Time stood still in Carrollton. The old streetcars rumbled past. Their green paint glistened. They carried generations of stories. They linked Carrollton to the heart of New Orleans.
Carrollton a historic Uptown neighborhood. It boasts its own unique identity. Once a separate town it thrived independently. It was incorporated in 1833. It joined New Orleans in 1874.
Imagine Carrollton’s lively streets. Broad Carrollton Avenue is lined with majestic live oaks. The St Charles Avenue Streetcar glides along its neutral ground. Nearby stands the iconic Camellia Grill. This diner a landmark. It serves up delicious New Orleans fare.
The Carrollton Courthouse a magnificent neoclassical building. It stands proudly near the Mississippi River. Henry Howard designed it. He also designed other significant Louisiana buildings like Nottoway and Madewood Plantations. The courthouse served both Carrollton and Jefferson Parish. It served them until Carrollton’s annexation in 1874. Today it houses an upscale assisted living facility The Carrollton.
Carrollton has more than just grand avenues. It holds charming neighborhood main streets. Maple Street in Lower Carrollton is a hub. It bustles with restaurants coffee houses and upscale shops. Oak Street in Upper Carrollton has a history. It once housed larger businesses like Woolworth’s. Now it offers a mix of restaurants shops and the renowned Maple Leaf Bar a popular live music venue.
Marsalis Harmony Park formerly Palmer Park sits in northwest Carrollton. This park hosts art and music festivals. It holds a monument to Carrollton residents who died in World War I. After Hurricane Katrina this park hosted the Mid-City art market. The market needed a temporary home.
Carrollton’s Black Pearl section near the riverfront is significant. It’s a historically predominantly African-American neighborhood. Mahalia Jackson the Queen of Gospel music hailed from this area. A building in the area Rising Sun Hall was possibly an inspiration for the song “The House of the Rising Sun”.
Carrollton’s history is rich and diverse. Free people of color owned homes here before the Civil War. Many 19th-century immigrants settled here. Germans and Irish among others added to the neighborhood’s tapestry.
The spirit of Carrollton persists. An informal mayor represented the neighborhood to the New Orleans city council until the 1980s. The US Postal Service still delivers mail to “Carrollton Louisiana”. The ZIP code is 70118. During Mardi Gras the Krewe of OAK parades through Carrollton. The Phunny Phorty Phellows also celebrate there. They usher in the parade season on Twelfth Night January 6.
Carrollton is more than a place. It’s a vibrant community. It’s full of history and character. Its unique charm continues to draw residents and visitors alike.