Cucullu Row
New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Marker Inscription
Cucullu Row. Built in 1828 by James Lambert and Louis Lemoyne for Simon Cucullu, these six rowhouses survive as the oldest intact row in the Vieux Carré. Desporte Pharmacy operated here from 1877 to 1970. On this corner once stood the 1730 celestial observatory of architect-scientist Pierre Baron. It was replaced by the Conde Market in 1782. This was followed by a fish market in 1784, which was enlarged in 1785 and 1786. The great fire of 1788 destroyed the market complex.
Erected by Orleans Parish Landmarks Commission
The Story
Cucullu Row is the oldest intact row of houses in the French Quarter, six brick rowhouses built in 1828 for the merchant Simon Cucullu. But the corner's history runs deeper: here stood the 1730 celestial observatory of the architect-scientist Pierre Baron, followed by the Condé Market of 1782 and a fish market that grew until the great fire of 1788 swept the complex away. For nearly a century, from 1877 to 1970, Desporte Pharmacy served the neighborhood from these buildings.
Why it matters
This single corner records the layered life of the Vieux Carré, from early scientific curiosity through colonial markets to enduring Creole architecture.
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Related people
- · Simon Cucullu
- · Pierre Baron
Themes & tags
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