Pitot House

The Pitot House is a historic landmark in New Orleans, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Pitot House is an 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.

History

The Pitot House was built in 1799 by Don Bartolome Bosque and was never a fully-functional plantation home, but rather a country retreat. The house is named after James Pitot, the owner of the house from 1810 to 1819 and the first American Mayor of New Orleans. 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. Other notable owners of the house include Mme. Rillieux, the great-grandmother of Edgar Degas; Felix Ducayet; and Mother Frances Cabrini, the first American saint.

House

The house was saved from destruction by the Louisiana Landmarks Society in the 1960s and restored to its original splendor, showing the double-pitched hipped roof, and the plaster-covered brick-between-post construction. The wooden posts act as structural support, the brick offers thermal insulation, and the plaster protects this medley from dampness and rot. The style of the Pitot House is ensuite- with no hallways and an outdoor stairway. The house was designed with hot summers and insects in mind. The doors were positioned across from each other to keep cool air moving. The extended galleries on both the bottom and top levels of the house keep the sun off the walls and offer outdoor breezeways.

The Pitot House was also designed to withstand floods and was able to survive the floods of Hurricane Katrina due to brick floors on the bottom level of the house which would have originally been caulked with a dry mix of sand and lime, allowing flood waters to drain through. The gallery, back loggia, and sleeping porch were used for outdoor entertaining, dining, and sleeping, fit with shutters to offer relief from the intense Louisiana sun.

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, citrus, sugar cane, tobacco, indigo, cotton, herbs, and vegetables. The garden is a traditional parterre garden, designed to be viewed from the above gallery. Next to the house is a 10,000 square foot yard, where parties and events are held.

External links

* [http://pitothouse.org/pitot.htm Pitot House Museum and Gardens]
* [http://www.neworleansmuseums.com/directory/location.php?locationID=1279 Pitot House Museum at New Orleans Museums: address, map, hours, etc.]
* [http://www.frommers.com/destinations/neworleans/A25426.html Frommer's Review]
* [http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/rm_architecture_styles/article/0,1797,HGTV_3664_1396462,00.html HGTV Restoration Information]