Mardi Gras Festivities in New Orleans
Thursday, February 19th, 2009It is that time of year when millions of people flock to New Orleans for the annual Mardi Gras festival. While the celebrations have already begun, Geogad has listed some of its favorite historical locations to see in the French Quarters. Whether you are a history buff, or just looking to learn about the rich heritage of the city, you are sure to enjoy these locations.
St. Louis Cathedral
Located at 615 Pere Antoine Alley, the St. Louis Cathedral is the oldest, active cathedral in the United States although the current building has only been there since 1794. The St. Louis Cathedral tops our list of must-see destinations in the French Quarters because of the building’s unique architecture, both inside and out. Tours of the inside of the cathedral are available and are highly recommended.
Did you know that:
The current cathedral replaced two previous structures that were destroyed in the fires of 1788 and 1794. The first fire to destroy the French Quarter occurred in the afternoon of March 21, 1788 and was started when the candles in a chapel of a private home set fire to the curtains and spread to the rest of the building. Since that day was Good Friday, a Catholic holy day, the church leaders would not allow the church bells to be rung as a fire alarm. The fires could not be checked and quickly spread to the rest of the town. It lasted for five hours and destroyed over 800 buildings. The second fire started on December 8, 1794 when some children where playing with fire. Although only 212 buildings were destroyed, the financial damage from the second fire was far greater than in the first fire. The fires were a blessing in disguise for New Orleans. The Spanish governors ordered the French Quarter to be rebuilt in Spanish-style architecture with several modifications from the previous French design to reduce the threat of fire. New buildings were to be constructed one next to the other with no alleyway between that could act as a wind tunnel to spread fire. The buildings were built directly on the street and with tile roofs. The new buildings included many more brick structures than before.
Cathedral Gardens
Located behind the St. Louis Cathedral, the Cathedral Gardens offer a great location to stop and enjoy the beautiful architecture of the Cathedral. Another great site in the gardens is the marble obelisk in the center of the gardens and the statue of Jesus Christ. The marble obelisk commemorates the sacrifice of 30 French soldiers, who lost their lives while caring for the ill in New Orleans during a yellow fever epidemic in the 1853.
Did you know that:
Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana on August 29, 2005 and forever changed New Orleans. Most of New Orleans ended up under water after the levees broke, but the French Quarter suffered no flooding since it was founded on a naturally high piece of ground. The French Quarter did suffer some wind and storm damage, such as roof damage and minor property loss. For example, the Cathedral Garden lost part of its fence when one of its old oak trees fell during the storm. The fallen tree very nearly missed the statue of Jesus Christ that stands in this garden. The only damage to the statue was the loss of two fingers on the left hand. The imaginative people of New Orleans quickly came up with an explanation for the damage to the statue. Until the very last moment, it looked like Hurricane Katrina was going to directly strike New Orleans. The legend is that the statue of Jesus miraculously flicked his fingers and sent the Hurricane to the east of New Orleans.
Orleans Ballroom
Located at 717 Orleans Avenue, the Orleans Ballroom offers a glimpse into what life was like over 200 years ago in New Orleans. Built in 1817, it was known for its theater and French Opera, but early visitors to New Orleans came here to see the lavish and exciting Quadroon Balls.
Did you know that:
The Quadroon Balls were lavish parties where rich white men could meet lovely, eligible Quadroon women, who might agree to be their mistresses. A Quadroon was a person whose ancestry was 25% African and was forbidden by law to marry a white person. Marriage in the 1700’s and 1800’s was a very practical agreement based on money and social status, not on love. If a rich man was interested in love, he often looked for it outside of the marriage. If a rich man and a young Quadroon lady liked each other, the man had to convince the Quadroon’s chaperon, either a mother or some other guardian, that he had enough money to keep her in style for the rest of her life. A formal contract was put together where the man would agree to give his Quadroon mistress a house, a carriage, furniture, money, and other material objects. Their children would have his last name and would be educated in the best schools in the Americas and in Europe. The Quadroon mistress would remain loyal to the rich man she choose, but he could end the relationship whenever he wanted. Despite ending the relationship, he would still have to stick to his part of the contract.
To learn more about these destinations, listen to Geogad’s French Quarters Tour
