Goldsmith-Godchaux House
New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Marker Inscription
Goldsmith-Godchaux House Designed by noted nineteenth century architect Henry Howard in 1859. Significant for its painted interiors. Has more fresco wall decoration and stenciling that probably any other mid-nineteenth century residence in the South. Erected by the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism 1980
Erected by Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism
The Story
Designed in 1859 by the noted architect Henry Howard, the Goldsmith-Godchaux House is a jewel of antebellum New Orleans residential design. It is prized for its painted interiors, said to hold more fresco and stencil decoration than nearly any other mid-nineteenth-century home in the South. The state tourism department erected the marker in 1980.
Why it matters
The house preserves the decorative arts and architectural ambition of the antebellum South, a rare survival of mid-century interior craftsmanship.
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Related people
- ยท Henry Howard
Themes & tags
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