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The Louis Sincer House is one of the few houses in New Orleans representing the Second Empire style of architecture.
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Photo by Eileen Loh Harrist
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Hey Blake,
There is a pink building at 1061 Camp St. with a plaque on the front
that says Singer House. It is sitting there all alone, practically under I-10.
Is there anything you can tell me about the history of the building?
Janet Kientz
Dear Janet,
The lonely house, the only historic house on the block, is the Louis Sincer House -- the sign maker made an error -- situated on land that was once part of the Delord Sarpy Plantation. Built shortly after 1874, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 because it is one of the few houses in New Orleans representing the Second Empire style of architecture, a style that peaked in the United States between 1865 and 1875. At one time there was a shop in the front and slave quarters to the rear.
The Sincer House is one of the area's few ties with the past, and we are grateful that it has been saved.
Hey Blake,
A few weeks ago you were asked if it was true that if you buried the
statue of a certain saint in the yard that the house would sell quickly. Please
tell
me which saint and how the statue is to be buried and where. I have a house
that I need to sell.
Marie D. Lewis
Dear Marie,
I did write about four years ago about the helpful, house-selling
saint whose services, believers say, could get your house sold before you finish
hammering in the For Sale sign.
The saint extraordinaire who some feel could be the answer your prayers is the patron saint of the Universal Church, social justice, carpenters, fathers, families, laborers and house hunters -- St. Joseph. It is his statue that, according to legend, you should bury in order to get prompt results.
The idea of enlisting the aid of St. Joseph began during the Middle Ages when St. Theresa of Avila and her fellow nuns desperately needed more land on which to build convents. They prayed to St. Joseph and buried medals of the saint who rewarded the nuns for their devotion. Since then the idea of evoking divine intervention has continued, and many swear by it.
However, believers disagree on the exact procedure. House sellers have tried planting the statue in the back yard and in the front yard near the sign. There is also some confusion as to whether he should be placed upside down or right side up. And then what do you do when the house is sold? Some suggest leaving him there to bring good luck to the new owners while others insist that he be dug up.
But never fear. All questions will be answered
because true to the American entrepreneurial spirit there is a company in
California
that is taking advantage of the belief that the best real estate agent you
can have is St. Joseph. The company is selling a product called the St. Joseph
Statue: "The Underground Real Estate Agent" Kit. For a measly $9.95, you
can get a plastic statue, the history and story of St. Joseph, a handy tote
and storage bag, a burial bag, and burying instructions. And, for a limited
time only, included is a free listing for your home, with a photo, on the
St. Joseph's Homeseller Listing Display that lasts until you sell your home.
Of course, the company will be most happy to supply you with piles of testimonials
to the effectiveness of the kit.
The kits used to come with a prayer for you
to say after digging the hole. Assuming the proper reverential attitude,
you were
supposed to recite the following during the ceremony: "Oh, St. Joseph, guardian
of household needs, we know you don't like to be upside down in the ground,
but the sooner escrow closes the sooner we will dig you up and put you in
a place of honor in our new home. Please bring us an acceptable offer (or
any offer!) and help sustain our faith in the real estate market."
Good luck to you as you join desperate home sellers all across the country in calling on the heavenly helper to be their secret weapon.
