FEMA – NEW ORLEANS CITY PARK CORRAL/MAINTENANCE FACILITY COLLECTION
(Mss 367)
Inventory
Earl K. Long Library
University of New Orleans
October 2010
Summary
Size: 0.1 linear foot
Geographic
locations: New Orleans, Louisiana
Inclusive dates: June 10, 2010
Summary: Materials (chiefly photographs by Mark Heck) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) documenting the New Orleans City Park Corral/Maintenance Facility (Henry Thomas Drive, New Orleans, La.), which was damaged extensively by Hurricane Katrina.
Related
collections: FEMA – Duncan Plaza Collection (Mss 351); FEMA – Xavier Cabrini Church Collection (Mss 352); FEMA – Jackson Barracks Collection (Mss 360); FEMA – Andrew H. Wilson Elementary School Collection (Mss 361); FEMA – Charles J. Colton School Collection (Mss 362); FEMA – George Washington Carver Middle and High School Collection (Mss 363)
Source: Gift, October 2010
Access: No restrictions
Copyright: Physical rights are retained by the Earl K. Long Library, University of New Orleans.
Citation: FEMA – New Orleans City Park Corral/Maintenance Facility Collection, Earl K. Long Library, University of New Orleans
Historical Note
According to the Historical Narrative accompanying the photographs by Mark Heck, “The Maintenance Corral is a large facility that included stables for horses and mules, storage for rolling equipment, and a workshop to facilitate maintenance of the park. It was designed by architect Richard Koch in the Louisiana Colonial Revival style and [was] constructed by the WPA [Works Progress Administration] in the 1930s. ‘Louisiana Red’ bricks, some of which were salvaged from the demolition of the Old Parish Prison and the old Presbyterian Hospital, and [were] hand-molded in the 1830s, [were] used in its construction.
“The Maintenance Corral is made up of one- and two-story load-bearing brick masonry structures arranged around an open courtyard. The two-story section is located at the entrance to the courtyard and features a brick chimney located at the East end. The detailing of the building includes corbelled brick cornices, copper gutters and downspouts, and wood double-hung windows. The roofs are covered with slate shingles with terra cotta barrel tiles at the hips and ridges. A portion of the original roof was replaced using industrial metal panels, prior to Hurricane Katrina (August 29, 2005).
“City Park, the sixth largest urban park in the United States, was renovated as part of a larger WPA project that included construction of numerous park buildings and shelters, one of which is the Corral. Simple additions and interior partitions were added over time to accommodate the constant modernization of the maintenance program, including adaptively reusing the stables to house combustion-powered machines and equipment. A shed-type structure enclosed most of the center courtyard of the corral.
“The Maintenance Corral was poorly maintained and in a state of decay before Hurricane Katrina. After the hurricane, the facility was heavily damaged, and many of the shed structures were partially collapsed. The remaining shed-type structures were beyond repair and demolished in December of 2008, leaving the masonry structure extant.
“Sources: Sally K. [Reeves] & William D. Reeves, Historic City Park: New Orleans (New Orleans, 1982).”
Container List
Photographs by Mark Heck, June 10, 2010
Folder 1
367-1 Exterior – Southeast corner: original brick building with metal roof
367-2 Exterior – Southwest corner: original brick building with slate roof (damage)
367-3 Exterior – Northwest corner: extent of demolition and remaining brick structure west elevation: original brick building with slate roof (damage)
367-4 Exterior – Northeast corner: original brick buildings where brick wall collapsed
367-5 Exterior – South elevation office building: original brick one- and two-story building
367-6 Exterior – South elevation work building: original brick building
367-7 Exterior – West elevation work building: original brick building
367-8 Exterior – North elevation work building: original brick building, extent of demolition
367-9 Exterior – North elevation work building: original brick building
367-10 Exterior – North elevation office building: original brick one- and two-story building, extent of collapsed roof
367-11 Exterior – East elevation office building: original brick building
367-12 Exterior – Collapsed brick wall and remnants
367-13 Exterior – North west corner of office building: elevation work building: original brick two-story building covered with graffiti
367-14 Exterior – North east corner of work building: original brick building, damage
367-15 Exterior – Chimney detail: damaged
367-16 Exterior – Shutter detail: standard wood shutter
367-17 Exterior – Window detail: standard window (damage)
367-18 Exterior – Entrance alcove detail: office entrance
367-19 Exterior – Wood door detail: workspace entrance
367-20 Exterior – Wall/roof detail: brick details, roofing edge detail, missing gutter
367-21 Exterior – Wall to wall detail: remaining portion of brick wall that collapsed connecting to brick structure with offices and break room
367-22 Interior – Window detail: standard window from interior
367-23 Interior – Break room: damaged interior of break room
367-24 Interior – Break room: damaged interior of break room
367-25 Interior – Office kitchen: damaged interior of office kitchen
367-26 Interior – Office space 1: damaged interior of office
367-27 Interior – Office foyer: damaged interior of office foyer, termite-eaten stairs
367-28 Interior – Office space 2: damaged interior of office
367-29 Interior – Work space 1: damaged interior of work space
367-30 Interior – Work space 1: damaged interior of work space
367-31 Interior – Work space 2: damaged interior of work space, metal work desk
367-32 Interior – Work space 1: damaged interior of work space
367-33 Interior – Brick column: detail of interior brick column in work space 2
367-34 Interior – Work space 3: damaged interior of work space
367-35 Exterior – Existing structure in surroundings south east
367-36 Exterior – Existing structure in surroundings south west
367-37 Exterior – Existing structure in surroundings north west
Folder 2
367-38 CD containing images listed above
Folder 3
367-39 Key plan and other related documentation
Index Terms
City Park (New Orleans, La.)
Corral/Maintenance Facility (City Park : New Orleans, La.)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Heck, Mark
Hurricane Katrina, 2005
Parks—Louisiana—New Orleans