Conserving Creole: a Historical Review of Louisiana Creole Architecture and an Analysis of Subsequent Conservation Practices
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Conserving Creole: A historical review of Louisiana Creole architecture and an analysis of subsequent conservation practices A Dissertation submitted for Masters of Science Degree in Architectural Conservation University of Edinburgh By Lorelei K. Willett First Reader: Jane Robertson School of Architecture Edinburgh College of Art Scottish Centre for Conservation Studies 2010-11 Contents List of Figures i Acknowledgments iii 1.0 Introduction 1 2.0 Architectural History 2 2.1 The Creole Influence 2 2.2 Traditional Building Techniques and Materials 5 2.3 Types 7 2.3.1 The Cottage 8 2.3.2 The Plantation House 9 2.3.3 The Townhouse 11 3.0 The Case Studies 14 3.1 The Merieult Townhouse 15 3.2 Magnolia Mound Plantation House 20 3.3 The Wells Cottage 23 4.0 Introduction to Louisiana Preservation Practices 25 4.1 Conservation Needs of the Case Studies 29 4.2 Conservation Practices 35 4.2.1 Completed Conservation Efforts 36 4.3 National Recommendations for the Preservation of Materials 53 4.3.1 Moisture Damage and Control 53 4.3.2 Wood Shingles 58 4.3.3 Bousillage 59 4.3.4 Historic Porches and Timber 63 5.0 Conclusions 64 Appendix (Removed) 73 Bibliography 74 Plagiarism Declaration 80 List of Figures Figure 1 The Sorapuru House in Edgar, Louisiana. Picture by the State of Louisiana. 9 Figure 2 Darby Plantation House, Baldwin Louisiana. State of Louisiana. 10 Figure 3 Olivier Pigeonnier, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. State of Louisiana. 11 Figure 4 Gallier Townhouse, New Orleans, Louisiana. State of Louisiana. 12 Figure 5 Gallier Townhouse Courtyard showing the L-shape. State of Louisiana. 12 Figure 6 Front façade of the Merieult Townhouse, New Orleans, Louisiana. By author. 16 Figure 7 View of courtyard of Merieult house. Author. 17 Figure 8 Trapolin addition from 1880s. Author. 18 Figure 9 Wall of service building in Merieult house complex. Author. 19 Figure 10 East facade of Magnolia Mound Plantation house showing additional porch and rooms added in the 19th century. Author. 21 Figure 11 West (river) facade of Magnolia Mound Plantation. Author. 22 Figure 12 Front of Wells house, a Creole cottage in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Author. 24 Figure 13 Brick pier with damaged bricks at Magnolia Mound Plantation house. Author. 29 Figure 14 View of painted cast iron fixtures and loose boards under balcony at Merieult house. Author. 30 Figure 15 Failing stucco and paint on exterior wall. Author. 31 Figure 16 Plexi-glass pane over glazing in door. Author. 32 Figure 17 Failing paint and plaster exposing internal beams. Author. 33 Figure 18 View of chimney stack in attic of Wells house. Author. 34 Figure 19 View of subfloor insulation. Author. 37 Figure 20 View of a traditional roof with no decking in the adjacent kitchen building. Author. 38 Figure 21 Weather strip in roof before foam insulation. Author. 38 Figure 22 View of gap between beams and foam insulation. Author. 39 Figure 23 View of cupola ceiling and the fitted copper flashing. Author. 39 Figure 24 View of cupola ceiling without copper flashing. Author. 40 Figure 25 Brick pier repointed with lime mortar. Author. 41 i Figure 26 View of extended roofline. Author. 42 Figure 27 Back stairs redone in Spanish cedar in April 2011. Author. 43 Figure 28 Crack in banister that was sealed with a wood putty and then painted. Author. 44 Figure 29 View of exposed wall showing timbers and bousillage. Author. 45 Figure 30 Exposed bousillage. Author. 45 Figure 31 Bricks repointed with lime mortar. Author. 46 Figure 32 Painted cast iron balcony on back house. Author. 47 Figure 33 Painted cast iron balcony on front house. Author. 47 Figure 34 Painted cast iron downpipe on front of Merieult house. Author. 48 Figure 35 View of porte-cochere with painted bricks and support beams. Author. 48 Figure 36 Painted bousillage and cross timber wall in Wells residence. Author. 50 Figure 37 View of front original room showing original bousillage walls with cross timbers and modern ceiling panelling. Author. 50 Figure 38 Leaning fire place with replaced modern bricks. Author. 51 Figure 39 Underside of roof showing cypress shingles nailed to felt decking. Author. 51 Figure 40 Replaced porch post that was hand hewn at Wells residence. Author. 52 Figure 41 Creole Core modules. State of Louisiana. 75 Figure 42 18th to 19th century evolution. State of Louisiana. 76 ii Acknowledgements First, I would like to thank my advisor, Jane Robertson for all of her help, invaluable advice and constant patience. Next I would like to extend a special thank you to the people at Merieult townhouse and the Magnolia Mound Plantation, most notably Patricia Comeaux of Friends of Magnolia Mound and museum director Steven Fullen, for working me into their busy schedules and keeping up a trans-Atlantic correspondence. I would also like to thank Carol Wells for giving me access to her home and putting me in contact with Marcy Frantom, both of whose knowledge was crucial to this work. Also, I do not know how I would have gotten through if it was not for the constant love and support of my family who risked life and limb to help me with my research. So, thank you mom, for sticking your neck out for me. And lastly, I would like to thank Gregory Anderson for loving and supporting me through every step of this long process. From picking up the pieces and driving me to Louisiana to giving advice on organization, I cannot thank you enough. iii 1 1.0 Introduction The topic for this dissertation came, not only from a personal interest in Creole architecture, but also from a curiosity of the conservation practices applied to these structures. The French and Spanish Creole architectural tradition in Louisiana is one of three major architectural types to have emerged out of the American colonial period and therefore, is a rarity that deserves attention. My research question is: what preservation processes are currently being used to preserve this particular architectural type and are they sufficient? My research aims include exploring the significance of this type through its history and analysing current conservation methods with a critical eye. The major methodologies I will use include qualitative textual research, case studies and interviews with those in charge of preserving my chosen case studies. I suspect to find that current conservation practices are sufficient, but there may be room for improvement in, not only the practices themselves, but also in the legislation that supports these practices. My aim in researching this subject is to assess whether the conservation practices used to treat Creole cottages, townhouses and plantations are suitable for sustaining the structures for the future. The first objective I must explore to support my aim is to assess the historical significance of the architectural type in an attempt to understand why conserving these structures is worthwhile and necessary. I will do this through a series of historical sources, books, architectural journals etc. The second objective is to identify the specific conservation needs of the structures, whether it is salvation from humidity and blight, or a simple paint job. This will be accomplished through interviews and a personal assessment of the cases. Following will be the third objective of identifying the current conservation methods as they apply to each case. This includes renovations and conversions into museums or private 2 housing, relocation and specific technologies for specific materials such as timber and ‘bousillage’ (a natural insulation with mud and animal hair or grass). The final objective will be assessing the effectiveness of the current methods and legislation and determining possible changes that may be beneficial to conserving the Creole architectural type. Each chapter is distinct in its content and purpose. The first section covers the architectural history of the Creole type which includes cultural and architectural sources, terminology, materials, types and gradual evolution of the architecture. The next section discusses the case studies of Magnolia Mound Plantation house, Merieult townhouse and the Wells family cottage. This will include historical backgrounds and architectural descriptions. Next will be the chapter concerning preservation legislation and methods, beginning with an introduction to national and Louisianan preservation legislation. Then a discussion of the preservation needs of the case studies will precede current technologies and methods used on the case studies and at a national level. The final chapter contains the analysis and personal conclusions on the effectiveness of the conservation technologies and legislation. 2.0 Architectural History Before delving into how one can conserve the Creole structures of Louisiana, it is important to discuss the history and development of the type, beginning with its international roots. 2.1 The Creole Influence Of America's six colonial building traditions, Creole architecture is the only one actually to have evolved in America. The Swedes, Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, and British all imported 3 building types from the mother country instead of developing their own native colonial styles (State of Louisiana. 2010). The French Creole building tradition appeared in New France, i.e., in the Mississippi Valley during the French colonial period, roughly 1699-1762. The region was sparsely settled at the time, therefore the overwhelming majority of French Creole architectural examples were built in Louisiana (Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation. 2010). (For more information on the French influence, meaning of the word ‘Creole’ and earlier examples, see Appendix). From the earliest days of colonization, almost every ship leaving France stopped at the port of Cap Francoise (later Cap-Haitian) on its way to the Louisiana colony. This stopover introduced both the French Canadians and European French to the West Indian Creole building traditions that would eventually influence their traditions (Vogt, 2002).