Good forArts & culture lovers
Madame John's Legacy at 632 Dumaine is one of the only surviving French colonial buildings in the Quarter -- though the building standing today went up in 1789, for Spanish officer Don Manuel de Lanzos, built by Robert Jones using timber salvaged after the 1788 fire leveled the block before it. It survived the second fire, in 1794, and has stood since. The raised creole cottage form -- galleried, louvered, high-set -- shows how builders here adapted to the climate regardless of who governed the colony that week. The name comes from George Washington Cable's 1874 short story. Now a Louisiana State Museum property.
Quick facts
- ·Madame John's Legacy at 632 Dumaine survived the fires of 1788 and 1794 that destroyed most of French New Orleans.
- ·It's one of the only surviving French colonial buildings in the Quarter, built in 1789 by Jean Pascal.
- ·The raised creole cottage form — galleried, louvered, high-set — shows how colonial builders adapted to the climate.
- ·The name comes from George Washington Cable's 1874 short story.
- ·Visitor tip: it's a Louisiana State Museum property; check current hours before visiting.
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2 historical photographs.
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Editorial content compiled with AI assistance. Place details verified against public records.