New Orleans was founded in early 1718 by the
French as
La Nouvelle-Orléans under the direction of Louisiana governor
Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. During the early French settlement, houses were constructed in the
Creole cottage style – simple, one-story structures with timber board walls. Local builders adapted the architecture to the tropical climate by adding wooden galleries with roof covers. These galleries served a dual purpose: providing protection from the elements and embracing the pleasant, airy designs influenced by the French style in the
West Indies. Additionally, they functioned as a transition space between private and public areas. In a 1731 plan, high
hip-roof houses in New Orleans were spaced across city blocks, surrounded by gardens, and positioned with their front sides either directly at or near the sidewalk. Some of these houses featured full front galleries. An example of such house style with a raised basement can still be seen at
Madame John's Legacy. Although the house was destroyed and rebuilt in 1788, it retained its original design from circa 1730. By the mid-18th century, New Orleans was transformed into a French village with picket-fenced gardens and wooden galleries. In 1763 following
Britain's victory in the Seven Years' War, the
French colony west of the Mississippi River – along with New Orleans – was ceded to the
Spanish Empire as a secret provision of the 1762
Treaty of Fontainebleau. The Spanish considered
the Province of Louisiana a buffer zone to protect their
Mexican colony and did not invest significantly in transforming local culture in New Orleans, known to the Spanish as
La Nueva Orleans. But certain architectural elements were borrowed from the Spanish, such as arched openings on the ground floor,
courtyards at the rear of the buildings, and
wrought-iron balconies on building facades. On residential streets like Royal Street, shops were established on the ground floor, while living quarters were situated on the upper floors of Creole townhouses. This style echoed Creole cottages, characterized by the absence of hallways, and rooms were used for multiple purposes. The confined living spaces prompted residents to seek relief. These townhouses were constructed with continuous balconies featuring hand-wrought iron railings on both street and courtyard sides, providing not only architectural charm but also facilitating the entry of light and fresh air. Highly ornate multi-story cast-iron galleries appeared in the 1850s. The first multi-story galleries were constructed for the
Pontalba Buildings between 1849 and 1851. Another notable set of buildings, the LaBranche Buildings on St. Peter Street between Royal Street and Cabildo Alley, was built in 1840. Beginning in 1850, these eleven buildings saw the addition of cast-iron galleries, each with a distinctive pattern. Between 1852 and 1856, the Touro Buildings were constructed with cast-iron-lace double galleries that encircled the entire city block on Canal Street, between Royal Street and Bourbon Street. Multi-story galleries were also added during building renovation projects; for instance, the third-floor addition in 1870 to 624 Dumaine Street included ornate galleries for the second and third floors. Additionally, some galleries served as replacements for older iron balconies, as seen in the case of 730 Dumaine Street, where iron galleries replaced the original balconies of the 1832 house. The popularity of cast-iron galleries in New Orleans waned in the 1860s during the
American Civil War when Leeds Iron Foundry redirected its iron production to support the
Confederacy. By the 1880s, galleries adorned with cast-iron ornaments had lost their uniqueness as the molded patterns became commonplace in many buildings throughout the city's streets, and they were perceived as outdated. In the late 19th century, the conversions of simpler wrought-iron balcony designs to galleries continued. Examples of this can be observed at 400-406 Dauphine Street and 600-616 St. Peter Street. The latter is notable because the wrought-iron railing, originally crafted by master blacksmith Marcellino Hernandes for the narrower balcony of the late 18th-century building, was extended to the full sidewalk width in the 1880s. When the building was reconstructed in 1964, the railing was moved back to serve a narrower balcony, replicating the original building design. In 1937, the city established the Vieux Carré Commission, initiating a preservation movement to prevent the destruction of architectural heritage in the French Quarter, including the preservation of iron galleries. Enduring for nearly two centuries, the iron galleries in the French Quarter have withstood a series of events. The
Capture of New Orleans, which occurred quickly during the Civil War without much fighting, left the city unscathed. Neglect from property owners in the early 20th century contributed to the buildings remaining unchanged. Finally, the establishment of the Vieux Carré Commission prevented the ironwork from being repurposed as scrap metal to support
World War II. These factors have collectively preserved the unique appearance of the French Quarter that we see today. ==Architectural details==