The inspiration for this residence was a Garden District home built in 1850 for Robert A. Grinnan who had moved to New Orleans from England. It was designed by the Irish-American architect Henry Howard. Windows were specified as French cylinder glass and all doors were Santa Domingo mahogany with silver-plated hardware. The most unique feature of the house was the first shower, or “rain bath”, in New Orleans. The Italianate style is distinctive by its pronounced characteristics, such as the exaggerated gallery roof detailing, hood-type window pediments and low-pitched roof. Italianate style became more popular than Greek Revival by the late 1860s due in part to the development of cast-iron and press-metal technology making the production of decorative elements more affordable.

St. Elisabeth Square - New Orleans

Era: Antebellum
Style: Italianate (1840-1870)

3900 St. Elisabeth Square

Grinnan House – 2221 Prytania Street, New Orleans (1850)