1400 Louisa St.

District: Bywater - Full Control 

Owner: Jethro Jackson

HDLC Staff: Chase Klugh 

Rating: Contributing 

Applicant: Crescent Construction Group, LLC

Permit #: 24-01577-HDLC

HDLC Guidelines: 

Section 12, Pages 23-24 of the Guidelines for New Construction, Additions and Demolition states that the demolition of all or portions of historic resources within a local Historic District or Landmark site are considered drastic actions, since they alter the character of the area. Once historic resources or buildings that contribute to the heritage of the community are destroyed, it is generally impossible to reproduce their design, texture, materials, details and their special character and interest in the neighborhood. When reviewing demolition applications at properties located within a Historic District or at a Landmark site, the HDLC uses the following criteria in its evaluations:

• The historic or architectural significance of the building or structure as designated by its “rating”: Contributing to the Bywater Historic District. 

• The special character and aesthetic interest that the building or structure adds to the local Historic District:   Constructed in ca. 1900, 1400 Louisa is a frame double shotgun residential building with reserved but remaining original detailing. The one-story building is surmounted by a gable on hip roof with the front facing gable including an original window and sawtooth shingle cladding. The front façade maintains its original fenestration pattern but has lost its decorative brackets and quoins. The original four-room building form remains despite two rear shed roof additions. Overall, the building retains enough of its original detailing and character defining features to denote it as a historic building that is important to the district. 

• The importance of the building or structure to the tout ensemble of the area: Similar to many neighboring residential buildings, 1400 Louisa was constructed at the turn-of-the-century. Situated on the lake-side of St. Claude Avenue, the area lagged behind in its overall development compared to other sections of the Bywater district. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps are indicative of this pattern and highlight 1400 Louisa as being one of the earlier buildings in the 604 and 525 municipal blocks. This corner property effectively serves as an anchor for the surrounding context on North Villere and Louisa Streets. For that reason, 1400 Louisa Street is extremely important to the tout ensemble of this locale of the Bywater district. 

• The alternatives to demolition that have been explored by the applicant: None that are known at this time. It is likely that the site would be redeveloped with a new construction infill project. However, given the nature of the existing lot with two main buildings, it might not be possible to redevelop the site in the future. The current building is a prime candidate for the federal/state rehabilitation tax credit program. 

• The difficulty or impossibility of reproducing such a building or structure because of its design, texture, material or detail: While reproduction might not be cost-prohibitive, recreation of historic details such as wood windows, massing and decorative elements would be difficult and unlikely. In addition, any new construction buildings would likely not share this building's same massing, roofline and character, which could alter the streetscape considerably.

• The condition of the building or structure: Based on Google street view and other photographs, it appears that the building has been vacant  since at least 2005. Windows have been boarded since this date. Since 2007, the building has deteriorated significantly without any sign of  concerted improvement. Deteriorating weatherboards have continued to fall off the building resulting in exposed structural members and interior wall lath. In addition, the brick foundation wall has recently incurred damage with expanding areas of loose and missing sections of masonry. Graffiti and neglectful maintenance of the building have created an eye-sore for the neighboring buildings. However, these issues are superficial and can be corrected through rehabilitation work and regular attention. 

An interior and exterior HDLC inspection was performed on Tuesday, January 30th  by HDLC Inspector Alex Nassar. The inspection (see below) determined the building to be in overall fair condition with areas ranging from poor to very poor. Starting from back to front, the inspection revealed that the rear-most addition is in poor structural condition and likely needs to be removed to prevent further damage to the main building. The larger of the shed roof additions is in fair condition and should be maintained. The main four-room core had limited structural damage at the left side elevation and front wall. It was noted that existing wall structure at this portion were plum and in salvageable condition. The right side elevation wall structure, sill, and top plate comprise the poor to very poor condition portion of the building. The inspection revealed that studs and sills at this wall were significantly deteriorated from wood rot and wood-destroying insect damage. This portion of the building  should be rebuilt. The roof structure does not appear to be racking. However, it is evident from a quick glance that the building has long-needed a new roof , and well-intended tarps have since become a deteriorated element in their own right. Interior inspection photographs show areas of roofing that are completely exposed to the outside. In addition, areas of the rear-facing gable require reconstruction. The building's masonry chain walls and piers need repointing but do not show any signs of failure and are not leaning. Sills at sections of missing brick do not appear to be bowing. Although  the interior of the building is currently uninhabitable, it appears to be in fair condition considering that the building is not weathertight. Interior debris made it difficult to ascertain the condition of the flooring, but floor joists at the exterior are in good condition. 

In summary, the inspection revealed that despite  decades of neglect, the building can be structurally salvaged and rehabilitated with attentive work to compromised areas of the building. 

• Staff Recommendations: 1400 Louisa Street is important to this portion of the Bywater Historic District due to its presence as an anchor at the intersection of Louisa and North Villere Streets. The corner building greets the passerby after several blocks of cemeteries, opening up to a relatively intact streetscape of early twentieth-century residential buildings. Although detailing is reserved and/or missing, the historic nature of the building is evident in  its form, size, and relationship to neighboring buildings. This importance coupled with the fact that the inspection found the building to be salvageable warrants the denial of demolition. 

• Recommendation: Denial of full demolition to grade with no objection to the rear-most addition being removed.