal Church and Rosedown2. Natchez - Longwood, Melrose, Stanton Hall, St. Mary Cathedral, William Johnson House3. Natchez Trace - Emerald Mound and Mt. Locust

1. Rural Life Museum2. Old and New State Capitol

Google Maps

Field Sessions



1. Oak Alley Plantation2. St. Joseph Plantation3. Felicity Plantation4. Laura Plantation

5. Whitney Plantation6. Evergreen Plantation7. Homeplace Plantation8. Destrehan Plantation

River Road Plantations

Independent Spring Break Visits

12 3 4

5

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Google Maps

Google Maps



National Park ServiceU.S. Department of the Interior



Plantations on the Mississippi River from Natchez to New Orleans, 1858Louisiana State Museum Map Databasehttp://lsm.crt.state.la.us/lsmmaps



PhotograPhic essay

All photographs and sketches byAnthony DelRosariounless noted



Fort Pike - New Orleans

Citadel and parade grounds. Corner damage.

Example of cypress log on which the fort is built.View of lake.

Top of outer wall. Nutria.



St. Joe Brick Works - Slidell

St. Joe bricks found at Fort Pike Dirt shed.

Bricks ready for shipment.Beehive kiln.

AutoBrik Machine. Drying shed.



Destrehan Plantation - River Road

Main house.

Original bricks from 1790.

Rear of house.Historic house and site donated by Amoco Oil Company.

Bousillage with finger holes.

Colonial Revival door from 1915.



Homeplace Plantation - River Road

Main house. National Historic Landmark. Ground floor secure area with gun holes next to door.

Sketch of pigeonnier.Main floor interior with plywood over termite damaged floors.

Creole staircase. Exposed bousillage.



Evergreen Plantation - River Road

View of garden from rooftop.

Slave cabins.

Pigeonnier and kitchen.

Main house. National Historic Landmark.

Storm damaged slave cabin.

Staircase.



Whitney Plantation - River Road

Main house. The Field of Angels.

Slave cabins.Exterior wall mural. Ram’s horn or moustache hinge.

Only surviving French Creole barn in Louisiana. “Memory” of ceiling painting before restoration.



St. Francisville - Natchez Weekend

Grace Episcopal Church, St. Francisville, Louisiana. Sketch of Egyptian Revival tomb, Grace Episcopal Cemetery.

Interior staircase and wallpaper, Rosedown Plantation.Sketch of dovecote, Rosedown Plantation.

Grace Episcopal Church and Cemetery. Rosedown, Plantation, St. Francisville. National Historic Landmark.



Natchez - Natchez Weekend

Historic Natchez Foundation. Gaudet Residence. New construction designed by Professor Cizek. Natchez.

View up to dome, Longwood.Behind the scenes access to the top, Longwood.

View from Natchez Visitor Reception Center. Longwood, Natchez, Mississippi. National Historic Landmark.




Villa di Caprone, Natchez, Mississippi. Stanton Hall, Natchez, Mississippi. National Historic Landmark.

Hotel Eola. Natchez.William Johnson House, National Park Service, Natchez, Mississippi.

St. Mary Catherdral, Natchez, Mississippi. Trompe l’oeil murals inside St. Mary Cathedral.




Trinity Episcopal Church, Natchez, Mississippi. Water tower seen from Stanton Hall.

Restoration work, Melrose, Natchez, Mississippi.Attic room, Traveler’s Rest, Natchez, Mississippi.

Natchez Under-The-Hill. View from Natchez Under-The-Hill.




Melrose, Natchez, Mississippi. National Historic Landmark. Sketch of Melrose.

Mt. Locust, National Park Service, Natchez Trace.Emerald Mound, Natchez Trace. National Historic Landmark.

Behind the scenes access to the attic, Melrose. Old Natchez Trace.



Donald Roller Wilson painting, Villa di Caprone, Natchez, Mississippi.

Hand painted sign, Franklin St. Package Store, Natchez, Mississippi.




Oak Alley Plantation - River Road

Main house. National Historic Landmark. Alley of oaks.

Barn.Outbuildings.

Peripteral collande. Sketch of the rear of main house.



Laura Plantation - River Road

Main house. Rear of main house.

Maison de reprise.Slave cabins.

House of Thirty marking. Scarf joint.



Felicity Plantation - River Road

Main house. Sketch of main house.

Tin ceiling.Scarf joint.

Rear of house, 2009. Rear of house, 2010.



St. Joseph Plantation - River Road

Main house. Sketch of main house.

Plantation store.Briquette-entre-poteaux construction.

Rear of main house. Sketch of rear of main house.



Drayton Hall -Charleston, S. C.

Drayton Hall, Charleston, South Carolina. National Historic Landmark. Sketch of front of house.

Upper Great Hall.Mantel in Great Hall.

Rear of house. Model of house. Only item in main floors of house.



Aiken-Rhett House - Charleston, S. C.

Aiken-Rhett House, Charleston, South Carolina. Rear courtyard.

Stablized and conserved interior.Faux finish on shutter.

Gothic revival privy. Original exterior faux finish scored to resemble masonry and mortar.

megnificence on flickr.com



National Historic Landmark District - Savannah, Georgia

Colonial Park Cemetery. Sketch of tomb.

Old Chatham County Courthouse on Wright Square.New construction federal building.

Oyster shell walkway in Colonial Park Cemetery. City Hall.



Macon, Georgia and Tuskegee, Alabama

St Joseph Catholic Church and First Baptist Church of Christ, Macon. Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site.

Interactive display, Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site.Historic facade fronting a parking lot, Macon.

Lawrence Mayer Florist, Macon. “Ghosts” of demolished buildings, Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site.



Rural Life Museum - Baton Rouge

Burden Family Home.

New construction exhibit barn.Dog-trot house from central Louisiana.

Germain Bergeron House. Sketch of Acadian House.



Old State Capitol - Baton Rouge

National Historic Landmark. View from River Road. Free-standing staircase.

View from atop Shaw Center for the Arts.Statue of Huey P. Long.

Stained glass rotunda. Senate Chamber.



New State Capitol and SHPO - Baton Rouge

Louisiana State Capitol. National Historic Landmark. Exterior detail, State Capitol.

Exterior detail, Capitol Annex Building.Capitol Annex Building, home of State Historic Preservation Office.

Exterior detail, State Capitol. Interior detail, State Capitol.



Natchitoches Weekend - Lafayette

Acadian Cultural Center, National Park Service, Lafayette, Louisiana. Acadian Cultural Center, National Park Service, Lafayette, Louisiana.

Merlin Fontenot, cultural interpreter, Vermilionville, Lafayette, Louisiana.Le Presbytère, Vermilionville, Lafayette, Louisiana.

Restoration project, Vermilionville, Lafayette, Louisiana. La Maison Broussard, Vermilionville, Lafayette, Louisiana.



Natchitoches Weekend - Opelousas & Alexandria

Old Federal Building, Opelousas, Louisiana. Bennett House aka Bleak House, outside Alexandria, Louisiana.

Matt’s Cabin, outside Alexandria, Louisiana.St. Landry Parish Courthouse, Opelousas, Louisiana.

Greek Revival law office, Opelousas, Louisiana. Old Bennettville Store, outside Alexandria, Louisiana.



Natchitoches Weekend - Cloutierville

Ruins of Kate Chopin House. Birdhouse version of Kate Chopin House.

Vernacular building, Cloutierville, Louisiana.Vernacular building, Cloutierville, Louisiana.

Carpenter bee holes in bousillage on Bayou Folk Museum barn. Burned Bayou Folk Museum sign.



Natchitoches Weekend - Magnolia Plantation

Store, Magnolia Plantation. Full site is National Historic Landmark. Sketch of Magnolia Plantation Store.

Portland cement and eroded bricks on slave/tenant cabin.Slave/tenant cabin.

Blacksmith shop and pigeonnier. Cotton Gin/Press Barn.



Natchitoches Weekend- Melrose Plantation

Yucca House, Melrose Plantation. Full site is National Historic Landmark. New gutter, Yucca House.

Sketch of African House.African House.

Carpenter bee holes in bousillage, Yucca House. Scarf joint, Yucca House.



Natchitoches Weekend - Oakland Plantation

Main house. Full site is National Historic Landmark. Mule barn.

1950s interior of main house.1950s interior of main house.

Bousillage wall of pigeonnier. 1950s interior of main house.



Natchitoches Weekend - Downtown Natchitoches

Roque House. Bousillage and poteaux-en-selles construction, Roque House.

Old Courthouse.Church of the Immaculate Conception.

Stair case. Natchitoches Parish Courthouse.



Natchitoches Weekend - NCPTT, Natchitoches

National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, Natchitoches. Preservapedia, NCPTT.

Atmospheric conditions lab, NCPTT.Atmospheric conditions lab, NCPTT.

Clean lab, NCPTT. Dirty lab, NCPTT.



Sketches

Slave quarters, Evergreen Plantation. Slave quarters, Evergreen Plantation.

Rear elevation, Mt. Locust.Front elevation, Mt. Locust.

Front elevation, Felicity Plantation. Side elevation, Felicity Plantation.



house MuseuMs



Many sites visited by the class through-out the semester are house museums that in-clude Destrehan, Oak Alley, Laura, St. Joseph, Longwood, Stanton Hall, Melrose (Natchez), Mt. Locust, and Rosedown. They are run by a rangeoforganizationssuchasnot-for-profits(River Road Historical Society - Destrehan, Oak Alley Foundation, Pilgrimage Garden Club - Longwood and Stanton Hall), private enterprise (Laura Plantation Company, St. Joseph Plant-ing and Manufacturing Company), the State of Louisiana (Rosedown), and the National Park Service (Melrose, Mt. Locust). All of these homes are interpreted to the antebellum era but differ in the manner of presentation. Several houses cater to what Professor Cizek calls the idea of “Moonlight and Magnolias” such as Stanton Hall and Long-wood by using guides in period costume to give a scripted tour of roped off rooms. The tours at each house focus on the family or families that owned the house with cursory mention of slavery. At Oak Alley, in addition to women in hoop skirts, mint juleps are offered for sale to take inside the house during the tour. Also, photographs are not allowed inside of these house museums None of the these three houses offer a program in heritage education for school children.

Mt. Locust.“Moonlight and Magnolias” by Mort Künstler.

Oak Alley.



Other houses offer tours with guides not required to wear period costumes. At Melrose and Mt. Locust where most rooms are roped off, the tour is led by a National Park ranger. At St. Joseph, often a member of the Wagues-pack family that owns St. Joseph Planting and Manufacturing Company leads the tour through the house which is not roped off. The tour at Rosedown passes through each room with only one room having sections roped off where the originalcarpetisonthefloor.Rosedownhasa history program for school groups and Mt. Locust has a daily interpretive program while Melrose and St. Joseph do not offer heritage programs. However, St. Joseph has a large

Melrose.Rosedown.

display about the history of sugar cane indus-try and a small display about H. H. Richard-son, the famous architect that was born on the nearby Priestly Plantation. Destrehan and Laura are the two that offer the best history education selection. Destrehan has craft demonstrations by cos-tumed artisans six days of the week in addi-tion to the daily tours led by costumed guides. Also, Destrehan offers a robust heritage pro-gram for all grade levels from kindergarten to eighth grade as well as a weekend of heri-tage days in the spring and in the fall. Of all these house museums, Laura offers the richest story with its “Creole Family Saga” tour using

Listening to park ranger, Mt Locust.History of sugar cane industry, St. Joseph.



Laura.Buildings for artisan interpretation, Destrehan.

information gathered from 5,000 pages of documents that were found in the French Na-tional Archives, from oral histories from family members who lived on this plantation, and from the memoirs of Laura Locoul. Two specialty themed historical tours are available that cover the effects of slavery on those that lived on the plantation and the role of four generation of women owners. During spring break, the author visited two unique sites in Charleston, South Carolina - Drayton Hall and the Aiken-Rhett House. Built on the shores of the Ashley River from 1738 to 1742, Drayton Hall is the oldest surviving example of Georgian-Palladian architecture in the United States. The house had been virtu-ally unaltered when the National Trust for His-toric Preservation purchased the property from the Drayton Family in 1974. Unbelievably, electricity and plumbing were never added; however, now the house has very minimal elec-tricalwiringtopowerfireandintruderalarms.The Trust made the unprecedented decision to preserve the house as it was received. Thus, thehousewasnotrestoredtoreflectanysingleperiod. Instead of restoration or recreation, the focus of preservation is stabilization and

conservation. Three major projects have cen-tered on the mid 19th century plaster ceiling in the Great Hall, the late 19th century interior painting throughout the house, and the 18th centuryexteriormasonry.Theupperfloorsofthe house are empty except for a model of the house in the Great Hall and benches in one room and the basement is empty except for a display about joining the Friends of Drayton Hall. Recently, the National Trust purchased the land across the river from the grounds to ensure the unadulterated view from the house. Several different heritage education programs are available at Drayton Hall. The author saw a number of school groups taking advantage of the educational opportunities. The Aiken-Rhett House is the most intact townhouse complex in Charleston. Built in 1818 and expanded in the 1830s and 1850s, the house has been virtually unaltered since 1858. The house remained in the Aiken-Rhett Family for the entirety until being donated in 1975 to the Charleston Museum who initially intended to completely restore the building. After years of fundraising for various projects, the museum decided in the late 1980s to conserve the originalhistoricfabriconthefirstfloorandalsomade a proposal, but never carried out, to



Homeplace.

Plaster ceiling, Drayton Hall. Room with benches, Drayton Hall.

usethesecondfloorasanexhibitionspaceofdecorative arts. The Historic Charleston Foun-dation assumed ownership in 1995 after the financialburdenwastoomuchfortheCharles-ton Museum. The HCF decided to restore only the the art gallery which had suffered exten-sive water damage and conserve and stabilize the rest of the interior following the precedent set at Drayton Hall. The exterior was restored to its 1858 appearance since the exterior was in a state of decay that was allowing moisture to migrate to the interior. The tour of the house is an audio tour. Heritage education opportu-nities are offered for Girl Scouts to earn their local lore patch.

The type of interpretation at Drayton Hall and the Aiken-Rhett House could be con-sidered for Homeplace. If the house were stabilized and made safe, Homeplace con-served with its historic fabric would make for an excellent complement to Destrehan since the two were possibly constructed by the same free man of color, Charles Paquet. This would make Homeplace unique among the River Road plantations.

Restored exterior faux finish, Aiken-Rhett House.



large scale sites



Site map, Oakland, NPS.Site plan, Evergreen, HABS.

In addition to house museums, the class visited several large scale sites that were ei-ther intact plantation settings or outdoor mu-seum collections. A range of experiences were provided by Evergreen Plantation, Whitney Plantation, Rural Life Museum, Vermilionville, Magnolia Plantation, and Oakland Plantation. Evergreen is a rare example of a plan-tationcomplexwithasignificantnumberofoutbuildings. In particular, Evergreen has the largest number of antebellum buildings, as most of the few other large complexes are from the late nineteenth century, and has the largest row of slave cabins in the South. This unique complex is open to public; however, only two tours are offered on six days of the week. Since owner Matilda Gray Stream still stays at Evergreen occasionally, the planta-tion tour is not promoted as heavily as tours of other plantations along River Road. Ever-greenrepresentsafineexampleofaprivatelyowned National Historic Landmark that pro-vides cultural and academic access. Evergreen does not have a heritage education program aimed at school children; however, Evergreen does have a public archeology project and an oral history collection project. Two large intact plantations are located in the Cane River Creole National Historical

Park which is part of the Cane River National Heritage Area in Natchitoches Parish. Oak-land and Magnolia Plantations, now under the administration of the National Park Service, “owe their physical integrity to the families that kept them intact for seven and eight genera-tions” (NPS CRCNHP). Both plantations were designated as a National Bicentennial Farm by an Act of Congress in 1988 as part of the 200thAnniversaryCelebrationoftheRatifica-tion of the U.S. Constitution. Magnolia, continually owned by descen-dants of Jean Baptiste LeComte II until sold to the NPS, has rare structures such as the row of masonry slave cabins and the last in situ wooden screw-type cotton press in the United

Site map, Magnolia, NPS.



Cell phone tour, Magnolia and Oakland, NPS.Map, Cane River National Heritage.

States. Self-guided tours are available with a large site plan and description as well as a cell phone tour. Although the main house of Mag-nolia is not part of the park, Betty Hertzog, a descendant of the LeComtes, still lives in the main house and offers guided tours. Oakland was owned by the Prud’homme family until purchased by the NPS in 1998. This plantation is unique in the domains of parks operated by the NPS and of interpre-tativehousemuseums.Oaklandwasthefirstnational park focused on the story of Creoles. Also, Oakland is a rare example of a post-Civil War interpretation and the only example of a 1960s interpretation. This uniqueness can be attributed to the continuity of ownership by a single family. According to the ranger at Oakland,theatticofthemainhousewasfilleditems from several generations since the family never moved away. As with Magnolia, Oak-

land offers self-guided tours and cell phone tour. In addition, guided tours of the main house are available. Cane River Creole National Historical Park offers heritage education programs that can be customized to meet the needs of groups according to size and time constraints. One pre-designed program is entitled “Daily Life of a Sharecropper” which allows students to experience the activities of a sharecropper in-cludingcottonpicking,learningfieldsongs,andshopping at the plantation store. This program meets the Louisiana standards of learning for grades 3-6. In addition to the intact sites, the class visited three outdoor museum settings. Two of these are within the limits of the cities in which they are located and one is a rural setting. Vermilionville, located on the banks of Bayou Vermilion, is a Cajun/Creole heritage and folklife park located near the Lafayette airport. The park is laid out as historic village that depicts life in the Acadiana area between 1765 and 1890. The grounds contain about twenty structures with about a third of these being restored original buildings. Costumed interpreters are in several buildings where they demonstrate traditional crafts. The park is densely arranged with concrete walkways. Vermilionville feels like theme park - a Cajun



Williamsburg. The park provides an Interpre-tative Walking Tour brochure with detailed information in English and French and a large site map. A variety of programs are offered for school groups. For an additional experi-ence, the Acadian Cultural Center is adjacent to the park. Here the National Park Service relates stories of the Acadians and other area groups. The Rural Life Museum is within the city limits of Baton Rouge but sits on a 450 acre tract, once known as Windrush Planta-tion, donated by the Burden Family. A newly constructed barn houses a large collection of artifacts of rural life from prehistoric times to the twentieth century including paintings by folk artist Clementine Hunter. The outdoor section of the Rural Life Museum is composed of three main areas - Windrush Gardens and Burden Home, the Working Plantation, and the Louisi-

ana Folk Architecture collection. The plantation and folk architecture buildings were orphaned buildings from Louisiana that would have been demolished if not moved to the museum. The museum offers maps for self-guided tours as well group tours. The Rural Life Museum does not have costumed interpreters nor concrete walkways seen at Vermilionville. This summer a Rural Life Apprentice Program will be offered where Louisiana craftsmen will teach children traditional folk arts. Whitney Plantation is on River Road about one mile from Evergreen Plantation. Lawyer John Cummings is the owner of Whitney and a chaotic collection of orphaned build-ings. Among the plantation’s original buildings are the main house with rare exterior murals, the last surviving French Creole barn, and the oldest kitchen in Louisiana. Cummings has collected a number of buildings including sev-

Site map, Vermilionville, Lafayette Parish Bayou Vermilion District.



eral slave cabins and a church. The vision that Cummings has for Whitney is a mixture of the Rural Life Museum, Cane River Creole National Historical Park, and a slave memorial. Like the Rural Life Museum, Whitney is a building or-phanage but with less cohesion. Like the share-cropper program at Cane River, Cummings wants to provide a hands-on experience but in the harsher view as a slave. Plans for the slave memorial include inscribing into granite slabs all of the names of the slaves from Louisiana, creating a Field of Angels dedicated to the 2200 slave infants that died before reaching the age of two in St. John the Baptist Parish, and making realistic statues of slave children. The vision for Whitney comes from only Cum-mings. With a board of administrators, a bet-ter focused plan could be created for the site which is full of educational possibilities.

Cemetery, Vermilionville.

Cemetery gate pieces, Whitney.

Cemetery, Rural Life Museum.

Classmate with slave children statues, Whitney.



Materials and Methods



Sketch of exposed bousillage, Homeplace. Bousillage, Germain Bergeron House. Bousillage, Armand Brousssard House.

Theclasssawfirsthandanumberofmaterials and methods, both traditional and non-traditional.Oneofthefirstsimilaritiesseen among site visits was the French Creole raised cottage style of Destrehan, Homeplace, Laura, and St. Joseph. The class learned that Destrehan, Homeplace, and Laura were possi-bly all constructed a free man of color, Charles Paquet. From the four plantation homes, two distinctive construction methods can be found. Along River Road, Destrehan and Home-place are both bousillage-entre-poteaux con-struction in which a mixture of mud or clay with spanish moss or sometimes animal hair is hung

on sticks between large timber-frame posts. This method was also seen in Acadiana (Ger-main Bergeron House - moved to Rural Life Museum from Bayou Lafourche, Amand Brous-sard House - moved to Vermilionville from 25 miles away) and in central Louisiana (black-smith shop - Magnolia, Yucca House - Melrose, pigeonnier - Oakland, Roque House - down-town Natchitoches). The bousillage of central Lousiana is a different color from that found in southern Louisiana due to a higher content of iron oxide in the clay. Also, the bousillage of central Louisiana tends to attract carpenter bees. On River Road, Laura and St. Joseph

Bousillage, Roque House.Bousillage, blacksmith shop, Magnolia.



Moat and outer wall, Fort Pike.

Brick between post, Felicity. Brick between post, Felicity, St. Joseph. Brick between post, Laura.

Corner damage, Fort Pike.

are both briquette-entre-poteaux construction wherebricksareusedasinfillbetweenlargetimber-frame posts. This method was seen at several other sites on River Road including Fe-licity, pigeonniers at Whitney, and the Mialaret House at Whitney. Another construction method seen at sev-eral sites was the Norman truss roof. Destrehan has an unrestored room for educational pur-poses that includes a window to the attic to see the Norman truss roof in addition to exposed plaster and exposed bousillage. A Norman truss was also seen at the French Creole barn of Whitney, Evergreen, and St. Joseph.

In Slidell, the class visited St. Joe Brick Works which has been in operation since 1891. The company continues to make moulded face brick using a machine that is nearly 100 years old. Brick from St. Joe was found at the nearby Fort Pike and as far away as the Afri-can House at Melrose outside Natchitoches. In addition to seeing the manufacture process of bricks, the class saw several sites facing vari-ous masonry problems. Fort Pike has several areas of severe damage, including the outer wall and two corners, due to the fact that the inner part of the fort was built on cypress logs that rise and fall slightly with the tide and that



St. Joe Brick Works. St. Joe Brick at African House.

during some restoration time the outer wall was cemented to the inner part. Oak Alley faces severe masonry dam-age as well. To make the matter worse, im-proper repair methods are being used. The brick columns that surround the house are being repaired with Portland cement which is causing more damage and in turn is causing some of the columns to buckle. Also, at Magnolia, the use of Portland cement on a slave cabin has created a lace-like pattern of cement where the softer brick has eroded away. The use of the cement at Magnolia was probably from decades ago while the use of cement at Oak

Alley is occuring currently. Magnolia does however have two exam-ples of inadequate contemporary work. First, the steel beams added to the barn that houses the cotton gin and press is more than is needed and takes away from the purity of the building. Second is the poorly place wheelchair eleva-tor at the overseer’s house. The lift should have been placed in the back of the building by the additions. Likewise at Oakland, a poorly placed wheelchair elevator detracts from the main house. In addition, the historic gallery railings have been reinforced with pieces of wood that have been painted white and green

Oak Alley Oak Alley. Cotton gin/press barn, Magnolia.



Gallery rail, Oakland.Portland cement lace, Magnolia.

Overseer’s house, Magnolia. Main house, Oakland.

to match the original. Traditional methods have been under-taken at Evergreen, Felicity and Laura. Failure of exterior and interior paint at the main house of Evergreen has been mostly solved with the use of traditional lime wash. However, the modern enclosure of the rear loggia has a few problem areas where water is being forced inside instead of evaporating on the outside. Also at Evergreen, Charles Lesher of Milton Freewater has been restoring the staircase and making spindles that will wick less moisture. The class saw the results of major restoration at Felicityandtheproductofthepost-firerecre-

Laura.



Yucca House.Melrose.

Felicity, 2009. Felicity, 2010.

ation of Laura by Milton Freewater using tradi-tional methods. Major repair work was also under way at Melrose in Natchez and at Yucca House at Melrose outside Natchitoches. The work at Melrose started as a paint job to recreate the pink and tan faux marble grain that the house had originally. However, during preparatory workoffixingawaterleak,majordamagewas discovered from the copper gutters and slateroof.ThefloorYuccaHousewasbeingcompletely replaced. Also, new gutters were being created for the house. At the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, the class visited vari-ous laboratories where materials are tested.

Norman truss roof, Evergreen



Staircase spindles, Evergreen. Charles Lesher and Professor Knight examing water damage, Evergreen.

Norman truss roof, Destrehan. Norman truss roof, French Creole barn, Whitney.

Non-contact 3-D digitizer, NCPTT. Where can we see bousillage?, Oakland.



adaPtive reuse



Several successful adaptive reuse sites werevisitedbytheclass.InNatchez,theoffic-es of the Historic Natchez Foundation is located in the former Natchez Institute Building. Also located in Natchez is the federal courthouse which had been the Opera House, a building that the Foundation owned for seventeen years waiting for the right project to be proposed for it. The class was welcomed to a party at Traveler’s Rest, outside of Natchez, which had once been an inn for those traveling the Nat-chez Trace by foot or by horseback. The Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge has been beauti-fully restored and now houses the Museum of Political History. Outside of Alexandria, the class saw the old Bennettville store which has been converted to an artist studio. A site that is full of possibilities for adaptive reuse is Felicity. Currently, the exte-rior of the house is being restored by Milton Freewater Construction. The interior is not cur-rently being restored but needs a good deal of attention. The Waguespack Family, owners of St. Joseph Planting and Manufacturing Company which owns Felicity, are open to ideas for the beautiful Greek Revival building. Possible uses for the building include bed and breakfast, restaurant, reception facility, or a combination of these. Including at least a restaurant would be a good idea since Oak Alley is the only plantation with a restaurant of the three that offer tour along River Road in Vacherie. Another option for Felicty could also in-clude creating a grand garden in tribute to Le Petit Versailles de la Louisiane, the lavish gar-dens that Valcour Aime created nearby in the 1840s.

Federal courthouse, formerly Opera House, Natchez.

Historic Natchez Foundation.

Old State Capitol.



Bennettville Store.

Felicity.



new construction inhistoric settings



The class saw several examples of new construction in historic settings. In downtown Natchez, large scale examples were the new Natchez Convention Center and the new Nat-chez Grand Hotel. Neither of these was very inspired. The large hotel is a fairly simple de-sign using red bricks and does not have a sense of grandeur that a hotel with the name Grand Hotel should have. The convention center has façades that mimic the blocks of storefronts elsewhere in downtown Natchez. The façades look so real that the convention center is practically camou-flaged.Instead,theexterioroftheconventioncentershoulddefinethepurposeofthebuild-ing. An example of residential new construction that the class saw is the Gaudet Residence that Professor Cizek designed. The house, which sits

on the bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, looks modern but respects the massing of the neighboring houses. The group saw interesting projects on Jefferson Street in downtown Natchitoches, the main street of the historic district that runs along Cane River. First, the group considered a new construction building at the end of the commercial blocks of Jefferson Street. The site which had previously been a Ford dealership is nowfilledwithalargebuildingthathascom-mercialspaceonthefirstfloorandcondomini-umsontheupperfloors.Themassingofthebuilding relates to the rest of the block; how-ever,façadeandbalconiesdonotquitefit.In-stead of balconies created from the façade of the building to edge of the sidewalk to match the other buildings, the building has balconies

Natchez Convention Center.



that start at the façade and go towards the inside of the building. Second, the group considered a historic building in the middle of the commercial stretch of Jefferson Street. The owners of this build-ing turned down historic tax credits in order to build the balconies as they wanted. The balconies were not constructed in the historic manner as those along Jefferson Street and the “curved” corners of the balconies are not smooth curves. In addition to the these large scale examples, the class saw a bank on 2nd Street with very bad faux-historic galleries.

Condominiums at the end of Jefferson Street, Natchez. Condominiums at the end of Jefferson Street, Natchez.

City Bank and Trust Company, Natchez. City Bank and Trust Company, Natchez.

Oddly “curved” corners, Natchez.



PeoPle of Preservation



Over the semester, the class met a vari-ety of people that are enthusiastic about their roles in preservation. Jordan, grounds keeper at Fort Pike, showed his passion for the site which he has know since childhood. At Destre-han, Educational Director Angie Matherne ex-plained their heritage education program and thanked the M.P.S. candidates that had been volunteering. At St. Joe Brick Works, half of the class was led on a tour by a zealous Chris Schneider, member of the Schneider Family which has owned the business for over a century. Oc-togenarian Mr. Keller welcomed the class to Homeplace and regaled the class with stories of his childhood in the house. The Schneider Family and Mr. Keller are wonderful examples ofcontinuityofhistoryfromfirsthandaccounts. At Whitney, the class met trial lawyer John Cummings who is extremely enthusiastic about saving orphaned buildings. His zealous-ness, however, has led to a chaotic collection. The class met two men from Milton Free-water Construction which has helped restore Laura, Evergreen, and Felicity Plantations. Charles Lesher explained the work that he was doing on the front staircase at Evergreen and

led the class to the belvedere where he will be restoring the railing. Steven Scott met the class at Felicity to talk about the major exterior restoration of Felicity. Charles and Steven are dedicated to keeping alive traditional methods in their restoration work. At Rosedown State Historic Site, half of the class was led on tour by a woman that has been studying Rosedown for over thirty years. Despiteherroboticinflection,shewasexcitedto be working at her lifelong passion. Enthusi-astic National Park Service rangers welcomed the class at Melrose in Natchez and Oakland. At Melrose, Ranger Melissa Tynes led the class

Chris Schneider, St. Joe Brick Works. Sketch of Mr. Keller, Homeplace. Mr. Keller, Homeplace, 2009.

John Cummings, Whitney.



to a behind the scenes look at the attic. At Oakland,RangerNathanHatfieldprovidedanarchitectural focused tour. Several people invited the class to their private homes. The class was treated to par-ties in Natchez by Mary Jane and Ed Gaudet at their residence, by Bob Cannon and Wayne Bryant at their home, Villa di Caprone, and by Wendall Weeden and Steve Cook at Traveler’s Rest. Kathryn and Scott Anderson welcomed the class to their home, Bennett House, and stu-dio, the old Bennettville store, near Alexandria. The class met several people at two of themostimportantgovernmentofficesinLouisi-

Party at Traveler’s Rest. Professor Cizek and Andy Ferrell, NCPTT.

ana. In Baton Rouge, several employees made a presentation about different facets of the LouisianaStateHistoricPreservationOffice.In Natchitoches, the class visited the National Center for Preservation Technology and Train-ing and met people from the four main pro-grams of the center. At the Historic Natchez Foundation, Mimi Miller provided an introduction to Natchez through a pictorial history of the foundation. These people, directly or indirectly, are involved with preserving cultural resources of the region and showed their passion to the class.

Charles Lesher, Evergreen. Steven Scott, Felicity. Ranger Hatfield, Oakland.Bryan Block



future for river roadand Preservation



Studio in Buidling Preservation class and friends, Stanton Hall, Natchez.Mark Thomas



Heritage Education Program, Destrehan. Heritage Education Program, Destrehan.

Destrehan Brochure Destrehan Brochure

As M.P.S. candidates, the class is the near future of preservation. However, one must to look to the youth as the long term future for preserving the cultural resources of the world. To do so, we must instill the value of why these resources matter. This can be accomplished through heritage education programs such as the successful program at Destrehan. And to have a successful program, we need the historic fabric to provide the tangible items and places toprovideafirsthandsetting.Onecannotsur-vive without the other. As shown by Destrehan, River Road can be an ideal setting for relating these exepri-ence to young and old alike. But what is in store for the future of River Road? The U.S. Depart of Transportation has named this corridor part of the Federal High-way Administration’s National Scenic Byways Program. A designation that could bring even

In both city and country young people are all too often part of a throwaway society that values nothing except immediacy and hence misprizes the lines running from the past that could project a continuity into the future. Professor Cizek “Why Historic Preservation?”

more recogintion is national heritage area sta-tus. As witnessed at Cane River, private and publicly owned sites work together to create a succesful partnership that conserves and pro-motes the local cultural landscape. Here, NPS sites, state sites, and other sites contribute to thenationalsignificanceofthearea. Bringing in the NPS to River Road is a key element. One possibilty would be to allow the NPS to assume control of Homeplace and create a site similar to Drayton Hall. However, any future of River Road may be made null and void due to the current en-vironmental disaster from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Charles Lesher said that Laura continued to draw tourists the day following thefire,however,tourismvirtuallystoppedforseveral months after Katrina due to lack of people coming to New Orleans. We have a while to see how the oil spill plays out and will affect the region.



Sources for living with PReseRvAtion

Acadian Cultural Center Website. <http://www.nps.gov/jela/new-acadian-cultural-center.htm>.

Cane River Creole National Historical Park Website. <http://www.nps.gov/cari/index.htm>.

Cane River National Heritage Area Travel Itinerary. <http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/ caneriver/index.htm>.

Cane River National Heritage Area Website. <http://www.caneriverheritage.org>.

Cane River National Heritage Area Website. <http://www.nps.gov/crha/index.htm>.

Cizek, Eugene Darwin. “Why Historic Preservation?” Louisiana Buildings, 1720-1940. Ed. Jessie J. Poesch and Barbara SoRelle Bacot. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1997. 342-348.

DelRosario, Anthony. Fields Studies Journal.

DelRosario, Anthony. Fields Studies Papers.

DelRosario, Anthony. Fields Studies Photographs.

DelRosario, Anthony. Fields Studies Sketches.

Destrehan Plantation Website. <http://www.destrehanplantation.org>.

Drayton Hall. <http://www.draytonhall.org>.

Evergreen Plantation Website. <http://www.evergreenplantation.org>.

Explore the History and Culture of Southeastern Louisiana: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary. <http://www.nps.gov/history/NR/travel/louisiana/index.htm>.

Historic Charleston Foundation. Grandeur Preserved: The House Museums of Historic Charleston Foundation. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2008.

Historic Charleston Foundation. <http://www.historiccharleston.org/experience/arh>.

Laura Plantation Website. <http://www.lauraplantation.com>.



Library of Congress Historic American Buildings Survey Collection Website. <http://memory.loc. gov/ammem/collections/habs_haer>.

Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation’s National Register Website. <http://www.crt.state. la.us/hp/nhl/default.htm>.

LouisianaOfficeofHistoricPreservationWebsite.<http://www.crt.state.la.us/hp>.

Louisiana State University Rural Life Museum Website. <http://rurallife.lsu.edu>.

Natchez National Historical Park Website. < http://www.nps.gov/natc/index.htm>.

Natchez Trace Parkway Website. <http://www.nps.gov/natr/index.htm>.

National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. <http://www.ncptt.nps.gov>.

National Scenic Byways Online. <http://www.byways.org>.

Oak Alley Plantation Website. <http://www.oakalleyplantation.com>.

Pilgrimage Garden Club Website. < http://www.stantonhall.com>.

St. Joseph Plantation Website. <http://www.stjosephplantation.com>.

Vermilionville Website. <http://www.vermilionville.org>.



Dying with histoRiC PReseRvAtion



Schwegmann Family Tomb:Historic American Buildings Survey Documentationin St. Roch Cemetery No. 1

cities of the dead



The Cemetery

St. Roch Cemetery No. 1 is located at 1725 St. Roch Avenue in the New Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana. The cemetery was started by Father Peter Leonard Thevis when his largely German Catholic congregation at Holy Trinity Church was spared from the yellow fever epidemic after having prayed for intervention from St. Roch, one of the “Fourteen Holy Helpers” and was reported to have performed cures of the plague during the 14th century. Father Thevis designed the cemetery after Campo Santo dei Tedeschi in Rome and the cemetery opened in 1874. He also designed a chapel as a shrine to St. Roch and constructed it with the help of his congregation. A second part of the cemetery opened in 1895.

The Tomb

The Schwegmann Family Tomb can be found in St. Roch Cemetery No. 1 in plot numbers8and9inSquareConSt.BonificeWalk. The tomb is adjacent to the Screwmen’s Benevolent Association Society Tomb.

The Schwegmann Family Tomb is a pedi-ment tomb which, according to Dead Space : Defining the New Orleans Creole Cemetery : St. Louis Cemetery No. 1: Guidelines for Pres-ervation & Restoration, is “a multiple vault tomb whose height is greater than its width and whose top is surmounted by an integrated frontgableendpedimentorflat,triangularor segmented design.” The tomb is construct-ed of Dorian Gray granite according to the specificationsfromtheAlbertWeiblenMarbleand Granite Company contract with the fam-ily. Three variations of the granite are on thetomb:rusticated,polished,andflamecut.The granite probably came from the Albert Weiblen Marble and Granite Company stone quarry in Stone Mountain, Georgia. According to the tomb contract found in thecompanyrecords,thespecificationsstatethat the “Granite is to be set on a full bed of Mortar [sic], composed of Portland cement, and clean sharp sand, and along the outer edge, sheet lead, set in a careful and workman like manner, plumb and straight.” The original mortar has been replaced with neoprene or rubberizedcaulk.Thespecificationsalsostatethat “All granite work to be solid piece and to

St. Roch Cemetery No. 1 Tomb Contract, Southeastern Architectural Archive



have the proper drip all the way aroung [sic].” Professor Knight noticed the drip edge when she happened to look up at the author while on top of the tomb taking measurements. The drip edge keeps rain water from eroding the side of the tomb by causing the running water to drip about two inches from the sides. Other than some slight discoloration of the polished granite on the door and pilasters, the Schweg-mann Tomb is in great shape and is maintained through Perpetual Care Program with the Arch-diocese of New Orleans paid by the George August Schwegmann family. The tomb has settled slightly in the back so that it leans back about one degree off vertical.

The Family

A number of North German tribes used the word “schwegman” which apparently de-scended from antiquity. As used by the Jutes, the word “schweg” means axe. The modern English word “wedge” is derived from it (Laul-er). The Schwegmann Tomb is the burial place of seven members of the family: patri-arch Garret Schwegmann; his wife Mary Hen-

ke;fouroftheirfivechildrenGeorgeAugust,John William, Mary, and Theresa; and George August’s wife Annie Emmer. This Schwegmann family can be traced to John Gerhrd (Garret/George/Gerald) Schwegmann’s arrival in Louisiana October 29, 1860, according to Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New Orleans, Louisiana, 1820-1902. The passenger list notes that the port of departure was Bremerhaven, Germany, the ship name was Senator Iken, and the port of arrival was New Orleans. According to a family tree on Ancestry.com constructed by one of Garret’s great-granddaughters, Garret’s older brother Bernh came to New Orleans from Germany on February 13, 1881. They had a sister Catherine who remained in Germany.

Drip Edge, Schwegmann Family Tomb John W. Schwegmann Tomb, Metairie Cemetery

Garret Schwegmann Mary Henke and sons

Ancestry.com

Ancestry.com Ancestry.com



In 1969, grandson John G. Schwegmann wrote a series of three articles for The Times-Picayune entitled “Just Like Meeting an Old Friend” which he expanded to a fourteen part seriesin1978.Inthefirstoftheexpandedseries, John G. related a short biography of his grandfather, John George (Garret) Schwe-gmann, who was born August 2, 1839 in Os-nabruck, Hanover, Germany. After arriving in New Orleans, Garret, a carpenter by trade, took a job cleaning privies. He enlisted in the Union Army – Company “D” of the Second Regiment, Louisiana Infantry – on August 29, 1862. He was wounded in battle at Marks-ville, Louisiana in May 1864 and was honor-ably discharged in September 1865. After the war, Garret worked as a butter clerk at a grocery run by two German brothers, Ferdi-nand and Henry Henke. On April 27, 1869, Garret married one of the Henke’s sisters, Mary. The ceremony was performed by Father Thevis at Holy Trinity Church. Garret Schwegmann opened his own counter service grocery store in 1869 after apprenticing under the Henke brothers. In the yearsfollowing,GarretandMaryhadfivechildren: George August in 1870, Henry J. in 1873, Mary in 1876, Theresa in 1879, and John William (John G.’s father) in 1883. Ac-cording to John G., Garret would sell the gro-

cery business and take the family to California then return and begin business again. In 1891 afterafiveyearnon-competeclausewithF.B.Thriffiley,heestablishedagroceryat901Piety Street at the corner of Burgundy Street, with the family’s living quarters above the store. Once of age, the sons worked in the fam-ily business. Garret and George August had a falling out over Garret’s excessive drinking and George went to work for Mr. Olstein at the corner of Poydras and Baronne. In 1895 after several years of estrangement, George heard that his father was thinking of selling the family store. When George met with Garret about possible purchase, Garret was unaware that it was his own son. After realizing, he offered to sell the store for a lower price but George would not buy it for a penny less. Garret died in New Orleans on November 23, 1924 and his wife Mary Henke died October 8, 1923. According to John G., mothers would bring their daughters to the shop in search of an “outstanding grocery clerk.” George August met his wife Annie Emmer in this manner and married her on February 16, 1898. George and Annie lived at 912 Pauline Street with their two sons Leo Benjamin and George August, Jr. Leo attended Loyola University and remained in New Orleans. George, Jr. attended law

901 Piety Street

Ancestry.com

Ancestry.com

German New Orleans screenshot

George A. Schwegmann John W. Schwegmann



school at Georgetown and remained in Wash-ington, D. C. where he was chief of the union catalog division of the Library of Congress. George, Sr. died October 10, 1959 and his wife Annie died July 15, 1916, becoming the firsttobeentombedintheSchwegmannFamilyTomb. Henry joined his brother George in the grocerybusinessin1895.Withinfiveyears,hemoved to Cincinnati, Ohio where he married Katherine Dietrich and had six children and opened a saloon called Schwegmann’s Cafe. Theresa Schwegmann was married twice. In 1906, she married Charles Henry Uter who died only two years later. She later married G. A. Newald. Theresa died October 2, 1966. Mary Schwegmann never married and died on August 12, 1942. John William joined his brother George in the grocery business in 1898. (Ancestry.com) On June 19, 1909, John W. married Marie Margaretha Frey who was the daughter of Anton Frey who ran a meat stall in the French Marketforoverfiftyyears.JohnW.andMa-rie had six children: John G. in 1911, Anthony Joseph in 1913, Paul G. in 1914, Odilea Marie (Mrs. Charles Thomas Acquistapace) in 1915, Francis August in 1919, and Marguerite (Mrs.

Oneil Barrios). Francis died of cancer in lymph glands in 1940 and is entombed in the Frey family tomb with his mother Marie who died on Mardi Gras day 1932. The Frey Family Tomb is also in St. Roch Cemetery No. 1 and is near the Schwegmann Family Tomb. In 1939, John W. rented the business from George, Sr. when he became ill. Later that year John W. revolutionized grocery shopping in New Orleans by making the store self-service. Also that year, son John G. joined John W. in the grocery business. In 1946, John G. left the small family store, while brother Anthony stayed at 901 Piety Street, and joined withhisbrotherPaultoopenthefirstSchweg-mann Brothers Giant Super Market at Elysian Fields Avenue and St. Claude Avenue. John W. eventually sold the store at 901 Piety Street in 1950 and joined his three sons in the super market business becoming an active partner in the chain’s latest store on Airline Highway. John W. died August 29, 1955. Under John G., the Schwegmann op-eration grew to eighteen stores including the world’s largest super market at the time in 1957. Schwegmann stores revolutionized the way people shopped with innovations such as in-store banks and gas pumps in the park-

Former Schwegmann Residence, 912 Pauline (2010) Frey Family Tomb, St. Roch Cemetery No. 1



ing lot. In addition to these, John G. led the fightfortraderightssuchasopposingalawrequiring a minimum mark up on alcohol and opposingmilkprice-fixing.Thisbrushwiththelegal system led to an unsuccessful race for a Jefferson Parish seat in the state Senate. After an unsuccessful campaign in 1959 for the Jef-ferson Parish presidency, he won a seat in the state House in 1961. Seven years later, he was elected to the state Senate, and in 1975, he was elected to the Public Service Commission.John W. died in 1995 before the Schweg-mann business was sold in 1997 by his son John F. Schwegmann. John W. Schwegmann is entombed in Metairie Cemetery in a large granite tomb designed by the Albert Weiblen Marble and Granite Company.

The Research

Research of tomb began with Google where the tomb’s inscription was found athttp://files.usgwarchives.org/la/or-leans/cemeteries/roch/1/square-c/10-boniface/t-008-009.txt which had copyright infoofhttp://usgwarchives.org/la/lafiles.htmand lead to http://www.usgwarchives.org/la/orleans.htm and to http://www.usgwarchives.org/la/orleans/cemroch.htm. Also via Google John G. Schweg-mann’sobituarywasfoundathttp://files.usgwarchives.org/la/orleans/newspa-pers/00000145.txt which lead to searching New Orleans Public Library for other obituar-

John W. Schwegmann Tomb, Metairie Cemetery

901 Piety Street (2010) Schwegmann Bros. Giant Supermarket, Airline Highway

Anthony, John G., and Paul SchwegmannThe Schwegmann Brothers

Charles L. Franck

Ancestry.comAncestry.com Ancestry.com

Aleta Grimbal on picasaweb.google.com



ies in Louisiana Biography and Obituary Index at http://nutrias.org/~nopl/obits/obits.htm.Informationfromherewasusedtofindcop-ies of obituaries of all of those in the tomb in The Times-Picayune via a database called America’s Historical Newspapers and via microfillmatTulane.Intheindex,namesofim-mediate relatives not interred in the tomb were also found - Henry Schwegmann, Marie Frey, and Charles Uter - and found obituaries. The obituary for Theresa’s second husband, G. A. Newald, could not be found. At the Latter Library, Ancestry.Com LibraryEditionwasusedtofindacopyofthearrival passenger list for John Gerhrd Schwe-gmann. Also found were copies of several of the original documents used on http://www.usgwarchives.org/la/orleans.htm. At the Louisiana Division of New Orleans PublicLibrary,theverticalfileonSchwegmannstores was requested which was very useful. It contained copies of a series of three articles written by John G. July 28, August 1, and August 4, 1969, entitled “Just Like Meeting an OldFriend.”Theverticalfilealsocontainedcopies of some of the articles that were rerun in 1978 with additional information as a four-teen part series on Wednesdays from June 28 to September 27. The rest of the series was foundonmicrofilmatTulane. The New Orleans Public Library website was searched where found pictures of 901 Pi-ety Street from 1978 were found in the Mark J. Cooper Collection. The Tulane library catalog was searched with keywords Germans and New Orleans which provided some books and a DVD called German New Orleans, a WYES production from 2004. Screenshots from the DVD were taken. The DVD mentioned German Albert Weiblen who was a tomb and memorial builder. The

documentary showed Weiblen’s tomb in Metai-rie Cemetery which looked very similar to the Schwegmann tomb. Google was searched for Albert Weiblen and information was found that the Southeastern Architectural Archives (SEAA) at Tulane had an exhibit in 2007. Kevin Williams of SEAA was consulted to ask if he thought that Weiblen had created the tomb. He thought so and found the tomb contract signed by G. A. Schwegmann in the Albert Weiblen Marble andGraniteCompanyOfficeRecords. At Special Collections in Jones Hall, the verticalfileforSchwegmannstorewasrequest-ed and was found to contain transparencies of two of the screenshots from the DVD. They had some information typed below picture. The author signed up for a fourteen day trialwithAncestry.comandwasabletofindGarret Schwegmann’s great-granddaughter, Nancy Lauler. Mrs. Lauler was contacted to ask for access to her family tree which pro-vided extremely useful information. She was also very pleased with the information that was provided to her by the author. Jody Rome at the Archdiocese of New Orleans Cemeteries was contacted to inquire about the date of construction of the tomb. Their database did not have that information.

Albert Weiblen Tomb, Metairie CemeteryGerman New Orleans screenshot



Sources for Cities of the DeAD

Albert Weiblen Marble and Granite Company Records. Collection 39, Southeastern Architectural Archive. Jones Hall. Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118.

Ancestry.com Library Edition. Milton H. Latter Memorial Branch. New Orleans Public Library. New Orleans, LA 70115.

Charles L. Franck / Franck-Bertacci Photographers Collection. The Historic New Orleans Collection. http://louisdl.louislibraries.org.

Dead Space : Defining the New Orleans Creole cemetery : St. Louis Cemetery No. 1: Guidelines for Preservation & Restoration. Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, Graduate School of Fine Arts, University of Pennsylvania, 2002.

Florence, Robert, and Mason Florence. New Orleans Cemeteries: Life in the Cities of the Dead. Batture Press, 1997.

German New Orleans. Greater New Orleans Educational Television Foundation, 2004.

Huber, Leonard Victor, Mary Louise Christovich, Peggy McDowell, Betsy Swanson, Edith Elliott Long, Bernard Lemann, and Doyle Gertjejansen. New Orleans Architecture, Volume III: The Cemeteries. Pelican Publishing, 1974.

Lauler, Nancy. Schwegmann Family Tree. Ancestry.com.

LouisianaArchives.USGenWebProject.http://usgwarchives.org/la/lafiles.htm.

Merrill, Ellen C. Germans of Louisiana. Pelican Publishing, 2005.

Marc J. Cooper Photograph Collection. Louisiana Division. New Orleans Public LIbrary. http://nutrias.org/photos/cooper/cooper.htm.

Obituaries. The Times-Picayune. Various years. America’s Historical Newspapers. Online database. Tulane University.

Obituaries. The Times-Picayune.Variousyears.Microfilm.TulaneUniversity.

Schwegmann, John G. “Just Like Meeting an Old Friend” fourteen part series. The Times-Picayune. June 28 to September 27, 1978.

Schwegmann Vertical File. Louisiana Division. New Orleans Public Library. New Orleans, LA 70112.

Schwegmann Vertical File. Louisiana Research Collection. Jones Hall. Tulane University. New Orleans, LA 70118.

Where New Orleans Shopped. Greater New Orleans Educational Television Foundation, 2002.

Living and Dying with Preservation

Documents

Transcript of Living and Dying with Preservation