 urn the corner to the right, and continue up Julia Street. This section of of Julia from Camp to Commerce Streets is the heart of the Arts District. This is where you'll find the: - Julia Street Galleries, roughly a dozen art galleries, ranging from small hole-in-the-wall establishments with one display room, to large galleries with studios and multiple exhibit areas. There are glassworks, auction houses, and photographic studios as well along this popular street. Most are housed in former warehouses and factory buildings, with other galleries nearby, the most notable being the Contemporary Arts Center, a block away from Julia, and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, almost two blocks away. All are within walking distance of each other, so a complete day can be made of visiting just these wonderful galleries.
Continue to Camp Street, and turn right. At 748 on the right is the former:
- Cosimo Matassa's Recording Studio. In its heyday in the 1960s and 1970s it was the spot where such artists as Little Richard, Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, Irma Thomas, and Dr John recorded their albums. The vintage 3-story reb brick commercial building was built in the 1840s, and is a rather plain structure, with modest decoration overall, and cast-iron pillars at the ground floor. Next door to 748 is a lovely cast-iron galleried townhouse, reminiscent of the French Quarter. Many of these townhouses once filled this area, but were either torn down or altered over the years. Thankfully many of them are now being preserved and restored to their original appearance. This particular residence was built in the 1870s. Next door to this house is:
 St Patrick's Church and rectory. English-speaking Irish-Catholic immigrants, upon arriving here in large numbers in the early 1800s,
decided that they wanted their own parish and church outside of the French Quarter, so in 1838 they contracted with Charles and James Dakin, architects, to design and build a church for them. St Patrick's was to be designed by the Dakins as a grand church, rivalling that of York Minster Cathedral in England, in the "pointed style of the Second Period of Ecclesiastical Architecture". Work commenced that same year, but after two-thirds of the way along, the Dakins were fired from the project, and the trustees signed a new contract with Irish Protestant James Gallier Sr in 1839. He retained most of the original plans, but simplified the look by adding an undecorated section with clocks, and replacing the double stained glass windows at the top with single ones. The church that you see today is a scaled-down version of the original church, which was to have a 185-foot high tower, the tallest in New Orleans. The present-day weatherproof rough stucco covering on the church replaced a smooth stucco that was scored and painted to look like stone.
The ornate interior belies the simplicity of the exterior. The nave and aisles have beautiful fan vaulting with floral decorations in between the ribs, and long pointed Gothic arched windows piercing the side walls. The sanctuary features stained-glass vaulting and skylights, which filters light down upon the intricately-carved altar. The rectory to the right of the church was designed in the Italianate style by architect Henry Howard and built in 1874. The structure has been altered from its original appearance with the removal of the parapets and balconies. Just across the street is an interesting group of former residences, built during the early years of the newly-formed parish, when construction boomed in this area. At 727 Camp is the:- Bible House, built for the Southwestern Bible Society by Little & Middlemiss, builders. Designed in the Italianate style by John Barnett, it features four vertical panelled pilasters with foliated capitals leading from a cornice on the first floor to the frieze
below the roofline. The facade was reworked in 1858 by T.K. Wharton, and remains in excellent condition today. Next to this house to the right, at 721-23, is the:
Chapman House. The three-bay, three-story red brick townhouse is typical of the Eastern-seaboard style of architecture found in many cities, with louvered shutters on 18-paned windows. The structure was built in the early 1800s and owned later by Edward Chapman in 1836. A lovely iron-patterned balcony graces the second floor, and the recessed entrance is raised over a basement level. At 719 Camp is the: Thompson House, another three-bay, three-story townhouse which once had an ornate cast-iron gallery on the first level with a balcony above, an unusual design for New Orleans houses. It was built in 1838 for William E. Thompson for his residence, but lost by him in 1845. The next owner, Charles Kock, leased the building out to John Mountfort. A handsome Greek key recessed entrance is raised from the ground over a basement as at 721,
and cast-iron balconies are placed at the second and third levels. Finally, at 717, is the: Palfrey House, a rather plain three-bay, three-story brick building with a heavy wooden entablature and parapet at the roofline. The building was built by Henry W. Palfrey as his residence about 1838, and sold in 1840. Marble lintels are placed above the windows, which have indoor shutters, and lovely new cast-iron railings are placed at the second and third floors. All of these houses have peaked roofs which are not visible from the street, and all are superbly restored. Two addresses down is the: - Stillwell Building, 709 Camp Street. The building has gone through many uses since it was constructed in 1839-41 by J.W. Stillwell for his company. In 1869 it housed the Cafe' Richelieu, and in in 1903 it was the "Electra Water Co. Ltd. Works & Central Depot". The Catholic Maritime Club was the occupant at one time, and it was later owned by Dr John Farrell. The structure had granite pillars
with four-fold doors between them at the ground floor, and a cast-iron gallery at the second.
|
