History

In 1876, Father Peter Leonard Thevis promised God that if his parishioners were spared from the yellow fever epidemic, he would build a chapel. Today, the chapel in St. Roch Cemetery stands as a testament to God’s providence and a promise kept.

Did you know that the $200 New Orleans Bank note once bore the image of St. Louis Cathedral? If asked, could you answer, “What exactly is Creole?” What if we told you that some of the oldest parishes in the Archdiocese of New Orleans aren’t actually in New Orleans?

One of the most popular resources at The Historic New Orleans Collection is the Collins C. Dibbol Vieux Carré Digital Survey, which offers information on every block of the city’s oldest neighborhood, the French Quarter. This complimentary online resource includes maps, site plans, property records, photographs and more.

If you missed “Making New Orleans Home: A Tricentennial Symposium,” presented by the 2018 New Orleans Tricentennial Commission, you can still explore some of the topics with help from The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC) and its exhibition and companion catalog, “New Orleans, the Founding Era.”

The architect of New Orleans’ first city hall was born in Ireland as James Gallagher but changed his name to sound more “French” in 1834 when he arrived in NOLA. He, along with many other immigrants, sought to assimilate into the French culture.

The Office of Black Catholic Ministries cultivates the rich diversity of the black Catholic community in the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Much of Louisiana experienced record-breaking cold temperatures and icy conditions last month, and New Orleans even saw two very light dustings of snow this winter.

We all love the story of the Battle of New Orleans and how we saved our city from the British … after the War of 1812 was already over. Jean Lafitte has become heroic here in NOLA because of his role in the battle, despite his business of piracy and smuggling before and after the war.

One unique, long-held tradition in many balls involves certain ladies being issued a “call-out” card. If a debutante or lady guest is fortunate enough to receive one, she gets a reserved seat. She then waits her turn to be “called out” for a dance with a masked krewe member who sent her the card prior to the ball.

If you’re a local, you’re familiar with the public, working studio that holds some of Carnival’s magic. Within the walls of Mardi Gras World lies an operating workshop comprising the heart-stopping floats of many international fêtes, including Mardi Gras.

Did you know that Mardi Gras was suspended during World War II? More surprising than that, when it returned in 1946, the famous flambeaux didn’t participate.

In 2018, New Orleans celebrates its Tricentennial, and the Catholic Church celebrates 300 years of Catholicism in New Orleans.

New Orleans has been inhabited for centuries. In 1718, it became French territory when Bienville founded New Orleans 100 miles from the mouth of the Mississippi River.

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New Orleans adopted its municipal flag in 1918, in celebration of our bicentennial. Like the U.S. and French flags, white represents government, blue represents liberty and red represents fraternity. These fleur-de-lis highlight the city’s French heritage, and the flag became the first to fly over Louisiana territory.

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It’s hard to believe the Tricentennial is almost here. We’ve been building up to New Orleans’ 300th year for quite some time, and in less than a month, we’ll be living it.

From 1850 until about 1990, the holiday season brought lavish decorations, toy lands, trim-the-tree displays and aisles of Christmas cards to Canal Street, the city’s premier shopping destination.

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When Leona Tate approached McDonogh 19 on November 14, 1960, an angry crowd confronted her and the two other girls who would be the first African-American students to attend the New Orleans school.

Baptist Community Ministries (BCM) has been serving the Greater New Orleans Region for more than 22 years. But our service to the community actually began in 1926 with the opening of Southern Baptist Hospital. The hospital, a leading regional medical center, was located in the heart of Uptown New Orleans.

For Halloween, I wanted to answer a question we hear in New Orleans: What’s the difference between voodoo and hoodoo?

New Orleanians of certain generations remember Dr. Momus Alexander Morgus, “Morgus the Magnificent,” a prototypical mad scientist played by Sid Noel Rideau and his perpetually cloaked assistant, Chopsley (Tommy George).

Many who spent their college years around NOLA remember Fump and Manny’s on Tchoupitoulas Street, better known as F & M’s Patio Bar.

THNOC’s annual Les Comediens Français Lecture celebrates the lasting French influence in New Orleans culture.

Twenty years after its inception, the red-light district known as Storyville was declining.

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Our hearts go out to those affected by Hurricane Harvey. New Orleanians know how difficult it can be to rebuild after a disaster. Those wanting to help may be similarly overwhelmed, unsure of where to send their aid.

Storyville, the red light district that operated from 1898–1917 in New Orleans, lives prominently in the local imagination, but little of it remains in the historical record.