Mother's Day Houses
One hundred years in architecture
Beginning with a remarkable survivor (an 1820s Creole Cottage almost lost to demolition) and ending with a 1916 Craftsman beauty, three architectural types
and one unique outlier (an imposing Eastlake storefront converted to a
private residence) are explored.
124 Carroll Street
Delcroix-Miller-Connell Cottage, circa 1916
Home of Maureen Connell
This charming Craftsman Cottage shares a long, entangled history with the cottage located next door (120 Carroll). In 1889 H. C. Miller bought the 2 adjoining properties, both Creole Cottages dating from the 1840-1850s and likely built by Pierre Delcroix.
The Miller ownership would persist for the next 110 years through the redevelopment of both cottages to Craftsman. The Creole Cottage at this location was replaced with the current structure around 1916. There was a devastating hurricane in 1915 that may have been the cause. During the current owner’s extensive renovation and elevation, early construction methods were discovered and old lumber with evidence of fire damage was found. Perhaps much of the early Creole cottage still exists within bones of the Craftsman and perhaps fire was to blame.
The current owner, an avid gardener, has created a light-filled interior with an open plan living area in the re-imagined Craftsman, bringing the outside in through an expansive front gallery and rear deck.
129 Carroll Street
Home of Guillot Family
Once part of a large holding belonging to Hortaire Treme, a free man of color, the property was repeatedly subdivided, passing through many hands until the construction of this building in 1892 by Charles A. David. This imposing Eastlake double-galleried storefront is the only one of its kind in Mandeville. It was a General and Dry Goods store on the ground floor with living accommodations above. Many original details, such as the over-sized display windows, have survived thoughtful renovations done through the years. Dale Gale, antiques dealer and prominent Mandeville character, was a long-time owner. Converted to a private residence before Hurricane Katrina struck, dramatic elevation followed after the building was flooded by several feet of water. Through the last few years, a young family has been putting their mark on this remarkable architectural gem.
133 Carroll Street
Home of Lucinda Beacham
Built for Gustave and Honorine Depre, proprietors of a general store on the corner, this cottage, with its strong vertical lines, is a perfect example of Shotgun simplicity. The only nod to ornamentation is in the gable with its fish scale shingles surrounding a simple attic vent. The cottage once included a side hall which was absorbed into the interior as more space was needed. The entrance was moved to the center set of French doors. The fireplace is original as well as the planked ceilings, walls, and French doors. A tornado strike in the 1920s has been blamed for its southerly lean.
There is a ghostly tale of a young girl associated with the cottage. She was sent from New Orleans to avoid a yellow fever outbreak only to die in this house. Rare visits have been reported by previous owners.
The cottage has recently been elevated to escape rising water and insurance rates.
2017 Jefferson Street
Home of Anne and Jason Rooks
A classic Creole Cottage in miniature, this home was built by carpenter John Charles Hennerichs on a subdivided family plot. His parent’s home faced Girod Street where Cameo Boutique now sits. He was an accomplished woodworker and his wife, a seamstress. The couple built and lined coffins for local funerals.
According to Sanborn Insurance maps, the kitchen extension was added by 1910 and the back two bedrooms appeared on maps by the 1930s. Through years of updates and renovations, the Rooks have made every effort to protect the integrity of the original architecture.
To enjoy the large rear yard, they created an inviting seating area in tropical gardens. The beautiful stand of Louisiana iris has a long history of its own having been transplanted from an old collection in the owner’s grandmother’s garden. The cottage sits on a natural ridge and rests comfortably at its original elevation while still avoiding the floods plaguing most parts of town. The saturated exterior color scheme is a hallmark of Creole culture.
490 Galvez Street
Home of Shannon Conner and Mark Flynn
This classic Creole house sits comfortably in its park-like setting. The once expansive farm was owned by the Fontini/Jenkins family from the mid-eighteenth century to the 1930s. These two families have deep ties to some of Mandeville’s earliest residents: the Spells and the Sharps. A. E. Fontini was a Mandeville mayor in the 1880s. The name Fontini appears on their historic site plaque.
The next name included on the site plaque is Ste. Anne. The name was found on an old wooden sign on the property. Though its origins continue to elude, the moniker stuck.
The current owners undertook an extensive renovation in 1993 that included adding the second half-story and beautiful curving stair. This work was done by the expert woodworker and local craftsman Bill Tabor, now deceased. The sympathetic addition was added in 2003-2004.
The house has an intriguing link to a scandal from the 1980s when a volunteer firefighter set several local structures afire. This house was targeted in August 1981. Thankfully the fire was extinguished in time to save the structure, but the rear gallery was lost. A scar of charred wood on the floor by the door is all that remains of the close call.
The Baptist Church in the 100 block of Coffee Street and the architecturally rich Maspereau-Moorman House at the corner of Lakeshore and Lamarque are two of the irreplaceable losses from this time.
2627 Lakeshore Drive
Retreat of the Elie Khoury Family
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 as the Morel-Nott House, this French Creole Cottage, with brick-between-posts construction, steeply pitched slate roof, and double-sided interior fireplace has a much deeper history than is revealed in its Register documents.
The cottage is the only example now known of a structure pre-dating the Town of Mandeville (1834). Constructed by the heirs of Morgan Edwards during the 1820s, it was located on what is now the 1600 block of Lakeshore Drive, a mile to the east.
It passed through many owners after Bernard de Marigny’s purchase of the Edwards’ land in 1829, including the Morels (1845-1848) and the Notts (1848-1867) as listed in the Register. When threatened with demolition in the 1960s, Robert and Margery Hanisee purchased the cottage, moved it out of harm’s way, and embarked on a major restoration.
Elie and Daniela Khoury acquired the property after its renovation post Hurricane Katrina, expanding the property with a sculpture garden next door. Inside and out it is filled with eye-popping art- including at a life-sized red gorilla to guard the pool.
