Longue Vue House and Gardens

Longue Vue
Back view of the main house
Location 7 Bamboo Rd., New Orleans, Louisiana
Coordinates 29°58′36.31″N 90°7′23.13″W / 29.9767528°N 90.1230917°WCoordinates: 29°58′36.31″N 90°7′23.13″W / 29.9767528°N 90.1230917°W
Area 8 acres (32,000 m2)
Built 1939
Architect Platt & Platt; Ellen Biddle Shipman
Architectural style Classical Revival
Governing body Private
NRHP Reference # 91001419
Significant dates
Added to NRHP September 20, 1991[1]
Designated NHL April 5, 2005[2]

Longue Vue House and Gardens, also known as Longue Vue, is a multifaceted historic estate featuring a world-class house museum and eight acres of stunning gardens, including a locally unparalleled collection of Louisiana irises and an interactive Discovery Garden for children of all ages. It is located at 7 Bamboo Road in New Orleans.

The former home of Edgar and Edith Stern (daughter of Julius Rosenwald), the current house is in fact the second. The original house and gardens began in 1924. In 1934, landscape architect Ellen Biddle Shipman began to work with the Sterns on the designs of their gardens. Through the re-working of the gardens the Sterns decided that their house did not allow them to fully enjoy their new grounds, and the original house was subsequently moved and a new one erected in its place starting in 1939. This new house was designed by architects William and Geoffrey Platt whose father, Charles A. Platt, was Shipman’s mentor. The four facades of the house have four different appearances and out each of the four sides there is a different garden. It has 20 rooms on three stories, with original furnishings.

The gardens include Asclepias tuberosa, azaleas, caladium, Callicarpa americana, camellia, Canna, Chionanthus retusus, chrysanthemum, crape myrtle, cyclamen, Delphinium, Ficus carica, Gossypium, hydrangea, Koelreuteria bipinnata, Louisiana irises, Lycoris aurea, Narcissus, Passiflora incarnata, Phytolacca americana, Euphorbia pulcherrima, roses, Stigmaphyllon ciliatum, tulips, vitex, and Zingiber zerumbet.

Longue Vue was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991,[1] and further was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2005.[2]

Though damaged by Hurricane Katrina, Longue Vue has reopened thanks to the commitment of the staff and volunteers from around the country that helped to bring back the gardens. Tours of the house are available every hour on the hour during normal operating hours, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. The last house tour is at 4 p.m.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-01-23.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Longue Vue". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-02-01.

External links

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