User:Trestrotter/Desire Street

Desire Street (di-zIE-Uhr) is a street located in lower New Orleans, Louisiana. Located near Musicians Village and St. Claude, it's a part of the Upper 9th Ward. The street was used as inspiration for many works of literature such as A Streetcar named Desire by Tennessee Williams and Frenchman Desire Good Children by John Churchill Case. The street was home to the monumental Club Desire and carries its pungent history along with it. Though only 1.57 miles( 2.52 kilo) long, the street was home to many influential events.

Desire Street

History

Desire Street was named after Desiree Gautier Montrieu. Her father was Robert Gautier de Montreuil and he and his wife bought the property and proceeded to name two streets after their daughters Desiree and Elimire. Desiree went on to marry Francois Pascalis de LaBarre and would become apart of history in Metairie. The area itself became a downtown area after a few wars and became more urbanized in the 1940s and '50s. The swampland area became one of the largest areas for public housing and apartments. After Hurricane Betsy when the area was destroyed, it got rebuilt and became a hot spot for civil rights movements. That became the inspiration for A Streetcar Named Desire, which eventually became a film that represented urban racial forthcoming. The rich history of the lace became a gateway for a documentary named A Place Called Desire which studies the neighborhoods and culture. Desire Street is apart of a larger Desire area which is decorated by a rich history of church and catholicism. One notable monument was St.Phillip the Apostle church. The church brought catholicism to the 9th ward and allowed African American heritage to blend with the history of the area.

Desire Street is also home to the famous Club Desire. Built in 1948 by Charlie Armstead, the dancehall/venue was a safe environment designed for African Americans to experience city life in the 9th ward. The club was dubbed "A Downtown Club with Uptown Ideas" and hosted many famous artists such as Ray Charles, Billy Eckstine, Dave Bartholomew, and Antoine "Fats" Domino. The artists all performed at Club Desire and even after becoming more popular, continued to return to the venue. However once Armstead passed away in 1954, the club faced a quick decline. It is not known exactly when the venue closed but locals know that it had no presence in the 21st century. In 2008, the building was eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places due to its overwhelming cultural significance to the surrounding areas. After surviving many hurricanes, including Hurricane Katrina, the building is still standing though the city has deemed the infrastructure dangerous and made plans to demolish it in 2008, then again in 2014.

Club Desire

Geography

Desire Street is located near the Bywater area. The street starts not far from the Mississippi River and branches off from Chartres Street. It runs a length of 1.57 miles, running through St.Claude Avenue and North Clairborne street before coming to an end at Florida Avenue. It is not far from the Industrial Canal. The area's infrastructure was built around railroads and canals and it was a gateway for travel. The area was a swampy bayou area that contributed to the downfall of the area. The entire Desire area is located in an area that is susceptible to hurricanes and harsh weather conditions. Hurricane Betsy, followed by Hurricane Katrina completely destroyed the area and caused a rebuild. In 1920 the New Orleans Railway and Light Company started the streetcar system that originally ran from Canal street to Bourbon street but soon extended to Desire street. Unfortunately in 1948, the citizens of the French Quarter area decided to get rid of the Desire Streetcar but due to the rich history of the streetcar, it got turned into a bus.

References

1.https://www.neworleansbar.org/uploads/files/HiddenDesire.pdf

2.https://neworleansupcloseandpersonal.com/2020/08/03/the-legacy-of-desire/

3.https://neworleanshistorical.org/items/show/542

4.https://www.ncptt.nps.gov/blog/club-desire-the-downtown-club-with-the-uptown-ideas/

5.https://www.nola.com/news/article_23064869-3ec7-5010-bf03-71ab3a00df40.html

6.https://midcitymessenger.com/2015/06/02/former-live-music-club-slated-for-demolition/