Former NOAH site to be considered for landmark study

Photo Credits: Louisiana Landmarks Society and Google Earth

UPDATE 9/12/14: The Historic District Landmarks Commission was to consider Louisiana Landmarks Society’s nomination of the former Marine Hospital/New Orleans Adolescent Hospital campus site at 210 State Street for landmark study on Thursday, September 11.  Prior to the meeting, Landmarks received word that Louisiana Children’s Medical Center (LCMC), the owners, were going to request a deferral for a second time.

At the Thursday hearing, the hospital’s attorney, Justin Schmidt, informed the commission that although LCMC had been leasing the property for a time, LCMC only took ownership in February of 2014.  Schmidt stated that LCMC was in the process of working on a comprehensive master plan for all of its campuses. He requested deferral of the HDLC landmarks study for one month, at which time LCMC would release a preliminary draft of their master plan.  In an unexpected move, Commissioner Ed deMontluzin questioned whether one month would be enough time for LCMC and suggested that maybe six months might serve them better.  After some discussion, the commission voted unanimously to approve the six-month delay. 

Approval by the HDLC to study the site for landmarking would have provided the campus all of the protections of the HDLC.  In his presentation, Mr. Schmidt assured the commission that LCMC would not apply for any permits for construction or demolition prior to the landmarks study.

A more detailed account and analysis will follow in Landmarks’ October newsletter.

UPDATE 9/9/14: Children’s Hospital has requested a deferral of Thursday’s HDLC consideration. The item has been deferred to the next regularly scheduled meeting, October 9, 1:00 pm, in the City Council Chamber. 

On Thursday, September 11, the Historic District Landmarks Commission (HDLC) will consider Louisiana Landmark's Society's request that the former site of the New Orleans Adolescent Hospital at 210 State Street be studied for landmark designation. The HDLC staff report (here) recommends that the entire site be studied. The site's 18th and 19th century history reaches back to New Orleans' founder, Jean Batiste Lemoyne, Sieur de Bienville; Etienne de Boré, New Orleans mayor; and Dominique Burthe, first president of the New Orleans and Carrollton Railroad. Its association with medicine began in 1883, when it was acquired by the U. S. Marine Hospital. The 1930s saw the transformation of the campus from primarily frame buildings to include a collection of brick structures in a classic revival style common to many government buildings of the era.

Louisiana Landmarks Society has requested that the HDLC study the site, bounded by Leake Avenue, Henry Clay Avenue, Tchoupitoulas and State Streets, for local landmarking.

We urge you to support Louisiana Landmarks and the HDLC staff today. Copy and paste the following message to the chairman of the New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission into an email and send it to esburke@nola.gov (Deputy Director Eleanor Burke, who will compile the messages). Here is the message:

Email: esburke@nola.gov

Subject Line: Please support landmark study for NOAH property

Message: HDLC Chairman Jesse Leblanc--I urge the Commission to support the nomination of theformer New Orleans Adolescent Hospital property at 210 State Street for landmark study.

Thank you so much,

(signed)