Creole houses, found from New Orleans and the bayou country to northern Louisiana, are one of the nation's unique architectural traditions. A blend of French and Spanish colonial styles with other influences, these houses are not only lovely; they were astutely designed to withstand their sultry, subtropical environment. (Significantly, no major examples were lost to the devastating hurricanes of 2005). Among the things Creoles brought into gentle harmony here were houses of simple, understated beauty and essential practicality. This book showcases the architecture, interiors and decor of twenty-one quintessential Creole homes, including one-story cottages, grand plantation houses and refined urban town houses, all meticulously restored. They are the products of the rich culture that flourished in Louisiana before it became part of the United States in 1803 - a mass of European, Canadian, West Indian, African and Native American influences. "Creole Houses" traces the development of this singular American style, which thrived from the early eighteenth through the mid-nineteenth century and offers an appreciation of Creole culture as seen through its historic homes. It is a celebration not only of a memorable vernacular architecture, but of the history and the unique sensibility, that produced it.

About the Author

James Conaway is author of The Big Easy and many nonfiction works, including Memphis Afternoons and The Far Side of Eden. He divides his time between Washington, D.C. and piedmont Virginia. John H. Lawrence is director of museum programs for the Historic New Orleans Collection. He lives in New Orleans.