The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-04-16
PWA RECLAIMS
HISTORIC AREA
New Orleans Spanish Quar-,
ter Restored to Former
Grandeur
Bv EDNARD WALDO
United Press Staff Correspondent

NEW ORLEANS, April To-
(UP).-Thc city's first apartment
building, constructed by Span
ish noblcman nearly 100 years
ago and once temporary residence
of the heir TO the throne OF
France, have been reclaimed thru
a WPA project and once more are
Il ShOwplacc of the city.
For the past four years the
WPA, in conjunction with the
city, has been repairing the Pom
talba buildings with manpower
lent by the government and ma
tcrials bought by the city. Nearly
a quarter of a million dollars has
been spent on rcconditioning the
buildings. Workmen have recap
tured much of the old charm of
the structures, yet have installed
every modern convenience.
The story of the old buildings
gcos back to the turn of the 18th
century when Don Almonaster y
Roxas, owner of the rights and
patents to the City of New Or
leans. died and was buried under
the floor of the Cathedral de st.
Louis. which he built.
DAUGHTER YIELDED TITLE
Although the old Don gave
many buildings to New Orleans,
his daughter, Nicola, surpassed
him after his death by presenting
the people of New Orleans all the
rights, titles and claims to the city
and its government, thus relin-
gushing the title held by her IA
thCr as Perpetual Rigidor and
Royal Alfcrez.
But If Nicolas gift has been
forgotten among the old archives
in the Cabildo, which faces the
Place RArmcS, visitors recall 1t in
the beautiful iron traccry on the
balconies of the Pontalbas. whose
mcdallionS present the scroll IN
itials of Nicola Amonstcr and her
husband, the Marquis de Ponta!ba.
Ten years after building the Pont-
alba the couple sailed away to
France, never to return. Euro
pcan heirs, through their agents,
sold the buildings to local philan-
thropistS, who gave one to the
city and one to the state. .
In place of total disrepair and
dilapidation the II apartments OF
the building given to the city
have been restored. Marble man.
ties, many of them stolen or bro
ken. were repaired, replaced or
copied by WPA workmen on the
premises. Some apartments are
even being furnished with period
furniture.
After it's hcydcy the building
finally succumbed to the gradual
decline Of the ncighborhood. Fam
lilies numbering as many as Is Of
ten lived in one room.
STRANGE CONDITIONS
FOUND
Repairing the structure has
been only one item. Eviction of
the tenants was a problem. One
man hadn't been out of his room
i'm 10 years. He was so fat that
the door frame had to be removed
before he could leave. Another
family had taken a calf to the
third floor Of the building and 1t
grew to a full sized cow. The
COW had to be slaughtered: An
aged tenant of 40 years finally
was cvicted. Workmen found tons
of garbage in her attic apartment.
1t had been deposited there by the
woman over n period of nearly %
years. ..
Now, all but two apartments
have been replaced. Silver door
knobs. so crusted with paint that
vandals didn bother to steal
them, shine anew. Marble floors
have been replaced and coved cell
ings re-molded. SO
As the place. is completed OIL
Gals ponder as to what tenants
should be suitable. They couldn't
take the old ones back. The Off
Gals didn't have long to wait.
Orlenians came down offering any
price for apartments.
Butterflies were given their
name because of popular belief
that they stole butter and milk.