Southern Hotel — Covington

The two-story commercial brick building went up in 1907. Two corner pavilions project from the façade, flanked by matching balconies on the wings. Arched windows carry arched lintels. Fixed awnings shade the overhead transoms. Elaborate brackets finish the detail. The building sat empty long enough that by 1982 it was undergoing restoration. It reopened as a hotel in 2014. Covington sits on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, an estuary that stretches 40 miles east to west and receives fresh water from the Bogue Falaya and five other rivers. The railroad arrived in 1852 to link New Orleans to the north. The Southern Hotel now anchors the southern end of Columbia Street's arts district, a member of Historic Hotels of America. The Camellia Ballroom hosts events. A rooftop bar offers views across Old Covington. The restaurant emphasizes North Shore farm-to-table sourcing. Bogue Falaya Park and the Tammany Trace trailhead are within walking distance. The hotel sits within the Division of St. John Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.