Few buildings can boast a more genuine and unaltered presence in the French Quarter than Preservation Hall, located at 726 St. Peter Street.  The building exudes a subtle and quiet charm that has virtually been unaltered since its erection in 1817.  The simple exterior, however, is not indicative of the intricate jazz that has filled the rooms since the early 1960’s.

The building can be classified as a classic Creole style building because of its symmetry and simplicity, but it also contains Spanish-Colonial elements.  Architects Claude Gurlie and Joseph Guillot built the three-bay, two-storied structure in 1817 after a fire the previous year destroyed the earlier building.  In fact, the bill of sale singed by Gurlie and Guillot stated their purchase included the lot “with bricks and ruins” of the previously existing building.

Preservation Hall in the spring 1949.

The fire of 1816 destroyed dozens of buildings in the French Quarter only after a flood damaged much of New Orleans in the same year.  The fire began in the Orleans Ballroom and slowly made its way to St. Peter Street, taking everything in between with it.

The defining architectural details of the building include board and batten shutters, French doors, a narrow wrought iron gallery supported by S-curved brackets, and iron gates that flank the front and rear entrances.  Geometrically perfect iron sunbursts rest atop the stalwart gates.

The most notable feature of the front facade is the porte-cochère - or “coach door” - that leads into the interior courtyard.  Porte-cochère is an architectural term for the section of a building in which it is possible for a horse and carriage or motor vehicle to pass.  The purpose is to create cover for the occupants to rest under, protected from the weather.

Preservation Hall in Feb. 2008

The rear of the property features a courtyard, patio and a detached two-storied service building.

The only major change the building has undergone since its construction in 1817 is the roofline covering the front gallery.  Originally, the gallery was covered, but this change was made as long ago as 1900.  This alteration ultimately did not disguise the original lineaments of the building.

The structure has changed owners and functions over the years, ranging from the private residence of well known Vieux Carre resident Agathe Fanchon to the photography studio of Woods “Pops” Whitsell and Dan Leyrer. The building also served as a popular art gallery where then owner, Larry Borenstein, began holding informal jam sessions for his close friends. Out of these sessions grew the concept of Preservation Hall.

It wasn’t until 1961 that some of the most famous and authentic New Orleans jazz and Dixieland music filled the aptly named music venue.  The artists that performed created a New Orleans traditionalist revival that led to popularity of many songs that we take for granted today.  Examples include "When the Saints Go Marching In,” "Tiger Rag" and "Basin Street Blues." 

Preservation Hall's coach door.

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band began touring the world in 1963, acting as ambassadors of New Orleans and the music that was created in the Crescent City.  Visionaries Allan and Sandra Jaffe can be credited with the preservation of the building and creating a truly unique New Orleans and American institution.  Their son, Ben Jaffe, is now the Director of Preservation Hall and also plays tuba and upright bass with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

Today, the interior is relatively undisturbed, even through many years of changing owners and functions.  The only noteworthy change in the building from a century ago is indoor plumbing and electricity.

Don’t expect cold beer or, for that matter, air conditioning if you take in a nightly show. Expect splintery floorboards, bare benches and a few kitchen chairs surrounded by oil portraits of musicians. The historic atmosphere and unmatched musicians make this one of the most pure jazz music venues left in the United States.  It’s as if the interior and exterior of Preservation Hall have been suspended in time and space, creating a building and experience like no other.