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Faubourg St. Roch History
The St. Roch area, historically called Faubourg Nouvelle Marigny, illustrates the downriver expansion of New Orleans by the Creole population during the first half of the nineteenth century, following the creation of Faubourg Marigny in 1806. Faubourg Nouvelle Marigny, as the name implies, was an enlargement of Faubourg Marigny. The latter was created when Bernard de Marigny decided to subdivide his plantation to accommodate the rapidly growing city. Faubourg Marigny developed so quickly that Marigny found it necessary to extend the development north of St. Claude Avenue into present day St. Roch. Surveyor Joseph Pilie completed the plan for this enlargement on November 10, 1809.The western portion of the neighborhood was Faubourg Franklin and it was created in 1826 when Nicholas Destrehan commissioned Joseph Pilie to develop a plan for subdividing property he owned. The faubourg was north of St. Claude from Marigny Street to Almonaster Avenue. The plan featured a major thoroughfare called Washington (now St. Roch), with Independence Place (now St. Roch playground or Independence Square) between Roman and Johnson. Some records also show that before the name Washington, St. Roch Avenue was also called Poet St. The neighborhood began to be developed when in 1830 the Pontchartrain Railroad connected the Faubourg Marigny with the settlement of Milneburg on the lake. At that time the large boulevard now called St. Claude Avenue was called "Good Children". More historic images of St. Roch area. (click to view larger) 
 St. Roch Cemetery  The neighborhood got its current name in 1867 with the dedication of the St. Roch shrine and cemetery. St. Roch Chapel and Cemetery are a very important part of the history of the St. Roch neighborhood. At the height of the yellow fever epidemic of 1867, a German priest named Rev. Peter Leonard Thevis arrived in New Orleans. Faced with the severity of the yellow fever epidemic, he turned to God invoking the intercession of St. Roch, the patron of good health. He promised that if no one in his parish should die from the fever, he would erect a chapel in honor of the Saint. Amazingly, not one member of Holy Trinity died from yellow fever, either in the epidemic of 1867 or 1878.In thanks, Rev. Thevis`s conviction was to build not only a chapel as a shrine to St. Roch, but also a mortuary chapel in a last resting place for members of his flock. The cemetery was called the Campo Santo (resting place of the dead). Rev. Thevis traveled to Europe to study the architecture and construction of many beautiful shrines and chapels before building the chapel. The chapel, completed in 1876, was considered a beautiful example of Gothic architecture. People came to the shrine in large numbers to ask St. Roch for help in cases of affliction, disease and deformities. At one time, the celebration of All Saints Day attracted thousands of people to the Shrine seeking guidance and help for themselves and others in distress. A small room on the side of the chapel holds a number of offerings left by visitors to the chapel. The tradition was to leave accoutrements of the illness or disability (including, in the past, eyeballs, crutches, and false limbs!) in gratitude for recovery.  Another New Orleans tradition related to St Roch that took place for many years is that on Good Friday young girls made a pilgrimage to St. Roch's chapel because of a local legend, which promised a husband before the year was out to the maiden who said a prayer and left a small sum at each of nine churches. It was considered doubly lucky if St. Roch's chapel was the end of the pilgrimage.Source: Greater New Orleans Community Data Center and http://fsria.org/St.%20Roch/The%20Neighborhood.html Click here too see many more photos of St. Roch Cemetery St. Roch Market  The St. Roch Market was originally built in 1875 by contractor William H. Reynolds with architect/city surveyor William H. Bell. The owner was the City of New Orleans under the guidance of Joseph Raymond. The cost was $14,500. The building featured cast-iron columns on brick and cypress foundations supporting a long simple roof. The columns formed 2 long open-air bays lined with tables and cabinets.Already an integral part of the neighborhood, in 1914 the St. Roch Market was completely renovated. The cast iron columns were enclosed with pressed brick, windows, and cemented window sills. There was an addition to the rear of the Market that included new steel trusses, as well as new awning. The addition extends from the last set of columns. The interior and exterior floors received new artificial stone pavement. The meat, vegetable, dairy and fish sections were separated, and there was the addition of ice chest and meat refrigerators. Again in 1937 the St. Roch Market was renovated. It was part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) program of refurbishing older buildings. The market was slated for demolition, but residents of the St. Claude neighborhood stated that it was "an absolute necessity." The two front bays of the building were demolished a loss of six of the original cast iron columns; however the front façade of the market was salvaged and reattached. The open stalls were replaced with refrigerating units and a protective glass was installed to shield fish and fresh meats. A new plumbing system was installed, and the vegetable and meat markets were separated. There was another addition added to the back of the building witch included indoor restrooms and a second floor clerestory.  Between the time of the WPA renovation and present day, the St. Roch Market underwent few changes. Most of the changes occurred in the physical use of the market. In 1945 Mr. and Mrs. Lamas opened up a fish market and po-boy restaurant. This changed the market; the vegetable and meat refrigeration units and stalls were removed. The front wash rooms were turned into more cooling rooms; and there was a ventilation room added to the east side of the north (rear) façade of the building made of concrete block. In the 1990s the Lamas relinquished to a family who added Chinese cuisine to the menu. From the mid 1990s until Hurricane Katrina the market operated as a fresh fish market, po-boy restaurant, and Chinese restaurant.Source: St. Roch Market Historic Structure Report and Rehabilitation Study done by students of Cornell University's Historic Preservation Planning Program. More historic images of the St. Roch Market. (click to view larger) 
 St. Roch People  By the beginning of the 20th century, the St. Roch neighborhood had grown considerably, especially since sewerage and water service had been extended into the entire area by 1900. By the late 1920s, the St. Roch neighborhood was mostly settled.  During this time, the St. Roch neighborhood was described as a low-key, serene, racially-mixed residential section of New Orleans. There was huge baseball field located between Galvez and Miro and Marigny and Mandeville and the area is remembered for its numerous baseball enthusiasts, such as Moses Phillip, George Davis, Black Diamond and Emile Anderson. Blacksmith shops, dairies and small farms once characterized the neighborhood. Many of the private schools founded for Black and Creole children were originally located in the St. Roch neighborhood. Many jazz musicians lived in this area, including one of the early jazz greats, Jelly Roll Morton, as well as Creole and German families.More historic images of St. Roch parades. (click to view larger) 
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