808 Frenchmen Street
Built in the 1830's in the French style of brick between posts, this building was originally a garsoniere attached to a residence at the corner of Dauphine and Frenchmen, which burned some time in the mid 1800's. This residence consists of the main kitchen for the house (left side), which probably had an additional room to the left connecting the structure to the main house. Now enclosed, the stairway located in the crook of the "L" would have separated the slave and cooking quarters from the garsoniere, which was designed to house the young men of the family. The young women were usually kept under lock and key in the main house, and as a practical solution to "boys will be boys," the young men lived in the garsoniere where they could easily come and go at all hours as they pleased without disturbing the rest of the family.
Renovated in 2007 under the National Parks Historic Restoration Tax Credit Program this property has been cited as an example of the benefits of the program that promotes restoration to appropriate historical standards while allowing for constructive reuse of historic structures. The building is currently used as two apartments and is just a block and a half from the vibrant Frenchmen Street business area, which has numerous shops, Jazz Clubs, and restaurants, not to mention the beautiful Washington Square Park.
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