A 19th-century French Quarter cottage with a storied past asks $999K

This French Quarter cottage sits on a storied plot of land with a written history dating back to the 18th century. Ursuline nuns established themselves on the property as early as 1766 and sold this lot to the U.S. government in 1825, according to records from the Historic New Orleans Collection.

In the 1850s, this cottage was built. It was transferred from owner to owner until the 1940s, when it was purchased by Salvadore Baragona—and it has remained with this Italian-American family since then.

The home was a linchpin of the French Quarter’s then-thriving Italian community, which also counted the nearby Angelo Brocato’s Ice Cream Parlor and Central Grocery & Deli among its ranks.

“A large Italian family lived in the house in the Depression,” said listing agent Jackie Montgomery in an emailed statement. “Eleven lived on one side and nine on the other. ... Children in the neighborhood would come home from school and check and see what was being cooked for dinner. They would choose where they ate by what was being cooked. You wouldn’t necessarily have just your family eating with you. It sounds like one great big Italian family.”

Families may be smaller now, but this 3,052-square-foot cottage still offers plenty of room to spread out. Its 14-foot ceilings, original wood floors, transoms, crown moldings, medallions, and brick fireplaces anchor it to its 19th-century origins. However, a glass brick-bedecked bathroom and walk-in cedar closets bring a luxurious, modern feel to the once-humble abode.

There are three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a brick courtyard out back. The asking price is $999,000.

Via: Jackie Montgomery of Engel & Völkers New Orleans