<GNOCDC> Milneburg 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Although the information on this page is out-of-date, we are continuing to make it available, as it provides insight about this neighborhood pre-Katrina.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 As a result, you may find outdated information and broken links.

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Milneburg Neighborhood Snapshot

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

Milneburg neighborhood is surrounded by Filmore, Gentilly Terrace, Pontchartrain Park and Lake Terrace/Lake Oaks neighborhoods. Elysian Fields, Filmore and Peoples Avenues and Leon C. Simon Drive mark its boundaries.

This quiet neighborhood has its representation of churches, schools and commercial establishments, mostly along the main thoroughfares. Miltenberger Playground serves as green space for the neighborhood. As in each of the other communities in the Gentilly district, the majority of residents are African American. The percentage of homeowners in this neighborhood is greater than the parish, state, and national percentages (Census 2000).

A bit of history

Milneburg was named after Alexander Milne, a Scottish footman, who made his fortune from first a hardware business and then from brick-making. The fires of 1774 and 1794, that caused major destruction to much of New Orleans, increased the demand for bricks. He invested his money in an expanse of land near Bayou St. John and along the lakefront, which became a resort for first the wealthy then middle class in the early 1900s.

The present-day Milneburg neighborhood rose long after the resort. The 1927 New Orleans Land Use Survey conveyed only scattered development. However, between 1949 and 1965, the area grew substantially.


	© GNO Community Data Center
	Louis Armstrong plaque outside of the Milne Boys home.

Milne Boys Home

Milne Boys Home began in 1933 as a residential facility for troubled and needy boys. Since its inception, it has been under the jurisdiction of the city of New Orleans and the Milne Trust, a private foundation that stipulates that the facility be run for boys.

The Home was founded as a biracial facility. However, due to segregation, two of everything was built, one for blacks, one for whites. The main building has two identical wings, called north and south. In 1986, various problems, including pressure from the surrounding neighborhood, caused the Home to discontinue the residential component, and offer after school, summer and other community programs for boys.

Louis Armstrong Manhood Development Program

Although Louis Armstrong did not attend Milne Boys Home, as many believe, his residency at the Waif's Home for Colored Boys and ultimate success as one of the most important jazz musicians of the 20th century, led to the naming of one of the Milne Boys Home's programs. The Louis Armstrong Manhood Development Program is a fusion of lifestyle elements that include cultural and historical awareness, nutrition programs, academic tutoring and homework, and recreation. Hundreds of boys ages 8 to 16 have been in this program.


	© GNO Community Data Center
	Louis Armstrong sign outside of the Milne Boys home.

“The most unique part of this program is the approach the staff takes to educating the boys. The approach is Afrocentric, and emphasizes strict discipline. The basic explanation is that in order for the boys to understand what their role is in society, they need to feel connected to a positive identity.

“Sadly, in the United States, the identity of African American men is often tied to negative traits. Therefore, focusing on the heritage of African men helps the boys to understand the value and richness of their ethnic heritage, and prepares them to succeed in a society that is often hostile toward them. Discipline is seen as an important way to teach students correct from incorrect behavior, and to teach about the need to be personally responsible for one's actions.”(Our Service Project: Milne Boys Home).

For more information:

Bernie Cyrus, Louisiana's Midnight Music Man
www.louisianamusic.org/BCVignette.html

Our Service Project: Milne Boys Home
www.providence.edu/polisci/cammarano/milne1.htm

Steve Picou's Writings and Observations
members.macconnect.com/users/s/scpicou/pastletters.shtml

A listing of periodicals and books on Louis Armstrong – two including something about Milne Boys Home
www.darmstadt.de/kultur/musik/jazz/Jazzindex/index-armstrong-70s.htm

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).

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Last modified: October 8, 2002