Finding a house with a yard in New Orleans was not an easy task, especially one in or near the French Quarter. Most of the houses in this part of the city were built in the 1700s and 1800s. They are small, and practically none of them have a backyard. Maggie and I also wanted to stay within walking distance of work and Mama’s shop, and of course there had to be a large clawfoot tub!

It took about a month of working with a realtor to finally locate a few prospects, none of which were all that great. It seemed the only houses with backyards were homes that had slave quarters that were torn down in order to make room for a yard, and those were few and far between.

Mama’s house was a perfect example of this. An old Victorian that was owned by the first black doctor in New Orleans. It had slave quarters behind it which were demolished as soon as he purchased the house. The large backyard became a place where his family gardened and neighbors socialized. There was also a water well and cistern back there and large trees with picnic tables.

A very nice setup.