In 1805, The grandest of the creoles, Marquis Bernard De Marigny, subdivided his vast plantation to create the Faubourg Marigny.  The area has survived to become one of the most intact creole neighborhoods in the city.  In the March 2001 issue of New Orleans Magazine, Faubourg Marigny was named
 one the four great neighborhoods of  New Orleans.

The French Colonial Style (1720-1802)

This house style was influenced by the buildings of the West Indies with a blending of French, Spanish, Africian and native American. This is the beginning of the Creole style:built for the hot, humid,rainy climate of Louisiana with a big umbrella roof extending over the gallery (porch). As a protection against flooding, it was raised high off the ground (raised basement). The main living area was on the second floor with storage and other uses below.The floor plan is typically French with no hallway. The grounds were landscaped and many other supportive structures completed the plantation complex.

The Marigny Plantation House
By
Eugene D. Cizek,
William de Marigny Hyland
&
Lloyd Sensat
 
The Marigny plantation house pictured here was architecturally and historically one ofthe most important buildings from Louisiana's colonial period. It was the finestand grandest of the French colonial plantation houses ever built in Louisiana.Two stories with wrap around double galleries under an huge double -pitchedhipped roof pierced by dormer windows; it was reminiscent of Destrehan Plantation.

In 1798,Pierre Marigny ( Bernard de Marigny's father) acquired from Laurent Sigur thehouse and plantation that would acquire his name.There the Ducd'Orleans, laterLouis Phillippe I, King of France and his 2 brothers were lavishlyentertained.Pierre died in 1800 and was interred in the floor of the St. Louis Cathedral with his wife,parents and grandparents.The succession records provethat Pierre Marigny possessed a phenomenal estate, consisting of elaboratefurniture, silver, crystal, bronze and marble statuary. He also owned more than100 slaves, parcels of property in New Orleans and Kenner, concessions inPlaquemine Parish, land grants in Baton Rouge,and most of St. BernardParish.

From1800-04, Pierre Clement Laussat,Colonial Prefect, appointed by Napoleon residedin the Marigny Plantation house. He used the house as his official base ofoperations for the details of the transfer of Louisiana from Spain to France andthen to the United States. Laussat had a watercolor plan of NewOrleans(1803) prepared by his military deputy,Joseph Antoine Vinache, whichremained in the Laussat family until it was acquired by the Historic New OrleansCollection. The map features a beautiful rendering of the Marigny Plantation.

In1806, Bernard contracted with Barthelemy Lafon to subdivide his plantation tocreate the Faubourg Marigny.In March of 1822, Bernard traveled to France and wasreceived at the court of Charles X where he became friends with the Marquis deLafayette. When Lafayette visited New Orleans in 1824, Bernard assumed theimportant role of receiving the General. In 1839, Louis Phillippe, the last ofthe Bourbon monarchs of France, confirmed the title of "Marquis"on Bernard.

In 1852, Ana MathildeMorales after a long and unhappy marriage to Bernard filed for separation ofproperty.For the reminder of her life, she occupied the lower floor of theMarigny Plantation House, while Bernard occupied the upper story, without everexchanging a word in conversation. She died in the house in 1859.

 Bernard lived 9years after his wife's death at 700-702 Frenchmen Street. He also maintained acottage in Mandeville facing the lake. He died in front of D'Hemecourt drugstore (600Frenchman) Feb.3,1868. He was 82, the last of the great Creoles.He was buried in St. Louis # 1 Cemetery with his beloved first wife, MaryAnn Jones. 

 The great MarignyMansion became hedged in by Bernard's Faubourg hidden from the world andforgotten behind a brick wall. It was sold to the railroad and used asa hotel. It eventually fell into ruins and was destined to be torn down bit bybit. The power plant on Elysian Fields Avenue is now on thatsite.

This is the first in a series of drawings to show the rich architectural  inventory of Faubourg Marigny. I will be featuring drawings from my sketchbook of  Bernard de Marigny's historic neighborhood. Eventually, it will become a coloring book to teach children and adults,too,  how " to read" a  building by type and style and how to identify the components of a  building. The houses illustrated will represent what I consider the best examples in Marigny.  It is my hope that this will aid in a  better understanding of architecture and foster a love for old  buildings and demonstrate the importance of historic preservation.
Lloyd Sensat
Sun Oak in Faubourg Marigny
October 2009

Everywhere in the Fauboug Marigny there are: