<GNOCDC> Gentilly Terrace Neighborhood Snapshot

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This information is pre-Katrina.
Although the information on this page is out-of-date, we are continuing to make it available, as it provides insight about this neighborhood pre-Katrina.

Post-Katrina, we will not be making any changes or updates to this page. As a result, you may find outdated information and broken links.

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Gentilly Terrace Neighborhood Snapshot

Census 2000 Data Tables: People & Household Characteristics, Housing & Housing Costs, Income & Poverty, Transportation, Employment, Educational Attainment, Immigration & Language, Disabilities, Neighborhood Characteristics

Gentilly Terrace sits on a natural ridge created by Bayou Sauvage, a former flood plain. California bungalow style houses, most of them constructed from 1910-1940, English cottages and Spanish- and Mediterranean-revival homes constitute this national historic district, the first 20th century New Orleans neighborhood to be listed.

Terrace's beginnings

	© GNO Community Data Center
	Sign denoting the Gentilly Terrace neighborhood

Mathurin Dreux was granted a large tract of land in recognition of his services as a militia officer in the New Orleans province. He chose a tract along Bayou St. John that extended across the rear of the city, which included the present day Gentilly district. This was the highest spot in the city and virtually free from flooding.

Mathurin with his brother, Pierre, built their homes in the area and operated the land as a plantation. After their death, the estate stayed in the Dreux family for over two generations. The rural character of the area remained for almost two centuries.

High ground key to development

The high ground and natural drainage with easy access to the city made this a prime section for development shortly before World War I. The Pontchartrain Railroad, built in 1830, provided transportation through the Gentilly district. It ran along Elysian Fields to Lake Pontchartrain.

Michael Baccich, Edward E. Lafaye and R. E. Edgar de Montluzin laid out the neighborhood in the early 20th century. In 1909, Dennis Sheen purchased Edgewood Park, which extended from Gentilly Boulevard to the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. After 1935, the neighborhood population grew rapidly.

Gentilly Today

Various organizations operate to keep the neighborhood safe and well maintained. Some of these organizations are the Gentilly Terrace Neighborhood Association, Gentilly Sugar Hill Residents Association, Gentilly Terrace & Gardens Improvement Association, and the Neighborhood Watch Program.

Gentilly Terrace Creative Arts Elementary School


	© GNO Community Data Center
	Gentilly Terrace Elementary School

The neighborhood is proud to claim Gentilly Terrace Creative Arts Elementary as a Blue Ribbon School in 1991-92. The school plays an integral part in the community as neighborhood organizations and community groups, such as the Girl Scouts, use its facilities. In turn, the students participate in community activities. The banners that hang in the Kids Tent at the Jazz & Heritage Festival are painted by the students each year.

The school building, built in 1914, reflects California Craftsman and Swiss Chalet influences. Its architectural significance contributed to the neighborhood's national registry listing.

For more information:

Louisiana Timeline
www.enlou.com/time/year1909.htm

Preservation Resource Center's Gentilly Terrace Historic District
prcno.org/neighbor.html

Preservation Resource Center Neighborhood Heroes
www.prcno.org/Schools/GentillyTerraceCreativeArts.htm

New Orleans Public Schools Blue Ribbon Schools
www.nops.k12.la.us/Schools/blueribbon.html

New Orleans Police Department Third District Neighborhood Watch Programs
www.new-orleans.la.us/home/nopd/content.php?dir=services/nwatch&page=nw_3rd.php

Neighborhood Profiles Project Document prepared by the City of New Orleans Office of Policy Planning and the City Planning Commission. Published December 1980. Study available at the Williams Research Center (non-circulating collection).

Home Pre Katrina Home Orleans Parish Gentilly District Gentilly Terrace Snapshot

Last modified: October 5, 2002