The Advocate. December 10, 2023.
Editorial: Madame John’s Legacy fight exposes flaws in preservation management
Pitched battles over how best to preserve historic structures are nothing new in Louisiana. Every corner of the state has notable sites that define and inspire us. When one of them is threatened, passions run high.
For more than a year, New Orleans preservationists have decried state-sponsored work at Madame John’s Legacy, one of the Crescent City’s oldest buildings and a rare example of 18th-century Louisiana-Creole residential architecture, according to the Louisiana State Museum, which owns the site.
The battle lines in New Orleans raise significant issues that warrant close attention by preservationists and public officials throughout Louisiana.
Preservationists say a modest state contract to remediate moisture and roofing problems at Madame John’s Legacy has mushroomed into an unwieldy “restoration” project that could produce “an architectural anachronism.” Several 200-year-old features have been removed, for example.
The home, at 632 Dumaine St., dates from 1788 and ranks alongside the Cabildo and Presbytere, the State Capitol, Shadows-on-the-Teche in New Iberia and dozens more Louisiana treasures listed as National Historic Landmarks, the highest level of significance conferred by the National Park Service.
The State Museum Board, which operates under Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, wisely hired experts to review the project in response to preservationists’ concerns. The experts’ report, issued in March, confirmed everyone’s worst fears: The project’s architect and contractor ignored recommendations by the State Historic Preservation Office as well as U.S. Interior Department standards for treatment of historic properties.
The report also cited the lack of a comprehensive Historic Structure Report (HSR) on Madame John’s Legacy and recommended one be completed before undertaking additional work. The Museum Board immediately commissioned an HSR.
Unfortunately, the state Office of Facility Planning and Control — under state Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne — forged ahead, ignoring the expert’s recommendations and the Museum Board’s concerns.
Thankfully, the New Orleans Vieux Carre Commission, which was constitutionally authorized nearly 90 years ago to preserve and protect the French Quarter’s “quaint and distinctive character,” issued a “stop work” order on Nov. 22.
Dardenne responded that the commission has no legal authority to halt a state project. A New Orleans City Attorney’s opinion concludes otherwise, setting the stage for litigation. For now, Dardenne says he will suspend work for 10 days. He should suspend all work beyond the scope of the original contract.
Meanwhile, lawmakers can prevent recurrences elsewhere by requiring HSRs before work commences on any National Historic Landmarks. They also should require architects, engineers and contractors to demonstrate expertise with historic structures before working on them — and authorize local governments to intercede when necessary to protect historic structures.
END
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
