NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)— The Louisiana Landmarks Society has unveiled its “New Orleans’ Nine Most Endangered Sites” list.
On this list, you will find the Creole Center Hall Cottage in the St. Roch neighborhood, as well as what the group calls iconic New Orleans details, like ceramic tile street markers and the Sewerage and Water Board’s water meter covers.
The news that most surprised guests at Tuesday’s unveiling event was that the threat to one of the sites came to fruition before the list was published.
“This year marks what I think is the first time in the 15 plus years of this program that a building selected for the New Orleans’ 9 has been lost before the announcement of the selection had even been made public,” Michael Duplantier with the Louisiana Landmarks Society said.
Despite pending reconstruction plans, Perseverance Hall collapsed a week ago after the 19th-century landmark in the Seventh Ward sustained heavy damage during Hurricane Ida.
“Since the loss, there had been discussions about possible grants to effect a rebuilding of the hall with the use of the salvageable building materials,” Duplantier said.
Another site on the list almost faced the same fate as Perseverance Hall.
“The Keller Homeplace, obviously, is another one,” Anthony Marino with the New Orleans’ 9 Committee said. “It was in danger of collapse until the family recently put a new roof on it because it was without a roof since Hurricane Ida.”
Event organizers say those who call the Greater New Orleans Area home shouldn’t tolerate the losses and should work toward restoration efforts.
“Detail by detail, curb by curb, street tile by street tile, water meter by cover replaced with ‘water,’ we lose those joyous and charming details, and New Orleans becomes anywhere, U.S.A.,” Sandra Stokes with the Louisiana Landmarks Society said.
If you would like to help Louisiana Landmarks Society in their preservation efforts, or if you’d like to make a monetary donation, visit their website.
The full list is below:
- Lack of code enforcement (citywide)
- Shotgun vernacular (citywide)
- Iconic New Orleans details (citywide)
- Keller Homeplace (River Road, Hahnville)
- Moss Street Corridor (Bayou St. John)
- Plaza Tower (Howard Avenue, Downtown)
- Perseverance Hall (N. Villere Street, Seventh Ward)
- Creole Center Cottage (Elysian Fields Ave., St. Roch neighborhood)
- Valence Street Baptist Church (Magazine Street, Uptown)