The first Lamothe to own the property was Miss Marie Virginie Lamothe, who
purchased two parcels of land fronting on Esplanade Avenue in 1829. She
sold the same property to her 33-year-old brother, Jean Lamothe, in
1833.The house was built circa 1839 as one of the first double townhouses
to be built in New Orleans. Jean Lamothe was a wealthy sugar planter of
French descent originally from the West Indies. He sought refuge in New
Orleans for his family at the turn of the century, after the insurrection
in Santo Domingo.
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In 1859, the Lamothe family sold the property to Henry Parlange and Paul
Rivera, two Parisians. At this time, Rivera contracted builder Louis
Folliet (E. G. Gottschalk) to make considerable renovations.
Rivera's
contract included changing all the shutters and doors, and converting the
porte-cochere (carriage entrance) into a main entrance and hallway. This is
the reason for the unusual façade opening arrangement.
In 1860, the four hand-carved Corinthian columns were added to the double
entrance. Also added were the twin winding stairways with hand-turned
mahogany rails that sweep up to the second floor reception area and third
floor suites. The house's great cypress floor boards and ceiling timbers
were hand-hewn and many of the hand-wrought iron fastenings for doors and
windows, as well as most of the original rolled glass window panes, have
been preserved.
The double service wings were rebuilt of brick, and the courtyard was paved
with flat stones originally imported as ship ballast. The original
flagstones remain today.
The Rivera contract also specified that the parlors were to be richly
decorated to the taste of the owner. This is reflected in the rich interior
millwork, moldings, and plasterwork installed by Folliet in 1860.
Interior openings retain the original Greek key arches and door frames
surmounted by handsome molded cornices and transoms with sophisticated
muntin arrangements.
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