Lower Ninth Ward, Part 2, Holy Cross

To read the previous segment, Lower Ninth Ward Part 1, click here.

Holy Cross

The Holy Cross neighborhood is named after a Catholic Boys School which was heavily damaged by Katrina and is being relocated.

Fortunately others stepped in when it appeared that adequate help was not forthcoming from the government. Some with lots of resources gave money, some without money gave labor, and some unable to labor gave support and prayers. Recover is ongoing throughout the city, but most attention by the media is given to the Lower Ninth Ward because of the disparities that were made apparent after the storms.

Brad Pitt has partnered with Global Green to bring sustainable recovery to the area, and the first Holy Cross Project house has been completed.

From the web site: The Holy Cross neighborhood project, based on a winning design by Matthew Berman and Andrew Kotchen of Workshop/APD, was selected from among 125 concepts submitted through the “Sustainable Design for New Orleans” competition. The home, whose solar panels will generate enough electricity to power the home, will be LEED Platinum certified. It is being built with all green products and energy efficient systems that will save residents money, reduce exposure to toxic chemicals and lower climate pollution.

The Holy Cross Project seeks to create “a green model or showcase for development and rebuilding for New Orleans and green affordable housing in the US”. Home Depot is a major sponsor of the project.

The project includes five single-family homes, an 18 multi-unit apartment complex and a community center/Sustainable Design and Climate Action Institute.

“It’s very exciting to see our vision of a healthier, greener New Orleans coming to fruition,” said Matt Petersen, president of Global Green USA. “This project was never about just one home or one project. This model sustainable village is about showing what is possible here in New Orleans and throughout the country to protect all of our coastal cities threatened by global warming—by working together to build a better, more energy-efficient and healthier world."

Other homes in the Holy Cross District are being restored as well, as these pictures of shotgun homes reveal.

Check out the detail in the trim on the house.

This house is being painted in traditional creole colors.

However, in front, as is the case with many homes, debris from the storm or from restoration is still piled up.
Oh, the house is level, the photographer was not.


These homeowners apparently love wine, and in true New Orleans style, have found a way to recycle their bottles.







I have been to New Orleans many times. Many, many. Yet I had never seen or heard of the Steamboat houses which are also in the Holy Cross District. They were damaged, of course, but sitting near the banks of the Mississippi afforded them some degree of protection. Odd as it sounds, the land near the Mississippi is higher than other areas, so flooding was not as bad. All of the flooding came from the canal, not the Mississippi.



These two homes were built in the early 1900's by a riverboat captain, thus their name.

When you go to New Orleans, take the time to see these charming homes on Egania Street in the Lower Ninth. You will not be disappointed.

The Holy Cross District is just as historical and interesting architecturally as any part of the city. In part 3 of the series, I will move closer to the Industrial Canal and look at restoration in that area.

To read the next installment, Lower Ninth Ward, Part 3, Industrial Canal, click here.

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