Pontalba Buildings
United States historic place. Added to the National Register in 1974, and a National Historic Landmark.
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What it is
The Pontalba Buildings form two sides of Jackson Square in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. They are matching red-brick, one-block-long, four‑story buildings built between 1849–1851 by the Baroness Micaela Almonester Pontalba. The ground floors house shops and restaurants; and the upper floors are apartments which, reputedly, are the oldest continuously rented such apartments in the United States.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Building |
| Address | 500 St. Ann St. and 500 St. Peter St., New Orleans, LA |
| Parish | Orleans Parish |
| Listed | May 30, 1974 |
| Listed for | Community planning, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Reference number | 74000934 |
| Type of place | architectural ensemble |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark |
| Contributing resources | 32 buildings |
| Standing | Yes |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | 500 St. Ann St. and 500 St. Peter St., New Orleans, LA |
| Coordinates | 29.9581° N, 90.0625° W · Directions ↗ |
| Also in New Orleans | 210 listed places in New Orleans → · walking tour → |
| Nearest national park unit | New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park · under a mile · on Park Atlas |
Explore
Drawings & photographs
Measured drawings and photographs from the Library of Congress. Public domain. All 8 records ↗
Map
Nearby in Orleans Parish
Local history books for New Orleans
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Guidebooks to historic places in Louisiana
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was Pontalba Buildings listed on the National Register?
May 30, 1974. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
Where is Pontalba Buildings?
500 St. Ann St. and 500 St. Peter St., New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana. The nearest national park unit is New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, under a mile away.
What does the Pontalba Buildings listing include?
The listing counts 32 contributing resources. Those are 32 buildings. A contributing resource is a part of the listed property that carries its historic significance.
Source: National Park Service
Are there historic photographs or drawings of Pontalba Buildings?
Yes. The Historic American Buildings Survey at the Library of Congress has drawings or photographs of it.
Source: Library of Congress
Where is the nomination form for Pontalba Buildings?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Is there cell service at Pontalba Buildings?
FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 74000934. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA. Drawings and photographs are Historic American Buildings Survey records at the Library of Congress, public domain.