The morning of June 18, 2021 was humid, and our little window unit was just not cutting it! The double-shotgun office in Bayou St. John had just two operable windows on the side of the house that had no real airflow. Unfortunately, the windows and transoms on the facade of this c. 1910 Classical Revival style double shotgun had been sealed up by years of paint, caulk, and dirt. The neighbor told me that her husband installed the window unit in the 1960s and they decided to close the windows “forever” because “we didn’t need to open windows anymore, we have air conditioning!” That kind of thinking was quite common in the mid-20th century. Technology was chic and popular! In New Orleans, though, our power regularly goes out, making us desperate for air flow during times were power is not reliable. Plus, those noisy window units can make quite a disturbance and visually unappealing to say the least!
There was a big problem here! People no longer understood the value and ease of natural air cooling. Historic houses in New Orleans were built to adjust to the humid climate, allowing these old houses to breathe naturally! The National Park Service Preservation Brief 9: The Repair of Historic Wooden Windows by John H. Myers states, “The windows on many historic buildings are an important aspect of the architectural character of those buildings. Their design, craftsmanship, or other qualities may make them worthy of preservation.” Our society has forgotten the value of operable windows!
I opened my email on June 18 and Peter Patout and Lee Anne Garner had group emailed me an article written by Eva Fedderly in MyNewOrleans.com article Bright Ideas | Staying Cool. Peter’s interview discussed the brief history of natural air cooling in historic buildings. The answer to my hot house problem stared me in the face: OPEN THE WINDOWS AND TRANSOMS! When we first moved into the office in February, we knew that getting the windows operable was bound to happen, we encourage this with our clients all the time.
The time had come, after reading Peter’s article, I was motivated and just hot enough to get started. I took my hammer, box cutter, crowbar, and brushes to the facade and began work on opening the windows and transoms myself. After two humid hours of careful paint and caulk loosening and gentle nudges by the crowbar so as to not break the historic glass, I loosened free the windows and transoms.
Instantly, I felt the house breathe a sigh of relief. I too breathed a sigh of relief. After 55 years of being bound, the house moved cool wind from the facade through the house like a gentle morning in the British Isles or some other romantic scene worked much better on several levels. The quiet house was calming. The sounds of birds and wind outside was charming. I knew this was the right thing to do, you start to feel what’s right with the house. I could feel the house say “thank you.”
Staying Cool
Peter Patout reveals what we can learn from historic homes.
Originally posted on MyNewOrleans.com 06/01/2021 by Eva Fedderly, Photos by Eugenia Uhl
Denizen of the French Quarter, Peter Patout knows classical Southern homes. As both an architecture historian and licensed historic property realtor, Patout says there’s much to be gleaned from the structures of old New Orleans houses. Going back to the early roots of the city, new inhabitants embraced design elements that were beautiful and practical; that embraced gracious living while cooling down the house. With summer upon us, Patout shares here how historic home design can inspire us, particularly in staying cool during the sizzling summer months.
New Orleans homes of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries were designed in response to climate. The earliest vernacular homes were designed in what became known as French Creole Louisiana architecture. Then, it evolved into neoclassical, to Victorian architecture, to bungalows, and finally to midcentury modern. I grew up in a midcentury home that my parents built. In the beginning, we didn’t have air conditioning, so from a young age I was comfortable using fans and the porch to beat the heat.
Shutters were included on most of New Orleans’s earliest homes. They were solid or louvered shutters of great quality and style. They also served as built-in hurricane protection, and still do. As Hurricane Katrina approached, we closed our shutters to protect us from the storm. Closing the shutters is a wonderful (and free) way to provide shade and coolness. Plus, you can paint shutters in myriad hues to add a festive, fun pop of color to your home. My shutters were inspired by a trip to Cuba, where I discovered the most impeccable shade of sky blue.
Ceiling fans are used for circulation. With the advent of electricity, many homeowners invested in ceiling fans, which arrived in the late 19th century. Transom windows over doors were also used to further ventilate rooms. Today, the iconic Southern fans and transom windows are still used for moving stale air and providing a light wind. I’ve never bought a new fan, but for those who prefer new, I advocate a four-blade Hunter fan, which lasts forever. I always am sure to invest in vintage fans. Historic ceiling fans come in a variety of colors and are great quality. Usually I opt for a flat black fan with wood blades, though I also invested in a cerulean blue fan with a yellow stripe on each blade.
Balconies and porches add charm, while serving as wonderful places to visit and catch a breeze off of the Mississippi. European immigrants first built homes sans balconies and porches, but quickly learned that the weather was a challenge. They added balconies and porches to the early architecture of the area, providing eyebrows for the homes so the sun doesn’t hit the main part of the houses. Balconies and porches also provide outdoor rooms for sleeping and entertaining al fresco. This tradition has carried on in some fashion throughout our time.
Plant aromatic gardens filled with confederate jasmine and antique roses. In the 18th and 19th centuries, they would consciously plant big gardens to combat foul odors. Settlers brought gorgeous flowers indigenous to Asia and Europe, such as Souvenir de la Malmaison roses, and planted them in Creole gardens. With the humidity, malodorous smells can still waft through our neighborhoods. I suggest planting roses, jasmine and gardenia because they’re romantic and nostalgic.