1121 Foucher St. (courtesy of PRC)
The COVID-19 shutdown this spring resulted in the cancellation of many popular events, including the Preservation Resource Center’s annual Shotgun House Tour, a major fundraiser for the nonprofit devoted to the historical preservation of New Orleans architecture and cultural identity.
Now the PRC is bringing back the beloved tour in a safe and entertaining way — online. This virtual event will present Shotgun Sundays featuring a different house every Sunday at 4 p.m. in July and August.
Participants can take a guided virtual tour through each home. From the comfort of their couch, they can learn about the history each home and the individual use of space to suit a modern lifestyle. They can also participate in a Q&A session with the homeowners, contractors and designers who make the space come alive.
The tour will showcase stunning shotgun homes that have undergone beautiful, smart renovations, highlighting the livability and versatility of these historic house types.
The tour will kick off on July 5 at 4 p.m. when New Orleans Architecture Tours presents an introduction to shotguns. Katrina Horning, founder of New Orleans Architecture Tours, will virtually bring participants through New Orleans neighborhoods, re-introducing them to the shotgun’s unique history, styles and forms.
2929 Constance St. (courtesy of the PRC)
Shotgun houses on tour:
• Michele Diboll, 2929 Constance St., July 12 at 4-5 p.m. Tour showcases the clever floor plan and how original building materials were saved and reused throughout.
• Raul and Pauline Ramos, 1229 Harmony St., July 19 at 4 p.m.
• CR Coffee Shop, 3618 Magazine St., July 26 at 4 p.m. This tour will highlight the ways local businesses have adapted the shotgun for commercial use as CR Coffee Shop is housed in half of a shotgun double.
• Beth Biundo, 3809 Annunciation St., Aug. 2 at 4 p.m.The renovation from a double to a single retained the distinctive four-sided fireplace.
• Martin & Taylor Pospisil, 939 Sixth St., Aug. 9 at 4 p.m. This Greek Revival double shotgun house was adapted as the family grew.
• Morgan & Topher England, 3660 Laurel St., Aug. 16 at 4 p.m. This circa-1916 shotgun house features thoughtful references to water and nature.
• Adam & Elizabeth Keckler, 1121 Foucher St., Aug. 23 at 4 p.m. See the home named New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles magazine’s Renovation of the Year for 2018 and featured on the cover of the March 2020 Preservation in Print magazine.
For those who want to learn more about each featured house, free copies of the PRC’s magazine, Preservation in Print, can be found at CR Coffee Shop, 3618 Magazine St.
The annual Shotgun House Tour is a fundraiser for the Preservation Resource Center. The virtual tour is free but with a suggested donation of $25. Money generated from the event supports the PRC’s education and outreach, advocacy and other programs that help preserve New Orleans’ historic architecture, neighborhoods and cultural identity.
The PRC’s Shotgun House Tour is presented by Entablature Design + Build and Entablature Realty.
For more information about PRC and its revitalization efforts, call 504.581.7032 or visit www.prcno.org, or connect with PRC on Facebook; Twitter (@PRCNO) and Instagram (@PRCNOLA).
