Page 346 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

344  THE DEEP SOUTH

splendid pine and cypress
ceiling, two superb Bavarian
stained-glass windows, and a
window depicting the Battle
of New Orleans, beneath
an image of Our Lady of
Prompt Succor. The nuns’ old
kitchen and laundry is now
the rectory.
A formal French garden
containing a handsome iron
gazebo lies in front of the
building. It is accessed via
the porter’s lodge.
Neo-Classical façade of the Old US Mint
1 Old US Mint 2 Old Ursuline 3 French Market
Map E2. 400 Esplanade Ave. Tel (504) Convent Map E2. N Peters St, from St. Ann
568-6993. v Riverfront. @ 3, 55. to Barracks St. v Riverfront.
Open 10am-4:30pm Tue–Sun. Map E2. 1112 Chartres St. Tel (504) @ 3, 5, 48. Open 9am–6pm
Closed public hols. & 7 8 = 529-3040. v Riverfront. @ 3, 55. daily. 7 - = m
∑ louisianastatemuseum.org Open 10am–4pm Mon–Fri, 9am–3pm ∑ frenchmarket.org
Sat. & ∑ oldursulineconvent.org
This Greek Revival building, A New Orleans institution
built in 1835 by William The oldest building in the since 1791, this area served as
Strickland, functioned as a Mississippi Valley, the Old a trading place for Native
mint until 1909, turning out Ursuline Convent was built Americans long before
a variety of coinage, including in 1752, some 25 years after Euro pean settlement.
Confederate and Mexican the Ursuline Sisters first arrived Officially the French Market
currency. It then became a in New Orleans. With its steep- is five blocks between St. Ann
federal prison and was later pitched roof punctuated by a and Barracks Streets, beginning
used by the Coast Guard. row of dormers and tall roughly at Café du Monde
In the late 1970s, it chimneys, it is a typical and ending at the Old Mint
was taken over by French Colonial museum. In daily use, the
the state and structure and term “French Market” usually
converted into a one of the few denotes the open-air markets
museum to house to remain from from St. Philip to Barracks,
the New Orleans that period. In which stock many New
Jazz Collection. the 1820s, the Orleans specialties. The
The exhibit tells nuns moved to Farmers Market (beginning
the story of jazz Vintage photograph, New new quarters, and at Ursulines Street) offers fresh
(see p347) through a Orleans Jazz Collection the convent became Louisiana produce, seafood,
collection of original the first official and spices. Strawberries in the
musical instruments, vintage residence for the bishops and spring and the pecans in
pho tographs, and historic archbishops of New Orleans, the fall are especially prized.
documents. Among the and the home of the arch- The majority of the space is
instruments displayed are diocesan archives. now given over to the Flea
the ebony clarinet George The current chapel, now Market – all kinds of items,
Lewis used to record “Burgundy known as Our Lady of Victory, ranging from jewelry and
Street Blues,” and the coronet was consecrated in 1845. pottery, to souvenirs and
Louis Armstrong learned to Inside, visitors can admire the T-shirts, to African arts and
play on. At the entrance are a crafts, can be bought
series of photographs of early at the stalls and
bands and musicians, as well as tables around the
a steamboat scale model. French Market
The building also houses buildings. Another
the History of the Old US Mint structure nearby is
Exhibition, which displays gold the 1930s Bazaar
and silver coins formerly minted Market, which was
here. On the third floor, the originally built in
New Orleans Mint Performing 1870 by Joseph
Arts Center offers live musical Abeilard, one of the
and theatrical performances for country’s first African-
a modest fee. Old Ursuline Convent, dating from 1752 American architects
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp368–70 and pp371–3

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm