I'll give you everything". This home was built in 1960 and last sold on 4/16/1985 for $88,000. [37], Micaela Almonester de Pontalba died at the Hôtel de Pontalba in Paris on April 20, 1874 at the age of seventy-eight. [9] Her mansion is known today as the Hôtel de Pontalba, and serves as official residence of the United States Ambassador to France.[26]. [30] Micaela knew so much about the design and construction of buildings that historian Christina Vella described her as a "lay genius in architecture". [36] Prior to her departure, Lind publicly expressed her gratitude to Micaela for the latter's lavish hospitality. From 1849-1851, architect Henry Howard served as the main designer of these red-brick buildings. The current Trulia Estimate for 921 Pontalba St is $525,524. Her estate was capably administered by her mother, Louise Denys de la Ronde, referenced as "a superbly competent businesswoman who had greatly increased the inheritance since Almonester's death." In New Orleans, she built out the Pontalba Buildings, some of the most recognizable buildings in the French Quarter. [13], Sometime after the wedding, Micaela and Célestin, accompanied by both their mothers, left Louisiana for France. The Pontalba buildings, as the townhouses came to be known, cemented the baroness’s legacy as one of the city’s great builders. After several more lawsuits, a civil law judge ordered the restitution of her property and Micaela was granted a legal separation from her husband, although they were never actually divorced. [6] With some of the money her mother had willed her, she commissioned noted architect Louis Visconti to construct a mansion on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris which she used to host an endless, lavish succession of balls and soirées. [13], In keeping with Creole tradition, a marriage was arranged for Micaela in 1811 when she was fifteen. [34], At the time the buildings were row houses. Her portrait as a young wife shows a woman of grace and reflection; her photograph at an older age shows a hardened veteran with unmistakably masculine features,"[6] a highly subjective opinion of a lady in her latter years, and of little to no historical import. Cabildo, St. Louis Cathedral, and Presbytère; between October 1848 and February 1849; pencil and watercolor on paper; by Gaston de Pontalba; courtesy of Baron de Pontalba, Clockwise from left: Alfred de Pontalba, Eugène-Joseph Napoléon Klein, Gaston de Pontalba, unidentified man; 1848; daguerreotype; courtesy of Baron de Pontalba, Decatur Street; between 1850 and 1851; pencil and watercolor on paper; by Gaston de Pontalba; courtesy of Baron de Pontalba. Don Andres, a native of Mairena del Alcor, Andalucia, Spain, w… [32] Micaela put her imagination to work and made energetic plans to remedy the situation. Her only brother was wealthy plantation owner Pierre Denis de La Ronde (1762 - 1824), who would distinguish himself in the Battle of New Orleans, the Night Attack of which was then fought on his much-admired, if widely misnamed (Versailles, Louisiana), plantation, and beneath its equally misnamed allée of Southern live oaks. Discover a selection of 2,000 vacation rentals in Pontalba Buildings, New Orleans that are perfect for your trip. [10][11] Her younger sister, Andrea Antonia, had died in 1802 at the age of four. [3] Following Micaela's marriage, in 1811, to her French cousin, Joseph-Xavier Célestin Delfau de Pontalba, she moved to France. When the Pontalba family decided to sell off the property in 1920, New Orleans philanthropist William Ratcliffe Irby bought the Lower Pontalba, which he bequeathed to the Louisiana State Museum, which maintains control today. She spent the remainder of her life at her mansion on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. Micaela inherited a considerable fortune. She returned to New Orleans in the late 1840's (after having miraculously survived an attempt by her father-in-law to murder her), and immediately began planning apartment buildings to flank either side … [12] Micaela was educated, along with other Creole daughters of the French and Spanish elite, by the nuns at the old Ursuline Convent on la Rue Conde, now Chartres Street. 921 Pontalba St, New Orleans, LA 70124 is a 5 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 2,320 sqft single-family home built in 1940. The bride being seven years older than the groom was widely exaggerated, garnering much scorn from the local population, who showed their displeasure by conducting a riotous charivari that lasted for three days and nights, and featured effigies of her new bridegroom and dead husband in his coffin. This dish was created by the great dutch Chef Paul Blange during the early days of Brennan’s Restaurant. [30] The cast-ironwork decorating the balconies were also her personal design and she had her initials "AP" carved into the center of each section. Pontalba family drama re-enacted at Tableau ... known to New Orleanians as the Baroness Pontalba and portrayed by actress ... New Orleans. Her family arranged a marriage to her cousin, Xavier Celestin Delfau de Pontalba. 912 Pontalba St, New Orleans, LA 70124 is a 1,704 sqft multi-family. Micaela Leonarda Antonia de Almonester Rojas y de la Ronde, Baroness de Pontalba (November 6, 1795[1]- April 20, 1874) was a wealthy New Orleans-born Creole aristocrat, businesswoman and real estate designer and developer who endures as one of the most recalled and dynamic personalities in the city's history, though she lived most of her life in Paris.[2]. During this walking tour, save time with a guide who knows the quickest routes around the Big Easy and brings the folklore and history of the city to life, all during the creepiest time of day—the night. Tuesday–Saturday, 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.Sunday, 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Micaela is the subject of Thea Musgrave's 2003 opera, Pontalba which is based on Christina Vella's biography of Micaela, Intimate Enemies: The Two Worlds of the Baroness Pontalba. harvnb error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFVella1997 (. Gaston de Pontalba’s drawings capture the family’s voyage from France, the houses in which they lived, the nearby plantations they visited, and their summer travels. A short walk down a few stairs leads to a guest room, also done in light, soothing colors and scattered with treasured family … A play by Diana E.H. Shortes entitled The Baroness Undressed, and several novels, are also based on her dramatic life. At first the marriage was successful; Micaela became pregnant shortly after their arrival in France and eventually bore her husband a total of four sons and a daughter. In her own time, she would meet the challenge of what was by then a family tradition. Alfred Danzinger, Jules D. Dreyfous, and William Runkel acquired the Upper Pontalba. In 1830, without her husband's permission, she went to New Orleans for an extended visit, in an effort to assert her land rights on American soil. This exhibition is sponsored by Krista and Michael Dumas. The baroness, who grew up in the city, was returning to oversee the construction of two impressive rows of townhouses on her properties flanking the Place d’Armes (renamed Jackson Square in 1851). Micaela Almonester Pontalba was the wealthiest woman in New Orleans, but her biographer called her a frump for her lamentable everyday wardrobe. When her estranged husband suffered a physical and mental breakdown she took him in and cared for him up until her own death. He was buried beside her in the de Pontalba family tomb at Mont l'Évêque. The construction of the Pontalba Buildings cost more than $300,000,[6] and she was a constant visitor to the construction sites, often supervising the work on horseback. She survived the attack, although her left breast and two of her fingers were mutilated by gunfire. According to Micaela's biographer, Christina Vella, the de Pontalbas had made the proposition to her mother by letter, having regarded a matrimonial tie between the two families as a "business merger that would transfer the Almonester wealth into their hands". [9] She was an artistic and musical child who, by the age of 13, owned her own piano. That evening, the baron committed suicide in his study by shooting himself in the head with the same dueling pistols. Sometime after the wedding, Micaela and Célestin, accompanied by both their mothers, left Louisiana for France. To illustrate the landmark's historical significance, the State Museum has recreated what one of the residences would have looked like during the Antebellum era when the Baroness Pontalba first opened her doors. TERMS & CONDITIONS     https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Micaela_Almonester,_Baroness_de_Pontalba&oldid=983724035, Louisiana Creole people of Spanish descent, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 15 October 2020, at 21:40. One of the bullets had crushed her hand; her left breast was disfigured and two of her fingers were mutilated. Cafe Pontalba pays homage to both the history of the buildings and New Orleans’ famous Creole cuisine, serving Creole specialties in its airy, glassed-in Jackson Square corner location. Following the tradition of New Orleans aristocracy, after schooling at the Old Ursuline Convent, she entered an arranged marriage at age 16. Based on Redfin's New Orleans data, we estimate the home's value is $401,763. The de Pontalbas furiously demanded that she sign over all of her New Orleans property to them, in exchange for her being allowed to assume control of her mother's Paris houses. Their exteriors resembled the edifices in Paris' Place des Vosges. HOURS     [35] When Swedish singer Jenny Lind visited New Orleans for a month in 1851, Micaela graciously allowed her the use of her own house along with a chef. [9] He was her 20-year-old cousin, Joseph-Xavier Célestin Delfau de Pontalba, known as Célestin or "Tin-Tin", who although born in New Orleans, lived with his family in France. PRESS     ... Sally Reeves is a noted writer and historian who co-authored the award winning series New Orleans … [9], Being the sole heiress to a considerable fortune, Micaela was the richest girl in the city. View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. [8] Through her father, Louise was the great-granddaughter of famed Judge and poet René-Louis Chartier de Lotbinière of Maison Lotbinière, a great-great niece of Simon-Pierre Denys de Bonaventure and, through his wife, Charlotte Denys de La Ronde, a great-niece of Claude de Ramezay. With the completion of the Pontalba buildings, the family departed for France in March 1851 and never returned to New Orleans. [6] Micaela was also instrumental in the name change of Place d'Armes to Jackson Square; as well as the decision to convert it from a parade ground to a formal garden. 912 Pontalba St is located in Navarre, New Orleans. Micaela Leonarda Antonia Almonester was born November 6, 1795, in New Orleans, Louisiana, the eldest and only surviving child of Don Andres Almonester y Rojas and his aristocratic French wife, Louise Denys de la Ronde, a member of one of the most illustrious families in Louisiana. Indicative of her high social rank amongst the Creole community, Micaela was given away at the wedding ceremony by nobleman and second cousin Bernard de Marigny, acting as a representative of Marshall Ney, the trusted military commander of Emperor Napoleon I. [24] Baron de Pontalba stood over her bleeding, unconscious body, yet he fired no more shots and returned to his study. 858 Pontalba St , New Orleans, LA 70124-2760 is currently not for sale. Having failed, despite his concerted efforts over more than two decades, to gain possession of Micaela's entire inheritance, her father-in-law, Baron de Pontalba, eventually shot her four times at point-blank range with a pair of dueling pistols, and then committed suicide. 921 Pontalba St is located in Navarre, New Orleans. At the time of her birth, Louisiana was owned by Spain, though Spanish settlers were then greatly outnumbered by the colony's previous owners, who were mainly French. Her first-born son, Joseph, and only daughter, Mathilde, had died as babies. 912-14 Pontalba St last sold on November 22, 2019 for $395,000. A play by Diana E.H. Shortes, entitled The Baroness Undressed, and many novels have been written about her dramatic life. Each building included the first recorded use of iron railings which i… Gaston de Pontalba’s drawings capture the family’s voyage from France, the houses in which they lived, the nearby plantations they visited, and their summer travels. The 1850 House doesn’t represent any single family’s house, rather, it reflects mid-19th century prosperity, taste and daily life in New Orleans. Micaela Almonester Baroness de Pontalba was born in November 1795 to a wealthy New Orleans family. On ground floor of historic Pontalba Building; New Orleans-style cuisine in casual atmosphere. Also taking the opportunity to travel, Madame de Pontalba stopped in Washington DC where President Andrew Jackson sent his carriage and secretary of state Martin Van Buren to bring her to the White House as his guest. [6] Seeing New Orleans for the first time after an absence of many years, Micaela had immediately noticed that the once-stylish French Quarter had become derelict and unsightly. [4] At the time of her birth, Louisiana was owned by Spain, though Spanish settlers were then greatly outnumbered by the colony's previous owners, who were mainly French. [27] She was not classically beautiful... she was intelligent and strong-willed, and attracted much admiration from the Parisians for her opulent parties. Marker is at the intersection of Chartres Street and St. Ann St., on the right when traveling west on Chartres Street. Gaston, however, died unmarried. [14] The marriage was celebrated on 23 October 1811 at St. Louis Cathedral and attended by the most influential members of Creole society. Micaela was responsible for the design and construction of the famous Pontalba Buildings in Jackson Square, in the heart of the French Quarter. Get a special discount from cafe_pontalba, available through New Orleans Restaurants.com. She owned most of the property in Place d'Armes as it formed part of her vast inheritance. Her father-in-law, Baron Joseph Delfau de Pontalba, who had served as an officer in the French and Spanish armies, was greedy and unstable, and over the years proceeded to make Micaela's life extremely unhappy and intolerable. The celebrated Battle of New Orleans, in which Jackson had defeated the invading British on 8 January 1815, had been fought on the grounds of the Chalmette Plantation,[21] belonging to her Uncle Ignace Martin de Lino (1755 - 1815), which was also burned by invading forces (reputedly causing his death from a broken heart shortly after returning to his "treasured home" three weeks after the Battle). EMAIL SIGN UP     Prior to his death, her father had commissioned architect Gilberto Guillemard to design and construct the St. Louis Cathedral, the Presbytere and the Cabildo, all of which line one side of Place d'Armes. She also helped finance the bronze equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson, featured prominently in the square, at whose side her uncle, Colonel Pierre Denys de La Ronde (1762 - 1824), had fought during the Battle of New Orleans, playing crucial roles in advising Jackson, and in rallying local support. The original church and Cabildo had been destroyed in the Great New Orleans fire of 1788. [18] The old baron, intent upon seizing the vast Almonester fortune, had forced Micaela into signing a general Power of Attorney giving her husband control over her assets, rents, and capital, both dotal and as heir of her father's estate. Her life was worthy of an operatic plot, and eventually became one: Pontalba: a Louisiana Legacy, composed by Thea Musgrave. Once married, she and her family moved to France. A rustic architectural element that hangs over a living room sofa was found at Orient Expressed in New Orleans. The Upper Pontalba Building: Living history. Pontalba. [19] In the early 1820s, to escape the tyranny of her father-in-law, Micaela persuaded Célestin to set up his own household in Paris, and the couple and their children moved into one of his father's homes on Rue du Houssaie, close to her mother's residence. by From Nola Cuisine This is the last of the fancy New Orleans Chicken dishes that I’m going to feature for awhile, and I finished with my absolute favorite. She was responsible for the designs and constructions of the Pontalba Buildings, Place d'Armes (she copied it from Place des Vosges in Paris, France) and equestion statue of Andrew Jackson at Jackson Square in New Orleans, and l'Hotel de Pontalba in Paris, France and … [9] Immediately upon her marriage, Micaela became a French citizen. 3.779′ W. Marker is in New Orleans, Louisiana, in Orleans Parish. The cast-iron panels in the first floor balustrade feature her initials, 'AP', int… This property is not currently available for sale. He was her 20-year-old cousin, Xavier Célestin Delfau de Pontalba, known as Celestin or "Tin Tin," who although born in New Orleans, lived with his family in France. They arrived in July 1812 and the couple took up residence with Célestin's family at Mont-l'Évêque, the moated, medieval de Pontalba chateau outside Senlis which was about 50 miles from Paris. The marriage was not successful and she became a virtual prisoner at the de Pontalba chateau near Senlis. She quickly proved herself a capable and shrewd (if brusque) businesswoman, and was a real estate shark within a few years. In October 1848, a young, observant sketch artist from France arrived in New Orleans. Her husband, Cèlestin, succeeded his father as baron, and Micaela was thereafter styled Baroness de Pontalba. Arthur, Stanley Clisby & Doré, Susan Cole (1990). Despite that Christina Vella, in the introduction to her Pulitzer Prize-nominated biography, Intimate Enemies, describes Micaela's mother as "a poor French Creole, famed for marrying her father;" [7] Louise was, in reality, a highly regarded beauty from a very wealthy family of no little import whose marriage had been arranged to extend a powerful alliance with Almonester. Most of his works remained in the Pontalba family château, Mont-l’Évêque, near Paris, where they were recently rediscovered and organized by Pierre de Pontalba, son of the current Baron de Pontalba, who has generously lent them to The Historic New Orleans Collection for this exhibition. The marker is on the pillar at the building's west corner entrance facing Chartres St., diagonally across the street from the St. Louis Cathedral and across St. Ann St. from Jackson Square in the French Quarter. She put a lot of energy and enthusiasm into her project, ordering costumes for the performers and hiring local people for the minor roles and Parisian artists for the leading roles. To alleviate the boredom of country life, she converted a large room at the old chateau into a theatre where she put on plays. Detailed and insightful, his drawings enrich the visual documentation of the region and its architectural history. Madame Pontalba played important part in the building of Jackson Square. This property is not currently available for sale. The current Trulia Estimate for 912 Pontalba St is $407,957. The Place d'Armes, in the heart of the French Quarter, was little better than a slum; its parade ground muddy, and houses squalid and neglected. [17] The $40,000 in cash plus jewelry that Micaela brought to Célestin as her dowry, which had been the sum agreed upon when the marriage contract was drawn up, represented only one-quarter of her Almonester inheritance; the remaining three-quarters was retained and grown larger by Louise. Whether you’re traveling with friends, family, or even pets, Vrbo vacation homes have the best amenities for hanging out with the people that matter most, including swimming pools and private pools. In 1811, she was married off to her milquetoast cousin, Joseph-Xavier Célestin Delfau de Pontalba, and dragged from New Orleans to his family’s estate in France. Like most Creoles, she married a cousin, but her in-laws turned out to be more interested in her money than in family love and loyalty. [15] Father Antonio De Sedella officiated at the ceremony which was conducted in Spanish - a language Micaela's groom did not understand. Don Andres died in 1798, leaving the baby Micaela sole heiress to his fortune. Micaela and her sons occupied the house at number 5, St. Peter Street. Louise was the eldest child of wealthy French-Canadian Naval Officer Pierre Denys de La Ronde (1726-1772), reassigned from Nouvelle-France to Nouvelle-Orleans by his Godfather, later French Louisiana Governor, Pierre de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnial, and later distinguished in the French and Indian Wars. Male historians characterized the Baroness as strong-willed, imperious, penurious, self-indulgent and vacillating, while her female biographer uncovered a life of affliction and resilience. At the age of fifteen she married Joseph Xavier Celestin de Pontalba, a distant cousin who was a member of the influential Pontalba family. At home she spoke French, although she knew Spanish, and later learned English. She was described as a "flamboyant, temperamental redhead",[9] though portraits depict her with brown hair, blue-grey eyes, and pale skin; Christina Vella described her complexion as the "hue of stored muslin". It was alleged that when she was landscaping the garden, she threatened the mayor with a shotgun after he tried to prevent her from tearing down two rows of trees. Located on Jackson Square in the French Quarter, steps away from St. Louis Cathedral, the Upper Pontalba building is one of the most historically and architecturally significant structures in New Orleans. Micaela Leonarda Antonia Almonester was born November 6, 1795,[1] in New Orleans, Louisiana, the eldest and only surviving child of Don Andres Almonester y Rojas and his aristocratic French wife, Louise Denys de la Ronde, a member of one of the most illustrious families in Louisiana. The 2,654 sq. [6][9], As Célestin had succeeded to his father's barony upon the latter's suicide, Micaela was henceforth styled Baroness de Pontalba. [26], Shortly after Jenny Lind's visit, she and her sons left New Orleans for good and went back to Paris where her eldest surviving son, Célestin, and his family resided. In 1855, she had built the Hôtel de Pontalba in Paris, where she lived until her death in 1874. Célestin and Alfred both married and had children whose descendants continue to reside in France into the 21st Century. The artist, Gaston de Pontalba (1821–1875), was the youngest of the baroness’s three sons, and he accompanied her to New Orleans, along with his brother Alfred and childhood friend Eugène-Joseph Napoléon Klein. Gaston continued to create drawings, lithographs, and sculptures. Take a seat and people-watch through the windows, or order an Abita and turn your attention to the Saints or Hornets game playing throughout the restaurant. [22] The decisive Night Attack had also been fought next door, on the plantation grounds of his half-brother, Micaela's Uncle, Colonel Pierre Denys de La Ronde (1762 - 1824), which was also mostly ruined, having afterward been commandeered by the invading British as a field hospital. She married her French cousin (also born in New Orleans), Joseph-Xavier Célestin Delfau de Pontalba, just three weeks after meeting him. Also unique, special event venue. [24] With the armed baron still in pursuit, Micaela was dragged down the stairs to the drawing room where she fell to the floor, crying out, "Help me". 921 Pontalba St was last sold on Jul 27, 2015 for $435,000. She constructed two Parisian-style row house buildings between 1849-51, at a cost of over $300,000. The baron was already greatly disappointed with Micaela's dowry, appraising it to be much smaller than he felt that he had been led to expect. The buildings include the first recorded instance in the city of the use of cast iron 'galleries', which set a fashion that soon became the most prominent feature of the city's residential architecture. [5] Don Andres, a native of Mairena del Alcor, Andalucia, Spain, was a wealthy notary and politician who amassed a fortune in real estate and land transfers from his power on the Cabildo, the Spanish governing council of New Orleans, and his contacts with the Spanish Crown.

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