Fires

French Quarter Historic Fires

New Orleans experienced two great fires in 1794 and 1788 destroying a large portion of their city.

https://thepandorasociety.com/this-day-in-history-january-13th-1830/

What was Lost

The first fire in 1788 destroyed 856 of 1,100 buildings in the city of New Orleans. The second fire in 1794 destroyed an additional 212 buildings.

The photo below shows the area of the French Quarter that burned in 1788.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_New_Orleans_Fire_(1788)

The photo below shows a map of damage from the 1794 fire.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_New_Orleans_Fire_(1794)

How the City Spoke

Since both fires destroyed much of the French-style architecture, much of the French Quarter became decorated in Spanish-style architecture. After each fire, the city was rebuilt and despite loosing some of its original architecture and artifacts continued to grow and flourish. 

Restoration Process

There was much to do after eighty percent of New Orleans was lost to the fire on Good Friday in 1788. Many officials made it possible for locals to rebuild by preventing the cost of provisions going up. Don Andres Almonester y Roxas built the Cathedral as a gift to the city, and financed the Cabildo and many other public buildings. Eleven Days after the fire, the Gravier family drew up a plan that divided their plantation, therefore allowing the city to expand more upriver into what is now known as the American Sector. Many of the locals were responsible for making New Orleans similar to what it once was years ago.