Looking back at St. Aloysius memories for Martin Madness 2024.
St. Aloysius Memories
ad for St. Aloysius in the Daily Picayune, 24-August-1881
For Day Two of the “Martin Madness 2024” campaign at Brother Martin High School, please enjoy some memories from the Daily Picayune newspaper. Two advertisements for St. Aloysius entice families to come to the school. The first appeared on 24-August-1881. The school opened in the French Quarter, at Chartres and Barracks Streets, in 1869. The Brothers of the Sacred Heart (BOSH) were solidly established at that location by this time,
At top is a watercolor illustration of the original St. Aloysius from 1869. The Spanish built this house for their army during the colonial period. It changed hands from the Spanish to the French just before the Louisiana Purchase. Much of the property owned by the colonial governments passed to the Catholic Church just before the Americans took ownership of the city. Archbishop Odin, recognizing the quality work of the BOSH, invited the Institute to open a permanent school in the city. He sold them this house. The illustration is the “plan book” made to document the sale.
Esplanade and N. Rampart
ad in the Daily Picayune, 24-August-1892
The BOSH outgrew the French Quarter location. They acquired the mansion at the corner of Esplanade Ave. and N. Rampart Streets in 1892. This ad, from 24-August-1892, isn’t much different than the earlier one, with the exception of the location change.
St. Aloysius, 1892
Here’s the original school at that corner.
The Hat
If you haven’t listened to this week’s podcast yet, go! If you have, you heard me mention throwing money into the hat to support the school. While it was meant as a metaphorical hat (you have a credit card/venmo/etc), i really do have a hat. I’ll be at the PJ’s Coffee Shop at 5555 Canal Blvd., tomorrow morning, for Day Three of Martin Madness. Listen to the pod. Think back on your memories of the school, as a student, parent, faculty member. Stop by, say hi, and toss some cash in the hat!
It’s no surprise that street names in New Orleans change over time.
Street tiles for General Pershing Street, renamed from Berlin Street. (Infrogmation photo)
The changing of street names.
City government changes street names for a number of reasons. Here are some examples, using the Robinson Atlas of 1883. Let’s start with the French Quarter.
Custom House to Iberville
Custom House Street, 1883
The first street after Canal Street, inside the French Quarter, was originally named “Custom House.” It was later changed to Iberville Street. While we associate both LeMoyne brothers with the founding of New Orleans, Bienville had the greater role. Iberville’s contributions weren’t initially considered significant enough to earn a street.
Calle del Arsenal
Calle Del Arsenal (Infrogmation photo)
The street was originally named for the Ursuline nuns. When the Spanish took over, streets received names in their language. Spanish troops were quartered on the lower side of the city, hence Barracks and Arsenal. Calle del Arsenal reverted to Ursuline after New Orleans was sold to the United States in 1803.
Hospital to Governor Nicholls
Hospital Street, 1883
In the Lower Quarter, Hospital changed to Governor Nicholls, in honor of Francis T. Nicholls, governor of Louisiana from 1888-1892. The city changed the street after he passed in 1912.
Outside the French Quarter
Tulane Avenue from Common Street
Common Street, from Claiborne to Broad, 1883
Common Street, above Elk Place, changed to Tulane Avenue in 1884, in honor of philanthropist and namesake of Tulane University, Paul Tulane. Several street name changes took place around this time. In addition to the creation of Tulane Avenue, Delord Street (which ended at Tivoli Circle) changed to Howard Avenue.
Adams to Lee to Toussaint
segment of the Robinson Atlas of 1883 showing Lakeview
Before electric streetcars, transit to the West End and Spanish Fort recreational areas along Lake Pontchartrain was accomplished via steam trains. West End converted first, in 1898. The Spanish Fort train closed, but returned in 1911 as an electrified streetcar line. Both streetcar lines ran out to the lakefront on West End Boulevard. Spanish Fort turned on Adams Street (named after Presidents John and John Quincy Adams). With the increased significance of the street after 1911, the city renamed Adams for Robert E. Lee.
The city renamed the street a second time, in 2022. Perfectly normal course of action. So, is it revisionist? No. Would it be revisionist to say Robert E. Lee had a significant impact on the history of New Orleans? Yes, because, in his entire life, he only spent about thirty-six hours here.
Tivoli to Lee to Harmony
Lee Circle, 1883
The roundabout on Naiads Street, now St. Charles Avenue, at Delord Street (now Howard Avenue). The city originally named it, “Tivoli Circle.” In terms of city ordinances, that name remained until 2022. From Wikipedia:
On July 31, 1877, “Lee Place” within “Tivoli Circle” was authorized by Ordinance A.S. 4064[4][5] Although the traffic circle is commonly referred to as “Lee Circle”, this ordinance makes clear that the “enclosure” containing the statue is to be known as “Lee Place”, while the traffic circle itself continues to be known as “Tivoli Circle”. This ordinance contains no reference to the name “Lee Circle”.
While the monument and park honored Lee, the roundabout never changed from Tivoli Circle. This demonstrates common usage colliding with legal names. So, since the Lee statue stood at the center of the park, the entire area became, “Lee Circle.”
In 2022, the City Council formally re-named Tivoli Circle, Harmony Circle.
Harmony Circle via Google Maps
Was this “revisionist history?” No. Street names changed all the time. Would it be revisionist history to argue that Lee wasn’t on the losing side of the Southern Rebellion? Yes.
Metairie Cemetery is the site of the Washington Artillery Cenotaph.
Washington Artillery Cenotaph
George Mugnier photo (courtesy NOPL) of the Washington Artillery Cenotaph in Metairie Cemetery. A “cenotaph” is an empty tomb. They serve as monuments to people buried elsewhere. So, the United States Army formed the Washington Artillery (WA) in 1838. It is now the 141st Field Artillery Regiment. The unit is attached to the Louisiana National Guard. In 1861, the government of Louisiana took control of the unit. It was a battalion at the time. WA fought as part of the main rebel force. WA re-organized in the 1870s.
The Monument
The Washington Artillery Association raised funds for a monument to the battalion in 1879. The unit consisted of four companies at the time. Additionally, a fought with the Army of Tennessee. So, the association accepted proposals from various architects, They chose the design submitted by Charles A. Orleans. Orleans proposal included a sculpture by Alexander Doyle. Doyle imagined a figure of an artillery private, holding a “sponge.” The sponge was fixed to a ramrod. Gunners used them to clean out a just-fired gun. So, the cenotaph’s price tag was $10,000. Donations ranging from $25 to $250 came in to cover the costs.
While the unit fought for twenty years in the Union Army, the monument honors the rebel years. The roll of the dead listed members of the unit killed during that period. The battle honors initially engraved on the cenotaph began with Bull Run. Mexican War honors were not listed. The list of engagements shows just how active and effective the unit was.
Dedication
The Association dedicated the cenotaph on February 23, 1880. A thousand people came out to honor the unit. The unit and its veterans association updated the cenotaph, expanding the battle honors as the battalion returned to active duty with the Army. The 141st hold a memorial annually at the cenotaph, as part of the unit’s heritage and traditions.
Rex Duke Costume 1877, for a military themed parade and ball.
Rex Duke Costume 1877
For the theme, “Military Progress of the World,” a Duke of the krewe wore this Teutonic Knight costume. Artist Charles Briton created these concepts.
Rex’s Sixth Parade
The School of Design, also known as the Rex Organization, presented its sixth parade in 1877. The krewe came a long way since the first time they took to the streets of New Orleans in 1872. That first year, Rex rode a horse. That changed in 1873, as the krewe built a float for the King of Carnival. Rex lore offers the tale of how the Grand Duke Alexis Romanov of Russia attended the first Rex parade. His presence lent an amount of gravitas to that parade which isn’t quite deserved. Rex built on the success of that first year.
By 1877, Rex advanced a step further. The first five parades featured “standard” floats. They made a fine parade, but the organization wanted to match the Mystick Krewe of Comus. The senior krewe’s parade matched the theme of their bal masque. Rex desired to also present a “rolling tableaux.” While the balls for these organizations were invitation-only, the stories played out along the parade route.
Dukes
Carnival krewes boasted a monarch that led the parade. Rex and the Knights of Momus placed a krewe member at the head of the procession as king. Comus does not choose a king. Their monarch represents the demi-god himself. Either way, they had a guy on that first float, waving to the crowd.
Additionally, the krewes presented young ladies to polite society at their balls. Those debutantes required formal escorts at the ball. So, the krewes created Dukes. They elevated members to these positions, giving them fancier costumes than the average float-rider. Starting in 1877, Rex’s Dukes wore costumes matching the tableaux. That’s why a guy got to wear this great knight’s costume with a magnificent helmet and a big mace.
Modern Dukes
Rex changed the role of the Duke as the parade evolved. Rather than creating elaborate costumes for Dukes, the organization invited younger men to assume the role of escorts to the court. The Dukes now wear white tie and tails, formal attire matching the long, white dresses of the ladies.
St. Aloysius Robinson Atlas shows the original location of the school.
St. Aloysius Robinson Atlas
The 1883 Robinson Atlas of New Orleans is an invaluable resource. Here’s the caption from the book:
Robinson Atlas. This 1883 atlas shows the location of St. Aloysius Academy in Block 18. Just to the left, in Block 19, is the Archbishop’s residence and St. Mary’s Church. The residence is now known as the Old Ursuline Convent. The church, which has had several names, is currently called “St. Mary’s Italian Church.”
The archbishops of New Orleans moved into the Old Ursuline Convent when that order moved to the Ninth Ward. (They later left the area altogether, moving Uptown.) The current archbishop’s residence is on S. Carrollton and Walmsley, next to Notre Dame Seminary.
Block 19 is inaccurately described. The buildings labeled “St Marys R.C.Ch.” are actually the convent/archbishopric. St. Mary’s (also known as St. Mary’s Italian and Our Lady of Victory) is the building next to the label.
The school
Block 18 consisted of a number of residential properties in 1883. The house on the corner of Barracks and Chartres housed officers of the Spanish Army, during the Spanish Colonial period. So, the house faced Barracks Street. The house’s gardens occupied the actual corner.
The property passed from Spain back to France, just before the Louisiana Purchase. The Spanish passed ownership of much of the government-owned property to the church. That avoided turning it over to the Americans. The Archdiocese of New Orleans still owned the property after the Southern Rebellion. During the rebellion and Union occupation, the Brothers of the Sacred Heart operated an extension of St. Stanislaus College in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, in New Orleans. The BOSH taught boys from the city who couldn’t get back to Stanislaus at Annunciation Parish in the Marigny. By the end of the rebellion, the BOSH decided to open a school in the city. They asked the archbishop for assistance, and received the officer’s quarters.
The map
I cut down this snippet, St. Aloysius Robinson Atlas, for the book. So, the snippet shows the streetcar tracks on Esplanade Avenue. New Orleans City Railroad opened their mule-drawn Esplanade line in 1861.
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