632 Dumaine St. New Orleans, LA 70116 [Map It] (504) 568-6968, (800) 568-6968 Fax: (504) 568-4995
Neighborhood: French Quarter Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free Parking: No Handicapped Accessible: No/Unknown
Attraction Information
Attraction Type/s: Museum, Historic Home Admission Cost: $3 for adults and $2 for senior citizens, students and active military. Children under 12 are admitted free. School groups are free, but reservations are required. Combination tickets for two or more sites within the LA State Museums receive a 20% discount.
Description:
Madame John's Legacy is one of the finest 18th century building complexes in Louisiana. It is one of the few French Quarter structures that escaped the great fire of 1794, which leveled much of city’s oldest section. The structures on the site in the early 1780's were destroyed by the conflagration and Madame John's was erected on the burnt-out lot in 1789.
Madame John's is an excellent example of Louisiana Creole residential design at the end of the 18th century. It is more typical of the simple, unadorned style of the French West Indies than the ornate style that evolved during the Spanish colonial period, characterized by lacy wrought iron balconies. The architectural complex at Madame John's actually consists of three buildings: The main house, the kitchen with cook's quarters and the two-story garconniere (gentlemen’s guest quarters).
This is the kind of home that prospering colonists built after progressing from their first rude cabin dwellings. The homes provided refuge and sanctuary for New Orleanians: high off the ground where it was safe from frequent flooding, and broad galleries that protected it from sun and rain. Thick walls and shuttered windows created a snug and private atmosphere, while inside one found an air of spaciousness.
The main house is the only building in the complex that is open to the public.
