618-622 Ursulines St.

Square: 49 Lot Number: 22759

Property Images

Square Images

Vieux Carré Commission Evaluation:

Old rating: blue; new rating: main building -- blue; new rear buildings -- orange. Around 1819 a French-born shipwright named Armand Magnon had architects Gurlie and Guillot design this great square masonry townhouse. This imposing mansion, which was the center of a large domestic complex, had an attic floor and cupola added c. 1840. The building was renovated during the late 1960s, at which time a rear service building was removed and a walled side garden replaced a turn-of-the-century theatre (the Old Capri Theatre).

Orange
Portion of Building Service buildings (new)
Material Masonry
Blue
Portion of Building Main
Material Masonry

Dimensions

Frontage 60′ 7″ 4‴
2 192′ 8″ 6‴
3 64′ 1″ 4‴
4 96′ 5″ 5‴
5 3′ 6″ 0‴
6 95′ 11″ 0‴

Chain of Title

Last Updated: Tuesday, October 14th 1986
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Thursday, April 18th 1985

Record Source COB
Volume 802
Page 70
N.A.# 597276
Authority Susan Gale Talley ( Notary )
Record Type sale
Price $2400000.00

Act of Cash Sale. Sale for $2,400,000 for movables and immovables. All encumbrances cancelled immediately. Lots measure as follows: According to the survey of J. J. Krebs and Sons, Inc., Land Surveyor, the property forms the corner of Royal and Ursulines Sts. and measures thence 188' 6" 5''' front on Ursulines St. to a point, thence measures on a line running in the direction of St. Philip St. and parallel with Chartres St. a 1st distance of 95' 11" 0''' to a point. Thence measure on a line running in the direction of Chartres St. parallel with Ursulines and St. Philip Sts. a distance of 3' 6" 0'''. Thence measure on a line running in the direction of St. Philip St. parallel with Chartres St. a 2nd depth of 96' 5" 5''' to a point. Thence measure on a line running in the direction of Royal St. and parallel with St. Philip St. a distance of 64' 1" 4''' to a point. Thence measure on a line running in the direction of Ursulines St. and parallel to Royal St. a distance of 127' 8" 5''' to a point. Thence measure on a line running in the direction of Royal St. and parallel with Ursulines and St. Philip Sts. A distance of 39' 8" 4''' to a point. Thence measure on a line running in the direction of Ursulines St. and parallel with Royal St. a distance of 35' 2" 00 lines [0'''] to a point. Thence measure on a line running in the direction of Royal St. parallel with Ursulines St. a distance of 88' 2" 5''' to a point on Royal St. Thence measure on a line running in the direction of Ursulines St. and fronting on Royal St. a distance of 29' 10" 1''' to a point which said point is the point of beginning. The improvements now bear the Municipal Address No. 618-20-22 Ursulines St.

Monday, April 19th 1982

Record Source COB
Volume 777
Page 541
N.A.# 448600
Authority Bartholomew P. Sullivan Jr. ( Notary )
Record Type sale
Price $500000.00

Sale for $500,000 cash. 618-620-622 Ursulines St. 1040 Royal St. 630 Ursulines St.

Friday, November 27th 1981

Record Source COB
Volume 774
Page 293
N.A.# 434513
Authority Bartholomew P. Sullivan Jr. ( Notary )
Record Type sale
Price $500000.00

Sale for $500,000 cash. 618-620-622 Ursulines St. 1040 Royal St. 630 Ursulines St.

Friday, September 1st 1967

Record Source COB
Volume 683
Page 324
Authority Bartholomew P. Sullivan ( Notary )
Record Type sale
Price $200000.00

Designated as Lot 2 on survey by J. J. Krebs and Sons, Feb. 5, 1964, re-dated Aug. 20, 1967. Lot commences 27' 10" 6''' from the corner of Ursulines and Royal Sts. And measures 60' 7" 4''' front on Ursulines St. with a depth on the side line nearer Royal St. of 192' 8" 6''', then widens 3' 6" towards Chartres St. along a line parallel with Ursulines St., thence continues towards St. Philip St. 96' 5" 5''' to the rear line which measures 64' 1" 4'''. Impts. 618-620-622 Ursulines St.

Tuesday, August 10th 1965

Record Source COB
Volume 664
Page 612
Authority Ewell P. Walther Jr. ( Notary )
Record Type sale
Price $29500.00

One-half interest in Lot 2.

Thursday, July 29th 1965

Record Source COB
Volume 665
Page 576
CDC# 431-389
Authority Philip E. Spencer ( Notary )
Record Type sale
Price $20700.00

An undivided 1/3 interest.

Wednesday, July 8th 1964

Record Source COB
Volume 660
Page 271
CDC# 414-255
Authority Civil District Court ( Court )
Record Type succession

Civil District Court, Division G, Docket 1. Be put into possession of entire estate including Lot No. 2.

Friday, March 20th 1964

Record Source COB
Volume 660
Page 4
Authority Ewell P. Walther Jr. ( Notary )
Record Type sale
Price $17330.00

Amendment to Sale of Property. Seller's intention was to include one third of the property plus all movable property. Appeared before Ed. B. Benjamin, Jr. Feb. 7, 1964.

Monday, March 2nd 1964

Record Source COB
Volume 663
Page 3
CDC# 414-936
Authority Ewell P. Walther Jr. ( Notary )
Record Type sale
Price $17330.00

Sale for $17,300 cash. An undivided 1/3 plus movables on property acq. June 1, 1946 (COB 547/68).

Friday, February 7th 1964

Record Source COB
Volume 658B
Page 238
Authority Edward B. Benjamin Jr. ( Notary )
Record Type sale
Price $17333.00

An undivided 1/3 interest.

Saturday, June 1st 1946

Record Source COB
Volume 547
Page 68
CDC# 269406
Authority Civil District Court ( Court )
Record Type succession

Inherited.

Monday, June 19th 1911

Record Source COB
Volume 242
Page 326
CDC# 97458
Authority Civil District Court ( Court )
Record Type succession

Inherited.

Thursday, May 18th 1882

Record Source COB
Volume 117
Page 348
Authority Armand Pitot Jr. ( Notary )
Record Type [sale?]

Monday, May 1st 1882

Record Source COB
Volume 117
Page 298
Authority Edgar Grima ( Notary )
Record Type [sale?]

Tuesday, February 15th 1859

Record Source Original Act
Volume 6
Page 24
Authority S. Magner ( Notary )
Authority Date Tuesday, February 15th 1859
Record Type [sale?]

Saturday, December 4th 1852

Record Source Court
Authority 3rd District Court ( Court )
Record Type [sale?]

Inherited.

Friday, November 15th 1850

Record Source Original Act
Volume 1
Page 199
Authority A. Boudousquie ( Notary )
Authority Date Friday, November 15th 1850
Record Type [sale?]

Monday, July 26th 1847

Record Source Original Act
Volume 23
Page 178
Authority C. Boudousquie ( Notary )
Authority Date Monday, July 26th 1847
Record Type [sale?]

"...a dwelling house and back buildings... which are bounded on Royal Street side by properties of J. B. Cajus, Adolphe Perrier, Mistress Bargas, E. Montegut, Argot Villalobas and J. Martel and on the Chartres Street side by properties of F. D'Aquin, S. Fernandez and G. Villere and in the rear by property of G. Gleises..."

Wednesday, July 1st 1846

Record Source COB
Volume 40
Page 142
Authority L. Hermann ( Notary )
Record Type [sale?]

"A lot of ground, designated as No. 2 on a plan by Joseph Pilie, C.E., dated January 23, 1846, deposited in the office of Lucien Hermann, Notary, measuring, 60' 7" 4''' front on Ursulines Street, 192' 8" 6''' in depth on side line nearest Chartres Street dividing it from said lot No. 1 on plan, 96' 5" 5''' on a second depth line on the side nearest Chartres Street dividing said lot from No. 3, and 64' 1" 4''' in width on the rear line."

Friday, June 14th 1833

Record Source Original Act
Volume 6
Page 347
Authority Theodore Seghers ( Notary )
Authority Date Friday, June 14th 1833
Record Type [sale?]

"...the land situated on Ursulines Street measuring in F.M., 60' 2" front on Ursulines Street by 180' 6" in depth, conforming to plan by A. d'Hemecourt, dated April 8, 1833 (attached to act before T. Seghers - Vol. 6/292)... the land designated by No. 5... together with a house in brick of two stories, kitchen and other dependencies which exist on this land..."

Monday, January 21st 1822

Record Source Unknown
Authority M. Lafitte ( Notary )
Authority Date Wednesday, December 19th 1821
Record Type inventory

Agent / Single Party Act / Other:

Armand Magnon

Filed - Jan. 21, 1822; Passed - Dec. 19, 1821. A lot of ground situated in this city, Ursulines street, where these presents are making, measuring in the whole ninety five feet front on the said street by two unequal depths, the first on a front of sixty feet measures one hundred and eighty feet deep; and the second on the remaining front of the said lot measures ninety feet, the whole French Measure; which lot is bounded on one side by the properties of the Ursuline nuns and Mr. Desdunes, and on the other, by another lot belonging to the same estate, and by other owners, on which lot actually described there exists a large two-story brick house newly built, which measures about forty-three feet front by about fifty deep, having in the first story a large store fronting the street, and on the other side an apartment of two rooms divided by an inter-medial corridor with a gallery and a closet serving as a pantry on the same gallery and on the second story four rooms, an inter-medial corridor, a gallery and two closets with a wooden balcony, the whole roofed with a terrace, the whole in bricks which is divided in several rooms serving for strangers, in a kitchen, several rooms for servants and a bathing room, the whole new and in the best condition; appraised sixteen thousand dollars... $16,000. In the second place; A second lot of ground adjoining the first just described, measuring in the whole sixty feet front on Royal street and one hundred and twenty feet on Ursulines street... making the corner of those streets, on which lot there exists three houses, one of them a two story which are now described as follows: The first a two-story house fronting Ursulines street measuring about thirty two feet front by about twenty four deep, the gallery comprised, the said house covered with tiles and the gallery covered with stakes, divided in the two stories in two rooms gallery and closets, besides a brick building covered with tiles, of one story, divided into a kitchen and rooms, a wooden well and privy, the yard paved with tiles; that portion of measuring thirty-two feet two inches front on the said Royal street by one hundred and twenty-one feet deep, bounded on one side by the property of Mr. Grouny and on the other side by that of Charlotte Allegre a free woman of color, and in the depth by that of Mr. Coquet, appraised one thousand dollars. - $1,000. A. birth certificate from Church of St. Croix - Bordeaux 28 Dec. 1841 [sic]. B. marriage contract with Henriette Roche bef. Almonester 10 Feb. 1774 C. act of sale by Christoval de Armas 5 July 1819 from Wd. Eugene Fortier of lot on Ursulines St. D. contract between Magnon & Gurlie & Guillot 20 June 1819 "for building a two story-house in Ursulines St. for the price of fifteen thousand dollars at the foot of which a receipt of the said Gurlie and Guillot - - - Note: Mr. Magnon acquired the property by two acquisitions, as follows.

Monday, July 5th 1819

Record Source Original Act
Volume 2A
Page 251
Authority Date Monday, July 5th 1819
Record Type [sale?]

"...the land situated on Ursulines Street measuring about 50' front on the said Ursulines by about 180' in depth, F.M., bounded by property of the acquirer on one side and on the other side by properties of Moreau Lislet and Denis Laronde the lot is divided from the whole and let out separately. The second house is of one story, making the corner of the same lot, a frame one covered with tiles, divided in four rooms, a gallery an elevated closet and a small one below serving as a cellar, and another closet on the same gallery; and near this same house a one-story brick building covered with tiles divided in the first story into a kitchen and a room for servants, and two rooms for servants in the second story; a wooden well, the yard paved with tiles, the said one-story house measuring twenty-seven feet front on Royal street, and the same front on Ursulines street; this portion of the lot is divided from the whole and let out separately. -- The third house fronting Royal street is one-story brick building covered with tiles, divided into four rooms with double chimneys, a closet gallery, two cellars and two closets raised under the same roof & near the same house and for its use, a two story-brick building covered with tiles, both stories divided in four rooms serving as a kitchen and servants lodgings, a double privy in bricks, a wooden well, a yard paved in tiles, with a brick partition wall. The said lot of ground actually inventoried is bounded on one side by the lot first described in this inventory in Ursulines street, and on the other side, Royal Street, by the property of Jean a free negro man, the whole said lot appraised with its buildings thereon erected - ten thousand dollars... $10,000. In the third place: A naked lot in Royal street between St. Philip and Ursulines streets and in the depth by property of Etienne Debon... together with buildings, etc..."

Friday, March 19th 1819

Record Source Court
Authority Probate Court ( Court )
Record Type [sale?]

Inherited from her husband.

Friday, June 19th 1818

Record Source Original Act
Volume 14A
Page 443
Authority M. de Armas ( Notary )
Authority Date Friday, June 19th 1818
Record Type [sale?]

"...a portion of land measuring 10' front on Ursulines Street by 180' in depth... bounded on one side by property of the acquirer and on the other side by the surplus of land which totals 60' front of the said Ursulines Street, and in the depth by property of Mr. Debon..."

Monday, April 20th 1818

Record Source Unknown
Record Type sheriff's sale

From:

Lalande

Agent / Single Party Act / Other:

Dubreuil

From the suit of The Heirs of Lalande vs. the Heirs of Dubreuil.

Citations

Note: Interesting data concerning Mr. Alaux, may be referred to as follows:

New Orleans Its People & Its Environs - Delgado - Feb. 14 - April 29, 1962

New Orleans City Guide - W.P.A. 1938 - p. 103

Louisiana A Guide to the State - W.P.A. - 1941 - p. 166

Cabildo Guide - 1934 pp. 54, 56, 72

The following oil portraits by A. Alaux hanging in the Presbytere in August 1958: Edward J. Gay, Reginald Dykers

Alexandre Alaux died 8/9/1932 aged 81. See Times Picayune 8/10/1932 p. 2 c. 6 and p. 3 c. 4

Marie Alaux died 8/16/1958. Times Picayune - May 13, 1923.

Louisiana Scrapbook No. 8 - p. 5-6 in Howard Tilton Memorial Library

The Times Democrat - May 8, 1904 p. 13 c. 3-4

Contemporary Art and Artists in N.O. - Cline - 1924 p. 5

Times Democrat - Oct. 24, 1904 p. 5 c. 2-3

Alaux Tomb - St. Louis No. 1 - Isle 5 left

Delgado Art Museum Project - W.P.A.

Historical Sketch of Art in Louisiana - Ben Earl Looney - La. Hist. Quarterly - Vol. 18 - p. 384

Signature of Mr. Alaux - Boyd Cruise Collection

— VCS Binder
Author: VCS staff

"Alexander Alaux - died August 9, 1932. One of his finest historical paintings was standing in his studio at 620 Ursuline Street, unfinished... The artist's two daughters, Marie and Louisa, who have been their father's assistants since their early childhood, promised him as he lay dying that not only the present picture, but all the great historical paintings that had been ordered to complete the series, would be finished... Alexander Alaux was buried in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1... in the great home on Ursuline street where the family of Alaux had lived since 1859... Marie Alaux does most of the painting, and it is Louisa's task to do the research... The picture that Mr. Alaux left unfinished is "The Battle of Buena Vista,"... It is to be hung in the state capitol of Mississippi, the third of a series of nine paintings, showing various epochs in the history of the state. The two already hung in the capitol show Governor Claiborne and Gen. Wilkinson leaving Natchez to assume control over the Territory of Louisiana; and the discovery of the Mississippi by De Soto. The Battle of Buena Vista measures 9 by 15 feet. Born in 1851 in Commercy, in the province of Lorraine, Alexander Alaux... As a young man he came to New Orleans and studied in the ateliers of Ciceri, Philastre and Bernard. Later he went to Brussels and studied at the Academie Royale des Beaux Arts, and it was in Brussels that his daughters Marie and Louisa were born. At the Academie Royale he was awarded the laurel crown upon his graduation... and he also won first prizes in anatomy and archeology at the Cours Sts. Marguerite in Brussels.

Leopold II, king of the Belgians, decorated him with a gold medal, and paintings of his are hung today in the gallery of Leopold II, and also in the museum of Arlon, Belgium. When he was only 18 years of age he exhibited at the exposition held at the old Fair Grounds in New Orleans, and won four silver medals.

He became a famous miniaturist, but his greatest distinction was won in the execution of large panorama paintings of historical subjects.

For some years his daughters have been devoted, but anonymous assistants. Though the monogram of Marie Alaux is tucked away in a corner of many of these great panoramic scenes... "

(Photograph of Marie and Louisa in front of the unfinished picture).

— Times-Picayune, sec. B, p. 6, c. 3-8
Date: Sunday, August 28th 1932

"CASA LALANDE 620 URSULINES ST.
At the next corner we should turn to our right, in the direction of the river, so we may inspect an interesting and very old Spanish casa, to be recognized instantly by the fan-shaped affair of pointed spikes on the ancient wrought-iron balcony grillage, the garde de frise that keeps possible intruders from entering the second story windows. This casa was the old home of a celebrated family of old New Orleans, the de La Lande de Ferriéres. Just when Nicolas Louis de La Lande erected this typical home is not quite certain. What we do know is that he was murdered on his own doorstep by a pirate and that his heirs sold the casa to Eugene Fortier in 1818.

The Lalande casa is typical Spanish construction having a central hallway with spacious living rooms opening on it from either side, and in the rear is the largest patio to be found in the Vieux Carré. Following the Fortier family, Arnaud Magnon called the old Lalande place home.

In 1833 the widow of Jean Baptiste Poeyfarré (her husband's jaw-cracking name is to be found on one of the city's streets in the business section) moved here and it remained her residence until 1846. In 1850 the old casa was rented to the city for school purposes and for many years youngsters of this section of the city here learned their three R's and played, during recess time, in the big courtyard, the largest in the Old Square."

— Old New Orleans: A History of the Vieux Carré, p. 145
Author: Stanley Clisby Arthur Date: Friday, January 1st 1937

"Architect's drawing of garden proposed for site of old Gaiety Theatre, corner of Royal and St. Philip. Walls of movie house, rebuilt after 1937 fire, would be taken down to tops of brick piers belonging to much older factory building that formerly occupied this plot. Deep, landscaped lot would become side garden of the 620 Ursuline complex currently being restored."

— Vieux Carre Courier
Date: Friday, August 30th 1968

In New Orleans
The Nuances of Locale Preserved in the French Quarter

— Architectural Digest
Author: Peter Carlsen Date: Saturday, November 1st 1980

"Mansion on the market
The asking price for this mansion at 620 Ursulines St. in the French Quarter - $5.5 million - is believed to be the highest price ever sought for a residence in the New Orleans area. The house, built in 1819 and owned by Frederick B. Ingram, who now lives in London, will be sold fully furnished, according to the real estate firm Sotheby Parke Bernet of Atlanta. It contains 12,660 square feet of living area in 16 rooms. A former slave quarter attached to house has been converted to a pool house. In addition to the swimming pool, the property, spread over three lots, includes formal gardens. The interior was decorated several years ago by Valerian Rybar."

[w/photo]

— Times-Picayune/States-Item
Date: Saturday, October 22nd 1983