Madame John's Legacy

Anyone with an eye for architecture will want to check out Madame John’s Legacy in the historic French Quarter. It is one of the finest 18th-century building complexes in Louisiana and one of the best examples of French colonial architecture in North America. Built in 1788 following a devastating fire that destroyed eighty percent of the city, it was constructed in the French colonial style that prevailed before the disaster.

Madame John’s is an excellent example of Louisiana-Creole 18th century residential design. Due to its fine architectural character and historical significance, it is an official National Historic Landmark. The complex consists of three buildings—the main house, a kitchen with cook’s quarters, and a two-story dependency. The house’s name was inspired by George Washington Cable’s 1874 short story “‘Tite Poulette,” in which the character Monsieur John bequeaths a Dumaine Street house to his mistress, known as Madame John.

Though older parts of town were once dotted with similar structures, today very few houses like Madame John’s Legacy remain.