The 170-year-old Bank of Louisiana building at St. Charles Avenue and Gravier Street in the Central Business District is now protected by the Preservation Resource Center through its preservation easement program.

Easements provide a way for historic buildings, sites or landscapes to be protected in perpetuity. They are voluntary legal agreements through which a property owner grants a portion of the property rights, including the development of rights of the airspace above the property, to a qualified nonprofit organization.

That organization then protects this historic resource permanently — even if the site’s ownership, use or local zoning regulations change — as the easement becomes part of the title. In addition, the property owner may qualify for federal tax benefits through the charitable donation.

From 19th-century Greek Revival structures to mid-20th-century modernist ones, 142 buildings are part of the PRC’s preservation easement portfolio.

 

300 St. Charles Ave.
Owner: 300 St. Charles LLC

Current use/status: Recent work included repairing and replacing damaged plaster, restoring architectural details, and ensuring the building’s exterior remained structurally sound. On the interior, Ryan Gootee General Contractors remodeled the fourth-floor space to accommodate two tenants. The team aimed to retain as much of the original wood flooring as possible while integrating modern design elements within the constraints of a historic structure

Significance: The four-story masonry structure was designed by Gallier, Turpin & Co. and constructed in 1855 for $14,000. It features Italian Renaissance-style details, including cast-iron brackets on the cornice and cast-iron window hoods. The upper three levels of the structure have a stucco finish and arched casement windows. The ground floor historically housed shops. Offices were on the upper floors.

“New Orleans Architecture Vol. II: The American Sector” lists this building as one of architectural and historic significance. Gallier and Turpin built at least two other identical buildings on this block. This is the only one left standing. A fire in 1845 destroyed the building that previously existed at this location.