Spanish Architecture in New Orleans

From 1763 to 1803, Spanish colonial rule dominated the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean regions, including New Orleans and Louisiana. The era ushered in new styles of art, architecture, and material culture, forever imprinting the region with its distinctive mark. Indeed, if you know what to look for, many of the French Quarter’s most distinct historic buildings still reveal subtle signs of Spanish colonial architecture—unique elements that have helped to define the iconic architectural styles we associate with the “French Quarter” today.  

For The Historic New Orleans Collection’s (THNOC) 2022 Antiques Forum, “The Spanish South,” architectural historian and Tulane School of Architecture faculty member Ann Masson developed an engaging and informative video tour of New Orleans’ Spanish colonial period. Highlighting buildings ranging from Creole cottages and urban townhouses to Jackson Square’s iconic Cabildo, Masson’s tour pinpoints key features common to Spanish construction. From the neighborhood’s wrought-iron balconies and terrace roofs, to Creole cottages with stucco fronts and French Quarter courtyards, many components dating from the decades when New Orleans was under Spanish rule can still be seen today.

Following destructive fires in 1788 and 1794, the present-day Cabildo and the Presbytère were constructed at the turn of the nineteenth century, and remain some of the finest examples of the French Quarter’s Spanish architecture. At 707 Dumaine Street stands the only remaining example of the Spanish-style flat terrace roof made from layers of flat terracotta tiles, tar, earth, oyster shells, and plaster laid over a wooden framework. The stucco Creole cottage at 933 St. Philip Street, built in 1805 by a free man of color, is another great example of Spanish architectural influence. The style became so popular that many more Creole cottages would later be built throughout the French Quarter. At 722 Toulouse Street, a Creole townhouse boasts the only surviving example of a Spanish-style wooden balcony supported by a scroll-form wrought iron console.

Here’s an interesting fact: In an effort to prevent further fires, the Spanish enacted laws requiring the front walls of homes to be aligned with the property line. This pushed outdoor living space to the back of the house, paving the way for the development of Spanish-style interior courtyards. A fine example of the form can be found at THNOC’s Merieult House at 533 Royal Street. Built in 1792, it’s a Spanish colonial version of neoclassical architecture and one of the few buildings to survive the flames that devoured much of the city late in the eighteenth century.

Learn more about the French Quarter’s Spanish architectural history by viewing Masson’s video at youtu.be/Lwx6rVxR2dc.