Field Studies
Natchez Weekend
Anthony DelRosarioStudio in Building PreservationProfessors G. Cizek, M. Thomas, and H. KnightMaster in Preservation StudiesTulane School of Architecture
1 PRST 6510 - Studio in Building Preservation – G. Cizek, M. Thomas, H. Knight – March 19, 2010Anthony DelRosario – Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture
On Friday March 12, Studio in Building Preservation made our fourth field trip ofthe semester to St. Francisville, Louisiana and Natchez, Mississippi. During the firsttrip, we were able to compare two masonry fortifications, Fort Jefferson and Fort Pike,which differed in time period, size, and amount of preservation work. On the second tripwe toured two Creole raised plantation houses, Destrehan Plantation House andHomeplace Plantation House, that were built during the same period (and likely by thesame craftsmen) but differ in size and amount of preservation work. On the third trip,we were able to compare and contrast two intact plantations of similar age but indifferent stages of preservation, Evergreen Plantation and Whitney Plantation. Duringthe weekend trip upriver, we saw a plethora sites that are in the possession of a varietyowners from private citizens to churches to a local foundation to a state to the federalgovernment. From these different owners we learned about various fund raising tactics,preservation methods, and interpretation approaches.The initial stop of our three day endeavor was the quaint town of St. Francisvillethirty minutes up Scenic Highway 61 from Baton Rouge. The first site in St. Francisvillethat we visited was Grace Episcopal Church (Fig. 1), second oldest parish in theEpiscopal Diocese of Louisiana. The historic grounds included a red brick GothicRevival church and picturesque oak-filled cemetery (Fig. 2). According to the NationalRegister of Historic Places nomination form, “Grace Church continues to stand in itsoriginal naturalistic setting due to visual isolation by trees from the growth and change inthe surrounding neighborhood.” In the cemetery are many interesting features includingwonderfully detailed cast and wrought iron fences of the cemetery and of tomb plots, anEgyptian Revival tomb (Fig. 3), and a deteriorating brick underground burial vault (Fig.
2 PRST 6510 - Studio in Building Preservation – G. Cizek, M. Thomas, H. Knight – March 19, 2010Anthony DelRosario – Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture
4). The Egyptian Revival tomb was for one of the church’s charter members, Dr. IraSmith, and was originally designed for multiple burials but was “rendered useless afterone of Dr. Smith’s descendents threw the key into the Mississippi River” according to aGrace Episcopal Church brochure. The church was built between 1858 and 1860 byCharles Nevitt Gibbons who based his design on English country churches (GraceEpiscopal Church brochure). The church contains several interesting features includingdivided pews that were originally rented by families that wished to sit, Bohemian glassdoor panels, large to sit, Bohemian glass door panels (Fig. 5), large rococo chandelier,and a rare H. and W. Pilcher organ (Fig. 6).After leaving Grace Episcopal Church, I drove along Royal Street to see one ofthe principal streets of the St. Francisville Historic District which is listed on the NationalRegister of Historic Places. The street features several frame buildings from theNineteenth Century. Most structures were houses but I also noticed the interestingAudubon Market Hall.The second site that the class visited on the first day was Rosedown PlantationHistoric Site. According to the National Register of Historic Places nomination form, W.Wright built the manor house for Daniel Turnbull in a transitional Federal-Greek Revivalstyle between 1834 and 1835 using cypress and cedar from the area. The house (Fig.7) features an unusual double gallery with Doric columns. In Classical influencedarchitecture, one would expect Ionic columns on the floor above Doric columns. In1845, Turnbull added Grecian wings on both sides of the house. The north wingfeatures an inside shower which would become commercially available until the 1880s.The walls of the main hall of the house have wonderful Zuber wallpaper (Fig. 8) with
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Field Studies 04 - Natchez
from Studio in Building Preservation, Spring 2010, Master in Preservation Studies, Tulane School of Architecture, Professors Gene Cizek, Mark Thomas, and Heather Knight
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