Mid-century Modern Public Schools in New Orleans

Mid-century Modern Schools Slated for Demolition

The Recovery School District is in the process of finalizing the School Facilities Master Plan for Orleans Parish. After reviewing the Building Summaries, it is apparent that the plan may effectively erase the mid-century modern school facilities from the map. In A Guide to the Architecture of New Orleans 1699-1959, Samuel Wilson, Jr. cites twenty-five of the thirty public schools which were built in the 1950s. Of these, ten have been demolished or are slated for demolition. Of the remaining fifteen mid-century modern schools, fourteen were assessed as "complete replacement." While many of these buildings were clearly damaged by Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent inundation, some are merely victims of neglect. The Recovery School District is indeed in the process of recovering. However, that is not an excuse for the wholesale demolition of mid-century modern public school architecture from the city of New Orleans. These schools were designed with respect to the city's environment. The renovation and adaptive re-use of the structures can serve as a symbol for the city's rebirth, recovering the future from the past.