In 1851 the architect J.N.B. DePouilly designed this raised masonry center-hall residence in the Greek Revival style for Angel Xiques. A broad front gallery, a portico, and a curving iron stairway dominate the façade of this building, which is a 1882 façade donation.
Angel Xiques was a Spanish-born merchant, from Cadiz. He was a partner in Laborde and Xiques, importers of Cuban goods, notably tobacco.
The Painting
Cruise painted a number of homes and buildings in the Vieux Carré from 1938 to 1941. While many were associated with Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) projects, his Xiques Mansion appears to be a stand-alone. He continues the pattern of visualizing these homes as they would have appeard in the 1850s. The Xiques Mansion is currently painted all-white, and the exterior ironwork is black. Here, Cruise adds color to both. Notice the walls and (Corinthian) columns are shades of tan/brown, and the ironwork is green. Since green metal implies copper, many homeowners chose green as the color of their ironwork. It was a keep-up-with-the-Joneses sort of thing.
Most depictions of the mansion harken back to the 1870s. Xiques passed in 1859. His family sold the house to Carlos Victor Pie, who later became the Spanish Consul in New Orleans. He designated the mansion as the Consulate office.
The mansion’s colored history truly begins after Pie’s death (by poisoning). While we may return to those stories at another time, Cruise places the house into his vision of antebellum New Orleans. Unlike his HABS paintings, however, there are no people in the scene. The painting also lacks the precision of his survey images. Perhaps that was Cruise’s way of taking a break from the detail work of, say, his LaPrete Mansion or Arsenal paintings. Still, the scene invites the viewer in, imagining a walk up Rue Dauphine a few blocks, possibly turning towards the river at the end of the block onto Rue St. Louis, and from there, to Dinner at Antoine’s.
We lost one of New Orleans’ best this week. Frank Perez passed. From Ambush Magazine:
It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our friend and Editor in Chief at Ambush Magazine!
Frank Perez was larger than life and his contributions to the LGBT+ Community were immeasurable. Gone too soon and forever in our hearts.
May his memory be a blessing.
Vintage Ad of the Week
“Miss New Orleans Contest – Tonight at Pontchartrain Beach”
Long before the POP (Pay One Price) era, admission to Da Beach was free. Folks would come out, enjoy the evening’s entertainment, and (hopefully) a hot dog and a beverage. Before and after the show, they would ride the Zephyr roller coaster and other rides, buying individual tickets.
Ad in the Times-Picayune, 13-August-1953. Was your maw-maw one of the contestants?
How You Can Help NOLA History Guy
Things you can do RIGHT NOW to help us out!
Buy my books! Edward Branley is the author of six books on New Orleans history. They’re available from local booksellers and all the usual online suspects.
Buy me a Coffee on Ko-fi dot com. I just love this concept as a way to say thank you/tip creators you enjoy. Our idea of monetization is buying books and having us come to speak. If you see me at a coffee shop, stop and say hi. Otherwise, I’ll raise coffee cup to you if you treat me.
Become a patron. Yes, we’re on Patreon. A lot of creators use the platform for direct monetization, and that’s great for them. We don’t have “exclusive content” for patrons. Still, if you think our history stuff is worth a dollar a month, go join!
In six words or less, write a story about this image. (@ladylunanola photo)
Post your story to NOLAHistoryGuy.com on BlueSky, or to New Orleans Uncovered on Facebook. You can also email yours to nolasixwords@nolahistoryguy.com.
Podcast 63 presents the Allard Plantation, now New Orleans City Park.
Julius Robert Hoening’s 1898 painting by titled “Plantation and Oak Tree“ (Allard Plantation).
The Allard Plantation
The land along Bayou St. John, from Lake Pontchartrain to the “Great Portage” attracted members of Bienville’s exploration party from the first trips they made to what would be their Crescent City colony. While most of the French worked to establish the city, a few individuals broke off, heading back up the bayou, living with the indigenous. Small shacks evolve into farms, eventually becoming full plantations by the time of Spanish control.
One of those farms that becomes a plantation was owned by the Allard family. It’s the origin story of our beloved City Park.
This is the podcast version of the lecture I presented on the Battle to the Friends of the Cabildo WTG 2026.
Podcast 62 – Battle of New Orleans (for Walking Tour Guides)
I had the pleasure of presenting to the Friends of the Cabildo’s Walking Tour Guide class of 2026 last month, on the Battle of New Orleans. The talk lasted about 50 minutes, plus questions. As a pod, it’s a bit longer, since we’re not on the tight schedule.
Condensed presentation
The audience for this talk was very specific: streetwalkers! As such, there’s not a lot related to the battle that relates directly to a French Quarter Walking Tour. Still, it’s one of the most significant events in the American period of the history of the city. So, while we didn’t want to go too deep into the military tactics and such, some basics should be in the back of the guide’s head.
The Combat Studies Institute is pleased to publish The Staff Ride Handbook for the Battles of New Orleans, 23 December 1814-8 January 1815, covering the final battles of the War of 1812. Interest in the details of this often-overlooked conflict has increased as a result of recent bicentennial observances, exposing a new generation of students to a unique period in our Army’s history. Most survey course references to the War of 1812 concern the demonstrably different performances of the US Army and US Navy, the latter getting the better coverage. That comparison however, lies at the heart of why this war and this series of battles are crucial to understanding the development of both the Army as an institution and civil-military relations more generally from 1815 to 1941. This handbook will help new and returning students to look at the battles of New Orleans in the proper context, aided by a wealth of new scholarship produced over the last 30 years.
The Friends of the Cabildo (FOC) operate one of the best French Quarter Walking Tours in New Orleans. The program ranks consistently in the top thirty (of over 500) tour programs listed on TripAdvisor. I took the FOC’s tour guide class this past February, and really enjoy leading the tours.
LSM Support
The Friends of the Cabildo is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support the five Louisiana State Museum (LSM) properties in the Vieux Carré. Those are the Cabildo and the Presbytere (the buildings on either side of St. Louis Cathedral at Jackson Square, the 1850 House Museum (located in the Lower Pontalba Building, on the St. Ann Street side of the square, Madame John’s Legacy, a French Colonial house/museum at 632 Dumaine Street, and the Old United States Mint, located at Esplanade Avenue and Decatur street. The Mint houses the New Orleans Jazz Museum. The biggest money-making activity for FOC is our tour program. The funds we raise from tours enable us to do a wide range projects in conjunction with the LSM.
Volunteers
While most tour companies in New Orleans are for-profit operations, FOC’s tour guides are volunteers. We lead tours because we enjoy them! Of course, it’s not for everyone, but if you have an interest in New Orleans history, you like talking to people, and you’re up to walking around Da Quarters for a couple of hours at a time, we’d love to talk to you more.
The Class
Our Tour Guide training program is challenging and comprehensive. It goes well beyond the minimum requirements set by the city’s Ground Transportation Bureau for commercial guides. The program is four weeks long, and usually begins right after Mardi Gras (first day of class for 2026 will be March 2nd). Class sessions are Monday-Wednesday-Friday, with one Saturday “field trip” in the third week.
FOC Tour Guide candidates attend over 100 hours of training. You’ll learn a good bit of New Orleans history, from the Colonial period into the present. The course covers a wide range of cultural subjects, all presented by subject matter experts you’ll enjoy hearing from.
You’ll also learn how to be a Tour Guide! FOC Walking Tours are not scripted. Guides learn how to develop their own 2-hour walk. Assisted by experienced mentors, class members map out a path, plan out stops and what to say to your guests, offering a quality experience. It’s not as daunting a prospect as one might think–since the tour comes from you and your personal style, both Guide and guests have a great time.
Additional Opportunities
Once students complete the program, they do their tour one-on-one with an experienced FOC guide. After clearing that step, they complete a written examination. A passing score on the exam makes one eligible to apply for a city license as a commercial tour guide. After those steps, the new guide does a “critiqued tour,” where they lead a scheduled group of paid guests under the supervision of an experienced guide. Then we put you out on the streets! FOC asks guides for a commitment of two tours a month for two years.
As Tour Guides gain experience with the French Quarter Walking Tour, they become eligible to train for and lead our Garden District Walking Tour, as well as the various “neighborhood” walking tours, such as the Bywater, Irish Channel, and Battle of New Orleans tours. If you’re interested in working for a commercial company, such as Gray Line or Two Chicks Walking Tours, your FOC colleagues will be able to connect you with the various tour companies.
Join us!
Now is the time to apply for the 2026 class. Go to the Walking Tour Guide information page on the FOC website, download the application, and email it back to volunteers@friendsofthecabildo.org. That’s a good address for any questions you may have about the program as well. Once you submit your application, you will be contacted by the Tour Guide Committee for an in-person interview. If you’re accepted in the program, you’ll play the course fee and join the class on 2-March-2026.
Feel free to contact your humble NOLA History Guy if you’d like to discuss the program.
Cutting out Lake Borgne – American defense delayed the British.
Editor’s note: this article, originally posted in 2022, has been updated, as we develop a resource packet on the Battle of New Orleans.
Cutting out Lake Borgne
“British and American Gunboats in Action on Lake Borgne, 14 December 1814.” This painting by Thomas L. Hornbrook depicts the “cutting out expedition” of the Royal Navy on five gunboats of the United States Navy. The Americans defended New Orleans by patrolling Lake Borgne. The Royal Navy cleared the lake of opposition in order to land troops. This action cleared the way for the epic Battle of New Orleans, January 8, 1815.
Landing the troops
“93rd Highlanders with 7th and 43rd Regiments at the Battle of New Orleans” by Don Troiani
Before the British Army could approach New Orleans from downriver in January, 1815, the troops needed to depart the ships that transported them from Europe. Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane commanded the Royal Navy squadron in the Gulf. He operated from HMS Tonnant, 74. Large warships such as Tonnant could not enter Lake Borgne. They required deeper water. So, Cochrane sent small craft in. He gave command of all the small boats in his squadron to Nicholas Lockyer, Master and Commander of HMS Sophie, 18, a brig-of-war. Lockyer assembled the boats and moved into Lake Borgne.
Boarding operations
Gunboat similar to the five American vessels guarding Lake Borgne.
Boarding naval ships and vessels is an ancient tactic of war. By the Napoleonic period, “cutting out” a ship or ships developed into complex movement. One of the most well-known cutting-out maneuvers was the recovery of HMS Hermione, on 25-October-1799, at Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. Additionally, author C.S. Forester used the story of the Hermione for much of the tale of Horatio Hornblower’s time on the fictional HMS Renown in his novel Lieutenant Hornblower.
The cutting out of the Hermione is typical of this type of operation. The British rowed into Puerto Cabello at night, boarded the Hermione (re-named Santa Cecilia by the Spanish), and sailed her out of the harbor after a bloody fight.
Daylight Action
Map of the Battle of Lake Borgne, from The Pictorial Field Book of the War of 1812, Benson Lossing.
The capture of the American “mosquito squadron” in Lake Borgne did not follow the typical pattern for a cutting-out. Lockyer moved on the American vessels with forty launches and barges, each armed with a gun. Those guns ranged in size from twelve to twenty-four pounders. He also sent in two launches with “long guns” capable of more accurate fire from a distance. These boats, along with three unarmed gigs carried a force of 980 sailors and marines into Lake Borgne.
Lockyer’s boats rowed for 36 hours to approach the American positions. Once there, he ordered them to line up across the lake, then advance in the daylight.
Imagine being Lieutenant David ap Catsby Jones, USN, seeing a line of over forty armed boats approaching! Jones ordered his five gunboats, along with the USS Alligator and USS Sea Horse, to engage. The British engaged the two larger ships separately. The bulk of Lockyer’s boats swarmed the gunboats. A boat from HMS Tonnant captured one of the gunboats. The British turned the guns of that vessel on the other American gunboats, who in turned surrendered.
Aftermath
Fort St. John
Lockyer’s success in Lake Borgne enabled Cochrane’s squadron to enter Lake Pontchartrain. The easiest way for the British to attack New Orleans would have been to land their troops at Bayou St. John. When Lockyer’s boats scouted the lake, they saw a huge problem with this plan. Smoke from a furnace at Fort St. John, the Spanish Fort guarding the entrance to the bayou, told Lockyer the Americans were capable of firing “heated shot” at his boats. A land fort could heat the cannon balls aimed at ships and boats approaching. So, not only was a nine-pound iron ball hurtling at the craft, that ball was on fire! Heated shot hitting wooden vessels was a deadly combination. Based on the reports from his scouts, Lockyer reported back that approaching the bayou was impossible. So, instead of an easy trip down the bayou, then the Carondelet Canal, right up to the city, the army would have to approach from the east, through the plantation fields.
Still a Success
While the Battle of Lake Borgne wasn’t the Hornblower-style action, it still was a cutting out. None of the main British navel force engaged the enemy. The British captured the American gunboats and the USS Alligator. The crew of the USS Sea Horse beached their vessel and burned it.
The Battle of Lake Borgne was an unqualified British victory. Lockyer accomplished his objective. So, the British cleared the lake. Thefore, the army found a landing site, and move on New Orleans.
While this furthered the British objective, the action did buy time for the Americans. By delaying the troop landings, the Americans strengthened their positions below New Orleans. The British opted to wait for the arrival of their new commander, Major General Sir Edward Pakenham.
New Orleans Public Service, Inc. (NOPSI) began the push to discontinue the Canal Streetcar in 1960.
Canal Street buses
This 1959 photo of Canal Street confused me for a moment. My friend Keith Evans posted it in his Facebook group, “N.O.L.A. – New Orleans Long Ago,” with just the title, “1959.” I thought, no, there are buses in the neutral ground, and that would be post-1964. I said as much in the group. Pop replied that he dated the image by the ad for the movie, “Ben Hur,” which came out in 1959.
So, I looked at that neutral ground a bit closer. It’s so clean! When buses ran in the “Canal Street Zone,” the roadway was streaked with rubber from tires and oil that leaked from the buses. The area in this photo is spotless! So, it’s just too clean to be normal.
Closing the streetcar line
By 1951, NOPSI discontinued streetcar service on all but the St. Charles and Canal lines. They stopped “belt service” on St. Charles and Tulane. Tulane switched to trolley bus service. Instead of running the belt, St. Charles terminated at S. Claiborne and Carrollton Avenues, as it does to this day. That meant the Canal streetcars were next up on the chopping block.
It wasn’t hard to convince Canal riders to switch to buses. If you lived in Lakeview and commuted into the CBD, you rode a bus to Canal Street and City Park Avenue. From there, the streetcar took you down Canal. NOPSI’s strategy was to operate two bus lines from the lakefront into town. One would use West End and Pontchartrain Boulevards, the other Canal Boulevard. Instead of turning around at City Park Avenue, however, they would continue down Canal Street. This offered riders a direct ride to work during the week, shopping on Saturday. No transfer!
Not only would buses make it an easier trip, they were air-conditioned. That was a big deal for men wearing coat and tie and women wearing stockings to work. Rainy day? You were safe until you got to Baronne or Carondelet Street.
Canal Street zone
With no streetcars in the CBD, buses would travel in the Canal neutral ground. After Claiborne Avenue, they would move into the regular auto traffic lanes. This meant commuters avoided cars while downtown. NOPSI airbrushed the streetcars out of several photos from 1959-1960, inserting buses in their place. I have a couple of these images in my book, New Orleans: The Canal Streetcar Line. This one was new to me.
Red streetcars
Streetcar service on Canal Street returned in 2004. The 2000-series Von Dullen cars featured a smoother ride and…wait for it…air conditioning! Riders coming in from Lakeview have to transfer from the bus, like they did prior to 1964, but hey, streetcars are always more fun.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
Recent Comments