Hey Blake,
Last week you answered a question about a French Quarter building. I have another one: what’s the history of the building in the 400 block of Chartres Street whose façade says “Second City Criminal Court” and “Third Precinct Police Station?” When was it used for that?
Dear reader,
The stately building at 410 Chartres St., now owned by The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC), was designed by city architect Edgar A. Christy and erected in 1915 during the administration of Mayor Martin Behrman. As you noted, it served as Second City Criminal Court and the Third District Police Station.
According to THNOC, the land was owned during the colonial period by the Marigny de Mandeville family, one of the oldest and most notable names in the city.
In the 20th century, the distinctive Beaux Arts-style courthouse building at various points housed a juvenile court, night court and military court during World War II. There were also jail cells inside.
The state purchased the building in 1957. It had been vacant and in disrepair for many years when THNOC purchased it at auction in 1993. In 1996, after an extensive renovation, THNOC opened the facility as its Williams Research Center.
The former courtroom is now the reading room, offering patrons access to some of the institution’s 30,000 library items and more than 400,000 photographs, prints, drawings, paintings and three-dimensional objects.
The Collection also purchased buildings next to the former police station, extending the campus to Conti Street. Those properties had included a small hotel and shirt factory. Last year, the Collection also purchased the 175-year-old building next to 410 Chartres, the former K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen, with plans to expand its offerings to that building.
The fair featured exhibits and pavilions from 95 countries.
