I previously posted a question about the location of 2 properties listed in the 1805 city directory. Norm suggested I contact the New Orleans Historic Collection. I received a very prompt response from HNOC regarding the current addresses of these locations: >>Using a block by block conversion chart (available online through the New Orleans Public Library's website) I have been able to determine the hundred block on which your ancestors properties were located. That is, 58 St. Peter is now within the 700 block, and 39 Dauphine is in the 200 block. The exact address is difficult to ascertain with great certainty - especially as the buildings may no longer be standing 205 years later. Using Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps from 1876 (before the change) and 1896 (after the change) I have been able to discover some additional pieces of information. I believe the property at 58 St. Peter was located on the uptown/lakeside corner of St. Peter and Royal. By 1876, there does not appear to be a property there facing St. Peter, but, by looking at the numbers, that is where one would logically have been. By 1876 there was still a building standing at 39 Dauphine, however I cannot say for sure that this is the same building inhabited by your ancestor. Currently, this property is listed as 219 Dauphine between Iberville and Bienville.<<

Susan and List, Susan received a response from the Historic New Orleans Collection regarding the current locations of addresses in the 1805 city directory. I wrote to the person at the HNOC who responded to Susan expressing my reservations about the address conversions that he suggested. The person wrote to me: “You are correct that New Orleans Street numbers changed periodically throughout the 19th c. making it very difficult to ascertain exactly what a specific address would be today. Moreover, many of the buildings from the early 19th c. are no longer standing. All told this makes address conversions very difficult, and for the most part they are approximations. I had hoped to convey this in my email to Susan, and in no way expected the email to be used as a general guideline. My purpose was to give Susan a starting point to work with. I apologize if I have caused you, or anyone else for that matter, any confusion.” I believe that it is impossible to make a conversion from an 1805 address to a modern address with any degree of reliability. With all due respect to the HNOC, I don’t believe any of the information in the HNOC’s original message can be accepted. For Susan, I think the best that can be said is that these addresses were most likely in the French Quarter. Address conversions can be made (pre-1894 to today), but converting addresses prior to approximately 1852 with any degree of certainty is probably not possible. Norm --- On Sat, 8/7/10, Susan & Tom Berghan <[email protected]> wrote: > I previously posted a question about > the location of 2 properties listed in > the 1805 city directory. Norm suggested I contact the New > Orleans Historic > Collection. I received a very prompt response from HNOC > regarding the > current addresses of these locations: > > >> Using a block by block conversion chart (available > online through the New > Orleans Public Library's website) I have been able to > determine the hundred > block on which your ancestors properties were > located.  That is, 58 St. > Peter is now within the 700 block, and 39 Dauphine is in > the 200 block.  > > The exact address is difficult to ascertain with great > certainty - > especially as the buildings may no longer be standing 205 > years later. > Using Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps from 1876 (before the > change) and 1896 > (after the change) I have been able to discover some > additional pieces of > information.  I believe the property at 58 St. Peter > was located on the > uptown/lakeside corner of St. Peter and Royal.  By > 1876, there does not > appear to be a property there facing St. Peter, but, by > looking at the > numbers, that is where one would logically have been.  > > > By 1876 there was still a building standing at 39 Dauphine, > however I cannot > say for sure that this is the same building inhabited by > your ancestor. > Currently, this property is listed as 219 Dauphine between > Iberville and Bienville.<< >