Publications

One of the most crucial issues facing New Orleans as it enters the 21st Century is its lack of a coherent, legally-binding plan for the city's growth and development. In this pamphlet attorney and veteran preservationist Bill Borah, who helped prevent destruction of the French Quarter in the 1960s, cogently explains how this glaring omission threatens our city's heritage and distinctive character. ( 6 x 9 in., softcover, 8 pages.)

The venerable historian and scholar who for six decades championed preservation of New Orleans' architectural heritage tells his own story, recounting specific restoration projects as well as sharing his personal philosophy about architecture. A must for any serious student of historic preservation. (softbound, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 in., 180 pages, illustrated, ISBN 1-879714-00-0)

Compiled by one of Professor Wilson's former students and based directly on audiotape recordings, these are the unabridged transcriptions that served as the basis for Conversations with Samuel Wilson, Jr. (softbound, 8 1/2 x 11 in., 110 pages, ISBN 1-879714-03-5)

A throughly detailed history of the oldest continuously operated streetcar line in the world, built in 1835 and now honored with status on the National Register of Historic Places. (softbound, 6 x 9 in., 180 pages, illustrated with rare black & white photographs, ISBN 1-879714-02-7)

New Orleans is justifiably renowned for its architecture, and this handsome and profusely illustrated volume records and depicts virtually every notable structure in the Crescent City. French Quarter townhouses, plantation homes on Bayou St. John, Garden District mansions, notable churches, distinctive warehouses, banks and schoolhouses are each represented by a halftone photograph and brief history. (softbound, 8 1/2 x 11 in., 163 pages, over 250 illustrations, maps, ISBN 1-879714-01-9)

Provides a concise overview of Andrew Jackson's decisive victory in 1815 plus a detailed history of the efforts, begun in 1839 and completed in 1908, to construct a monumental obelisk commemorating the battle's heroes. (softbound, 6 x 9 in., 40 pages, numerous black & white illustrations, no ISBN)

A written and pictorial reconstruction of life in New Orleans at the most crucial period in its history. (softbound, 5 x 8 in., 48 pages, rare black & white illustrations, no ISBN)

For over a century the legendary Place des Negres, better known as Congo Square, served as a public gathering place for slaves and free people of color. Today it is considered by scholars to be the birthplace of both jazz and modern American dance. This highly readable study traces the Square's history from its earliest days in the French colonial period to the challenges it faces in the present day. One of Louisiana Landmark Society's most popular publications. (softbound, 6 x 9 in., 54 pages, 12 black & white illustrations, ISBN 1-879714-06-X)

Traces the work of the "neglected moderns" -- that first generation of American architects who sought to reconcile the new forms of Modernism with the local traditions and semi-tropical climate of Louisiana. (softbound, 11 x 8 1/2 in., 14 pages, 12 halftone illustrations, no ISBN)

Beginning in the 1920s, New Orleans was one of the first U.S. cities to deliberately attempt preservation of its architectural heritage. Paradoxically, much of that momentum has today been lost and the fate of the French Quarter now hangs in the balance. In this influential and prophetic essay, Tulane professor of architecture Bernard Lemann argues for a rational balance between commercial growth and historic preservation in the French Quarter, offering a philosophical blueprint for keeping the Quarter a living, vibrant neighborhood. As pertinent a document today as it was when first written three decades ago. (softbound, 7 x 9 in., 92 pages, black & white illustrations, ISBN 1-879714-10-8)

Decorative ironwork is one of New Orleans' most distinctive architectural features, and this handsomely illustrated study chronicles the growth of the artform, along with analysis of its methods and notable examples throughout the city. (softbound, 6 x 9 in., 52 pages, over 45 black & white illustrations, ISBN-1-879714-07-8)

A scholarly reconstruction of the life of the French immigrant who rose to become a prominent judge, businessman, and mayor of New Orleans. (softbound, 6 x 9 in., 124 pages, maps, 19 black & white illustrations, no ISBN)

The Battle of New Orleans was waged upon some of the most fertile soil in the Mississippi Valley, and this booklet studies the ten plantation homes, some modest, some grand, that stood here during the British campaign of 1814-15. (softbound, 5 x 8 in., 96 pages, 33 black & white illustrations and maps, no ISBN)

Historian and architect Sam Wilson wrote several monographs on religious institutions in New Orleans, including this posthumously published study of four successive churches built between 1814 and 1886, each reflecting the growth and changing history of New Orleans. (softbound, 6 x 9 in., 60 pages, illustrated, ISBN 1-879714-09-4)

The story of the First Presbyterians in New Orleans, "beautifully and accurately told." (softbound, 6 x 9 in., 56 pages, 31 illustrations in black & white, no ISBN)

This small but extremely handy book lists over 200 significant structures in and around the Crescent City, including both old and modern buildings, with separate sections on cemeteries and nearby plantation homes. A useful guide for both the scholar and the tourist. (softbound, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 in., 80 pages, over 100 black & white illustrations, no ISBN)

A detailed study of an architectural treasure, one of the only plantation houses surviving from Louisiana's Spanish colonial period. (softbound, 6 x 9 in., 64 pages, 12 full color photographs plus numerous black & white illustrations, ISBN 1-8797714-04-3)