Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard: Past, Present, Future

In Fall 2015, this exhibit explored Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard’s layered and complex history to uncover stories of people and places as told through its built landscape.

Project Dates

September 2015–December 2015

Context

Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard, formerly Dryades Street, has witnessed over two centuries of change. First platted in the early 1800s, development on the corridor intensified in the 1850s as a thriving business district began to grow around the Dryades Market. Irish and German newcomers were followed by Eastern-European Jewish immigrants. African-Americans settled in the district following the Civil War and developed a strong network of business, civic, and fraternal organizations. The corridor became a hub for activism during the Civil Rights movement but began to show signs of economic decline by the late 1960s.

Small Center Engagement

This exhibit framed the discussion of “where we go from here” by exploring Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard’s layered and complex history and to uncover stories of people and places as told through its built landscape. Understanding the past of this multifaceted street can foster a deeper appreciation of its present and in turn lead to thoughtful and effective planning for the future.

Past, Present, Future builds on the historical and architectural research of the Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard corridor unearthed during the Façade RENEW work. Since 2014, Small Center has collaborated with Beth Jacob of Clio Associates, and Melissa Lee of New Orleans Redevelopment Association to support revitalization of four major business corridors in New Orleans, including Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard. The Facade RENEW program provides an opportunity for historic preservation, as careful research is conducted into the historic and cultural heritage of each property, which in turn informs the design approach.

Partner Organization

Clio Associates LLC (pronounced CL-EYE-O) is a historic preservation consulting firm specializing in research, documentation, planning and design. Co-founded in 2013 by Gabrielle Begue and Beth Jacob, the firm aims to build a bridge between the preservation and architecture communities in New Orleans, greater Louisiana, and the Gulf region. The combination of extensive design, research, and writing experience serves a wide variety of clients and addresses a diversity of projects. It is their mission to produce high-quality, practical work that contributes to the protection of the city and region’s built heritage while also supporting its progress and future development.

Outcome

Within the context of the exhibit, Small Center hosted discussions of the role of historic preservation in neighborhood revitalization and the concurrent risks of gentrification as well as a participatory exploration of the social histories of Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard. Speakers included Kristin Gisleson Palmer of the Gisleson Group; Neal Morris of Redmellon; Melissa Lee of the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority; Casius Pealer of Tulane’s Masters of Sustainable Real Estate Development program; Barbara Lacen-Keller, Constituent Services for Councilmember Stacey Head and director of Central City Partnership; Justin Nystrom, Assistant Professor of History at Loyola University New Orleans; Sharlene Sinegal DeCuir, Assistant Professor of History at Xavier University; and many of our wonderful neighbors from Central City who shared stories going back to the nineteenth century.

An abbreviated version of the exhibit was displayed at the Dryades Market from January – May 2016.

Collaborators

Clio Associates LLC

Beth Jacob (Curator)
Gabrielle Begue

New Orleans Redevelopment Authority

Melissa Lee

PlayBuild

Team Members

Project Lead

Sue Mobley (Project Manager)

Students

Allison Price
Abby Bray
Kyle Maer

Staff

Maggie Hansen
Nick Jenisch
Donn Peabody
Emilie Taylor Welty

Support

Surdna Foundation

Special Thanks

Businesses who participated in Façade RENEW
New Orleans Redevelopment Authority
Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard Merchants and Business Association