722 St. Louis St.

Conand House

Erected: 1834-36 (remodeled)
Architect: unknown
Builder: James Crowe

This house and the adjacent lot (now 720 St. Louis St.) were once part of the same property which Joseph Conand purchased in 1808 from Mathias Alpuente who had bought it in 1787. Pierre Bretonniere was the owner from 1782 until 1787 having purchased it from Simon Chevray, alias Montheureux. Chevray acquired it in 1774 from Michel Friloux, alias St. Elois. The property then contained a "principal house and other structures," described in 1782 as "a house fifty two feet wide and thirty deep including the gallery which runs behind it, built upon ground [sills?] divided into four rooms and a cabinet with its doors and glazed windows or batten shutters with all its hardware, locks and keys and floored shed, a store house in the rear of the said lot sixty feet wide and twenty deep." A description in 1787 added that the construction was of "brick between posts." This house was probably destroyed in the fire of Dec. 8, 1794, and built by Alpuente.

In December 1834 the house was repaired and extensively remodeled by Joseph Conand's widow, James Crowe being the builder. In the final settlement of Dr. Conand's estate in 1837 the house, then No. 83 St. Louis Street, was described as "having two stories, an entresol and rooms in the loft, and being one of the most commodious dwellings in the city, and sufficient for any large family, having further been last year entirely rebuilt inside in modern style and provided with a gable slated roof, the whole at an expense of nearly six thousand dollars." This is probably the house standing today.

At the time the property was sold to Joseph Conand in 1808 the following ad appeared in the "Louisiana Courier" on Oct[ober] 7:

"For Sale - A House built on logs, situated in St. Louis street, No. [?], bounded on one side by Mr. Lesesne's, and on the other by M. Pavie; it is divided in two apartments, the whole with fireplaces; a twelve feet gallery with a room and a cellar underneath.

Likewise, [a] storehouse also built on logs on a lot adjoining the above house 20 by 15 feet, facing the street, now occupied by Mr. Gregoire, silversmith, it is covered with tiles.

Another Building, [a]lso erected on posts in this year, composed of three apartments of which one is used as a kitchen and the others used as negro rooms; there is also a pigeon house. The whole situated on a lot 60 feet front and 150 in depth; the greatest part of this lot is enclosed by a brick wall."