The Pelham Hotel
In 1718 New Orleans was founded by the French. There were a few reasons the French sought after this land. First, the location of New Orleans would allow them control over the Mississippi River Valley. As an added bonus, they were able to prevent the English expansion to the west. However, the French colony did not grow quickly. In 1754, the French and Indian war (also known as the Seven Year War) started. The French lost the war and were forced to give up New Orleans to Spain (Wood 15).
In 1763 the Spanish took control of New Orleans and growth
began to improve. Just as the new city was being build and began to thrive,
there were two tragedies that caused a rebuilding. Within six years of each
other there were two fires that destroyed over 1,000 buildings and destroyed
most of the city. Unfortunately, the city also lost most of its original French
architecture. As the city began to rebuild, strict building and fire codes were
in forced throughout the city. This is why cast iron is still seen throughout
the city. The French Quarter was also rebuilt during this time. This is why there is so much Spanish architecture characteristics seen in the French Quarter today (Wood 16).
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| Location of where both fires started in the French Quarter |
The Caribbean began to influence
architecture in the 1830s and 1840s. As New Orleans is known for flooding which
is where the Caribbean influence began. The Center Hall Cottage was introduced.
This style of home usually has a front door located in the center of the home,
with a large front porch. Large windows are located throughout the home. The
most definitive factor is that the home is raised on piers at least five feet
above the ground (Wood, 98).
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| Home in the Garden District |
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| Home in the Garden District |
I thought the history behind the two fires made this story unique to this city. I never would have thought that a fire would influence architecture as much as it did in New Orleans. It is interesting to look at different sections of houses that are different heights. This is to keep fire from spreading too fast and give people time to get out.
Reference
Wood, Marilyn. New Orleans. DK Pub., 2004.
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