Historic Projects of New Orleans, LLC

When Stephen and Serveen Klein contacted me to look at their beautiful 1872 Italianate home, I had no idea of the treasure it held. After a fire partially destroyed a second story porch, they asked for some ideas on restoring the house. A first floor bath and storage room were housed in a shroud of gypsum board, plaster and wood weatherboards. Beneath the enclosure, a small portion of cast iron was exposed by firemen while putting out the blaze. As our renovation got under way, we peeled off the exterior weatherboards to reveal a beautiful, classic cast iron veranda. These incredible structures were popular in the late 1800’s as elegant additions to many of the finest homes in the area. They can be seen often in the Garden District. The cast iron beauty of the structure had not been seen for over 70 years!  Compare the amazing before and after photos…

HistoricProjects is currently in the process of restoring the veranda to it’s previous glory. We started with a complete removal of the non-original carpentry and replaced the damaged area of the second floor (actually the top of the veranda). Surprisingly the original style of panel (grapes and vines)  are readily available. Our metal craftsman; affectionately known as “Cowboy” Bob Phillips masterfully restored the damaged panels. Over the next month we will sandblast the cast iron and prime it for painting. Final wood trim and planking will be added to create a wonderful showpiece for this beautiful home.