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Why the Garden District’s houses look so different
The Garden District is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark, according to the City of New Orleans. Its buildings reflect several waves of development: from the 1840s, after the 1852 annexation of Lafayette, after the Civil War, and through the late 19th century. That timeline helps explain why Greek Revival mansions, Italianate galleries, Gothic Revival details and Queen Anne cottages share the same walk.
New Orleans & Company describes the neighborhood as “a living, breathing museum of both architecture and history for you to explore.” On this route, construction details tell that story at street level: deep galleries and cast-iron work, varied rooflines, carriage houses, cisterns and changes made by later owners.
15 famous Garden District homes, in walking order
These stops follow the first 15 numbered homes in New Orleans & Company’s route. The complete route continues beyond this selection, ending at Payne-Strachan House, 1134 First St.; it also includes Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 and Commander’s Palace as detours.
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1. Buckner Mansion — 1410 Jackson Ave.
Built from 1857 to 1860 for cotton factor Henry Sullivan Buckner, this grand Greek Revival mansion was designed by Lewis E. Reynolds. It is the house used as Miss Robichaux’s Academy in seasons 3 and 8 of American Horror Story. For ordinary visitors, the view is from outside.
2. Monroe Adams House — 1331 Philip St.
Completed in 1880 for Crescent City Oil director Thomas D. Miller, the house combines Italianate and French Second Empire features with the symmetry associated with Federal and Adam-style design. New Orleans & Company records that Frank Adair and Alice Blanc Monroe bought it in 1916 for $7,500, which the publisher equates to about $188,700 in 2021 dollars. Its reported estimated value of about $2.1 million is also a 2021 figure, not a current valuation.
3. Seven Sisters/Brides Row — 2329 Coliseum St.
The name promises seven houses, but the row contains eight. Henry Howard designed it in 1867, alternating Greek Revival and Italianate façades across 30-foot lots. The houses share a side-gallery shotgun plan, making the row a useful stop for seeing how one coordinated design can still produce distinct street-facing elevations.
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4. Pritchard-Pigot House — 1407 First St.
Begun in 1867 for Marshall J. Smith Sr. and his family, this double-gallery, side-hall townhome later acquired a more Neoclassical Revival appearance. During John H. Hinton and Emmet Hinton’s ownership, changes included a centered entrance, broad staircase and tetrastyle portico. Louisiana landscape painter Marshall Smith Jr. was an early resident.
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5. Morris-Israel House — 1331 First St.
This pink Italianate house is distinguished by its cast-iron work and octagonal wings. Samuel Jamison designed it for cordage salesman Joseph C. Morris in 1869. The Daily Picayune praised its wings and bedrooms; later owners included Tulane physician Charles Chassaignac and brewer Valentine Merz.
6. Carroll-Crawford House — 1315 First St.
Another pink Italianate house, it has five bays, oversized dentils, cast-iron galleries and a carriage house. Its first owner, Virginia cotton factor Joseph Carroll, was a friend of Mark Twain. Later residents included T. Semmes Walmsley, a New Orleans mayor, and artist Josephine Crawford.
7. Brevard-Clapp-Rice House — 1239 First St.
Built for merchant Albert Brevard, this Greek Revival mansion pairs cypress galleries with mahogany interiors, cedar closets, imported French cylinder glass and marble mantels. Its reported 9,000-gallon cistern offers a reminder that the house’s practical infrastructure mattered as much as its formal rooms. Anne Rice owned it until 2010; it became the setting for her novel The Witching Hour and inspired Mayfair Manor.
8. Rodenberg-Lane-Gundlach House — 1238 Philip St.
Feed dealer John H. Rodenberg had this Greek Revival mansion built in 1853. Its reported details include 18-inch walls, 14-foot ceilings, cypress woodwork and bronze doorknobs. The Gundlach family became owners in 1987.
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9. Trufant House — 1239 Philip St.
Samuel and Bertha Trufant built this Queen Anne cottage in 1891 on land formerly associated with Henry du Pont. Five generations of Trufants have occupied the main residence. After a fire in 2015, the house was restored.
10. Dugan House — 1307 Philip St.
Architect Arthur Liebe designed this late-Victorian Queen Anne “suburban villa” for merchant Thomas C. Dugan in 1891. Its asymmetrical octagonal bay, shingle siding and restrained arch details give it a different scale and character from the earlier mansions nearby. Amelia and John Koch have owned the house since 1993.
11. Bradish Johnson House (McGehee) — 2343 Prytania St.
James Freret designed this French Second Empire and Renaissance-style house for sugar-planter’s son Bradish Johnson in 1872. New Orleans & Company reports a construction cost of about $100,000, equivalent to $2.2 million in 2021 dollars. Its features included a conservatory and an early passenger elevator. Since 1929, the building has housed Louise S. McGehee School.
12. Women’s Opera Guild House
William Freret built the house in 1858 for merchant Edward Davis. It was later associated with Dr. Herman deBachellé Seebold and Nettie Kinney Seebold. Nettie left the house and its furnishings to the Women’s Guild of the New Orleans Opera. Unlike the private residences on most of this walk, it is available for tours and event rentals; check current arrangements before visiting.
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13. Briggs-Staub-Ripley House — 2605 Prytania St.
Built in 1849, this is one of the comparatively few New Orleans examples of Gothic Revival architecture. Lancet windows, pointed arches and cross gables make its style unmistakable; the property also has a carriage house and an 1880 addition. Adolph Frerichs and later the Staub family shaped its ownership history, and Craig and Louise Ripley restored it in the early 1990s.
14. Robinson House — 1415 Third St.
Henry Howard designed this Italianate mansion for cotton merchant Walter G. Robinson. It was completed around 1867 after Civil War delays. Look for its double-curved verandahs, ornate cast iron, rose-patterned side gallery and two-story carriage house; the interior is noted for elaborate plasterwork. A 2015 property listing reported 10,516 square feet, seven bedrooms, six-and-a-half baths and a $7.9 million asking price. Those are details from that historical listing, not current property information.
15. Musson-Whitney-Bell House — 1331 Third St.
Built around 1852 and attributed to James Gallier Jr., the house is known for lacy cast-iron galleries and a diamond-motif frieze. Its surviving outbuildings and infrastructure include a cistern, garçonnière and stable. Michel Musson, an early owner, was Edgar Degas’s maternal uncle. Later owner Charles Morgan Whitney added the galleries; civic leader Bryan Bell became the final namesake owner.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you go inside Garden District mansions?
Most of the houses on this walk are private residences and should be viewed from the public sidewalk. Do not enter yards, approach private entrances or assume that an open gate means a house is available to visit. The Women’s Opera Guild House is the stated exception on this selection, with tours and event rentals; confirm current access before going.
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Two other route stops are detours rather than houses: Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 generally requires a tour guide for entry, while Commander’s Palace usually requires a reservation. Licensed guides also offer Garden District walking tours. Tour availability and entry arrangements can change, so verify them with the relevant operator or venue before setting out.
Quick Recap
How to plan the self-guided Garden District walk
- Allow time for the full route. New Orleans & Company gives a total distance of about 1.5–2 miles and a self-paced duration of 2–3 hours for its route. These figures cover the published walk, not just the 15 houses selected here.
- Follow the numbered route rather than treating the addresses as a straight line. This article preserves the listed order; the full walk includes more homes and ends at Payne-Strachan House, 1134 First St.
- Plan for an exterior-focused visit. The architecture is primarily viewed from the sidewalk, so allow time to observe the galleries, roof forms, ironwork and street façades without crossing private property.
- Check detours before relying on them. Cemetery entry generally requires a guide, and Commander’s Palace usually requires a reservation; verify current rules and availability directly before departure.
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