Pitot House
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Pitot House is a historic landmark in New Orleans, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Pitot House is a 18th century Creole Colonial Plantation located at 1440 Moss Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Pitot House is currently owned by the Louisiana Landmark Society and the society uses that house as its head quarters. The house is located on Bayou St. John. The house was moved several blocks from its original location to the current site in order to prevent its destruction.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Pitot House was built in 1799. The house is named after James Pitot. James Pitot was an owner of the house from 1810 to 1819 and was the second Mayor of New Orleans, from 1804 to 1805, and the first after the city received it charter. Inside are American antiques from the early 1800s, but the antiques are not original to the home. One portrait, of Sophie Gabrielle, is the only artifact actually owned by a past resident.
[edit] House
The house has been restored by the Louisiana Landmark Society in the 1960s to show the double-pitched hipped roof, and and the stucco-covered brick-between-post construction. The style of the Pitot House is one with no hallways and an outdoor stairway. The house was designed with hot summers and insects in mind. To keep the house cool the ceiling were built high, which traps the warm air high above the floor. The doors were positioned across from each other to keep cool air moving. The Pitot House was also designed to withstand floods and was able to survive the floods of Hurricane Katrina. The balcony was used for outdoor living, and in the early history of the house slaves would entertain the residents as they dined outside.
[edit] Garden
The garden at the Pitot House grows plants traditional to the time period when the Pitot House was built. These plants include indigenous flowers, sugar cane, tobacco, indigo, cotton, herbs, and vegetables. The garden is a traditional parlor garden. Next to the house is a 10,000 square foot yard.
