| The McDonogh Schools, Page 1 |
| McDonogh No. 1, Laurell Street, between Philip and First Streets, 1880's |
| McDonogh No. 5, Algiers, sketch of original building |
| McDonogh No. 12, St. Claude and Alvar Street, 1890. |
| McDonogh No. 8, Constance and Ninth Streets, 1880's |
| McDonogh No. 6, Camp Street at Napoleon Avenue, 1890's; now used by St. George's Episcopal School, the school has maintained the building's architectural integrity through its renovations. |
| McDonogh No. 7, 1100 block of Milan Street, 1924; below, same building today. |
| McDonogh No. 11, S. Prieur and Palmyra Streets, 1890's; below, same building today. |
| McDonogh No. 10, Baronne and First Streets, 1880's; below, current building. |
| McDonogh No. 9, Onzaga and N. Rocheblave Streets, 1890's; below, current building. |
| McDonogh No. 13, S. Rampart and Girod Streets, ca. 1900; later, used for a number of years as McDonogh No. 35 High School; eventually replaced by a parking lot. |
| McDonogh No. 14, Jefferson Avenue and Chestnut Street. Above & 2 photos below, the first No. 14 building, built 1884, demolished 1913; photo above, 1890's, photo below, early 1900's. |
| Below, the second McDonogh No. 14 school building, photo ca. 1950's. |
| Below, a current photo, same building. (There's a special place in my heart for McDonogh No. 14, it's where I attended Kindergarten!) |
| The link to this page is: http://old-new-orleans.com/NO_McDonogh_Schools.html |
| Still owned by the school board, the building is now used as the New Orleans Center for Health Careers. |
When wealthy recluse John McDonogh died in 1850, the residents of New Orleans and
Baltimore were surprised to find themselves the beneficiaries of his considerable estate. His
will specified that the money was to be used for the purpose of establishing public schools in
the two cities for "education of the poor of all castes and races." When the complicated
details had been hammered out and the bequest had been honored, over 30 public schools
bearing John McDonogh's name had been constructed in New Orleans.
Finding photos of the original McDonogh schools was more difficult than I thought it would
be. Most of the McDonogh schools were demolished and rebuilt very early on, as the
population increased and larger buildings were required. (Many of these second McDonogh
schools are still standing, more than a century later.) Some were even rebuilt a third time.
After finding as many photos of the originals as I could, I realized that attaching the correct
information to them would be a challenge. Through the years, the McDonogh school numbers
were changed or exchanged (and even re-exchanged). What was once a high school became
an elementary school, the school that was one number became another number. The
confusion was compounded when, later on, most of the McDonogh schools were given
entirely new names; not to mention the many school closings and consolidations that
occurred after the levee failures in 2005.
What you'll find on this page and the next are the oldest photos I can locate (some are
original schools, some the second. some the third incarnations), along with all the information
I can locate. It's not complete and - as hard as I've tried - it's possible that some
identifications may not be accurate.
-- Nancy
Baltimore were surprised to find themselves the beneficiaries of his considerable estate. His
will specified that the money was to be used for the purpose of establishing public schools in
the two cities for "education of the poor of all castes and races." When the complicated
details had been hammered out and the bequest had been honored, over 30 public schools
bearing John McDonogh's name had been constructed in New Orleans.
Finding photos of the original McDonogh schools was more difficult than I thought it would
be. Most of the McDonogh schools were demolished and rebuilt very early on, as the
population increased and larger buildings were required. (Many of these second McDonogh
schools are still standing, more than a century later.) Some were even rebuilt a third time.
After finding as many photos of the originals as I could, I realized that attaching the correct
information to them would be a challenge. Through the years, the McDonogh school numbers
were changed or exchanged (and even re-exchanged). What was once a high school became
an elementary school, the school that was one number became another number. The
confusion was compounded when, later on, most of the McDonogh schools were given
entirely new names; not to mention the many school closings and consolidations that
occurred after the levee failures in 2005.
What you'll find on this page and the next are the oldest photos I can locate (some are
original schools, some the second. some the third incarnations), along with all the information
I can locate. It's not complete and - as hard as I've tried - it's possible that some
identifications may not be accurate.
-- Nancy
| Below, the second McDonogh No. 14 school building, photo ca. 1919. |
| McDonogh No. 2, St. Claude Avenue and Mandeville Street -- Helen Sigur sent a newspaper article showing that this was, indeed, McDonogh #2. When I made the page, I wasn't sure. You'll find the article, which mentions other McDonogh schools, at the bottom of this page. Many thanks to Helen, it is much appreciated. |
| Article from Times-Picayune, October 10, 1911 - Thanks to Helen Sigur |