Pitot House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Pitot House
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 Location in East New Orleans
Location in Louisiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1440 Moss St., New Orleans, Louisiana |
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| Area | 0.2 acres (0.081 ha) |
| Architectural style | Colonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000360 |
| Added to NRHP | September 28, 1971 |
The Pitot House is a very old and special house in New Orleans, Louisiana. It's so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's officially recognized as a historic landmark.
This house was built in the 1700s in a style called Creole colonial. It's located at 1440 Moss Street in New Orleans. Today, the Louisiana Landmark Society owns the Pitot House and uses it as their main office. The house sits right next to Bayou St. John. It was actually moved a few blocks from where it first stood to save it from being torn down!
History of the Pitot House
The Pitot House was first built in 1799 by a person named Don Bartólome Bosque. He used it as a quiet country home along Bayou St. John. People think his house was a "raised cottage," meaning it was built on brick pillars. Don Bosque was a Spanish official during the time Spain controlled Louisiana. His daughter, Suzette, later married William C.C. Claiborne, who became the Governor of Louisiana.
Some historical records suggest that the house might have been finished earlier, in 1790, and built by Don Santiago Lorreins.
Later, from 1805 to 1810, a woman named Madame Rillieux owned the house. During her time, the ground floor might have been closed in with strong brick walls. She also added a porch (called a gallery) on the south side and some other small buildings, but these are not there anymore.
The house is named after James Pitot, who was its fourth owner from 1810 to 1819. James Pitot is known as the first "American" mayor of New Orleans. Even though he was born in France, he became an American citizen before moving to New Orleans in 1796. Inside the house today, you can see old American and Louisiana furniture from the early 1800s. These items are not the original ones that belonged to the house. However, there is one special item: a painting of Sophie Gabrielle, who was James Pitot's daughter. This is the only item that belonged to a past resident of the house.
Other interesting people who owned the house include Felix Ducayet and Mother Cabrini. Mother Cabrini was the first person from America to be named a saint by the Catholic Church.
Design of the Pitot House
The Pitot House is very close to where an old "bayou bridge" used to be. This bridge was important because it was a main way to get into New Orleans from the "back of town" along Bayou Road. During a busy time in January 1811, many families traveled along this road and crossed the bridge to reach the city.
In 1964, the Louisiana Landmarks Society saved the house from being destroyed. They worked hard to make it look like it did originally. The house has a special roof with two slopes and walls made of plaster-covered brick between wooden posts. This building style is called briquette-entre-poteaux in French. The wooden posts hold up the house, the bricks help keep it warm or cool, and the plaster protects everything from dampness.
The Pitot House has a unique design called ensuite, which means there are no hallways. You walk from one room directly into the next. It also has an outdoor staircase. The house was built to be comfortable during hot summers and to keep insects away. The doors are placed directly across from each other. This helps cool air move through the house. Long porches, called galleries, on both the top and bottom floors, keep the sun off the walls and offer cool, breezy outdoor spaces.
The Pitot House was also built to handle floods. It even survived the floods from Hurricane Katrina! This was partly because the bottom floor had brick floors. These floors would have originally been sealed with a dry mix of sand and lime, which allowed floodwaters to drain right through. The porches, back loggia (a covered outdoor area), and sleeping porch were used for outdoor parties, eating, and even sleeping. They had shutters to block the strong Louisiana sun.
The Pitot House Garden
The garden at the Pitot House grows plants that were common when the house was built. These include local flowers, citrus trees, plants that come back every year (perennials), bulbs, old-fashioned roses, camellias, herbs, and vegetables. The garden is a traditional parterre garden. This means it's designed with neat, organized beds, often with low boxwood hedges. It looks especially pretty when viewed from the upper porch of the house. The boxwood hedges have recently been fixed up.
There's also a native plants garden that shows off Louisiana wildflowers and shrubs around the edge of the main garden. Next to the house is a large yard, about 10,000-square-foot (930 m2), where parties and events are held.
See also
