Hotel Maison De Ville
Encyclopedia
The Hotel Maison de Ville and the Audubon Cottages are located in the French Quarter
north of Jackson Square
, in New Orleans
, Louisiana
. They consist of a historic hotel building (1800), a garden
courtyard]], and separate former slave quarters (1750s)—now cottage
s.
of 1788, which destroyed much of 18th century New Orleans. The Maison de Ville was a two-storied dwelling which was built by New France
colonist Jean Baptiste Lilie Sarpy in 1800.
The playwright Tennessee Williams
was a frequent guest at the hotel in the 20th century. His favorite room was named after him, in his honor.
The former carriage house
, adjacent to the Hotel Maison de Ville's courtyard
, was converted to guest lodgings.
, are believed to be the oldest buildings in New Orleans, though research has been hampered by the loss of historical documents.
In the 19th and early 20th century, the cottage
s were also used as garconnières or bachelor
quarters. The Créoles often provided separate buildings where their grown sons lived until marriage, giving them privacy for adult lives.
French Quarter
The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré, is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. When New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city was originally centered on the French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré as it was known then...
north of Jackson Square
Jackson Square, New Orleans
Jackson Square, also known as Place d'Armes, is a historic park in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960.-Design:...
, in New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. They consist of a historic hotel building (1800), a garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
courtyard]], and separate former slave quarters (1750s)—now cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
s.
Hotel
Hotel Maison de Ville building was constructed after the disastrous Great New Orleans FireGreat New Orleans Fire (1788)
The Great New Orleans Fire was a fire that destroyed 856 of the 1,100 structures in New Orleans, Louisiana on March 21, 1788, spanning the south central French Quarter from Burgundy to Chartres Street, almost to the riverfront buildings....
of 1788, which destroyed much of 18th century New Orleans. The Maison de Ville was a two-storied dwelling which was built by New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
colonist Jean Baptiste Lilie Sarpy in 1800.
The playwright Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams
Thomas Lanier "Tennessee" Williams III was an American writer who worked principally as a playwright in the American theater. He also wrote short stories, novels, poetry, essays, screenplays and a volume of memoirs...
was a frequent guest at the hotel in the 20th century. His favorite room was named after him, in his honor.
The former carriage house
Carriage house
A carriage house, also called remise or coach house, is an outbuilding which was originally built to house horse-drawn carriages and the related tack.In Great Britain the farm building was called a Cart Shed...
, adjacent to the Hotel Maison de Ville's courtyard
Courtyard
A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky. These areas in inns and public buildings were often the primary meeting places for some purposes, leading to the other meanings of court....
, was converted to guest lodgings.
Slave quarters - Audubon Cottages
Four former slave quarters are located across the courtyard. They were built fifty years before the main building - circa 1750s - and are now named the Audubon Cottages (guest accommodations). These cottages, along with the Ursuline ConventUrsuline Convent
Ursuline Convent was a series of historic Ursuline convents in New Orleans, Louisiana.-The first building:The first building for the Ursuline nuns in New Orleans was designed by Ignace Francois Broutin in 1727 when the nuns arrived in New Orleans. Michael Seringue was the builder. Planning,...
, are believed to be the oldest buildings in New Orleans, though research has been hampered by the loss of historical documents.
In the 19th and early 20th century, the cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
s were also used as garconnières or bachelor
Bachelor
A bachelor is a man above the age of majority who has never been married . Unlike his female counterpart, the spinster, a bachelor may have had children...
quarters. The Créoles often provided separate buildings where their grown sons lived until marriage, giving them privacy for adult lives.