Gardette LePretre Home - New Orleans, LA (The Sultan's Massacre Site)

715 Dauphine St.

New Orleans, LA 70116

29.959442,-90.066199

            As extensive as the haunted stories are in New Orleans, so are the discrepancies. Whether it is due to time, overactive imaginations, or a tour guide trying to spice up their speeches for an extra buck, many of the ghastly and ghostly tales have changed over the years. Such may be the case with this next location, as several variants of the story have been told. I have tried to compile as much as I could from the most reliable of sources to give as accurate of an account as possible. As with the Quadroon home that I mentioned earlier, this next residence was another stop on that infamous haunted history tour that I took years ago, fueling my interest for all the macabre events that have taken place in the French Quarter and surrounding areas of the city. The home was simply known as the Sultan’s House.
            In 1825, a dentist by the name of Dr. Joseph Coulon Gardette built a grand home on the corner of Dauphine and Orleans Streets. At the time, this was said to be largest home in the area with an ornate design and decorative wrought iron work. In 1829, the home was then sold to a local merchant by the name of M. Jean Baptiste LaPretre. He lived here until the late 1870’s then financial issues began to strike many in the area. The declining economy forced many of the city’s elite to sell their grand homes. Mr. LaPretre decided that instead of selling his beloved home, he would begin renting it out to make a profit, while still being able to keep it. This proved not the greatest of ideas as his first tenant would make him wish he would have just sold his home like everyone else.

Dauphine House B&B - New Orleans, LA (The Heart of Marigny)

1830 Dauphine St.

New Orleans, LA 70116

29.965197,-90.060367

www.dauphinehouse.com

            Just a few blocks away from the French Quarter, you will find the small neighborhood of Faubourg Marigny. Established in the 1800's by a Creole millionaire Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville, this area was a known spot where wealthy Creole men would provide a place to stay for their quadroon mistresses and their offspring. Situated in what is now simply known as New Marigny, stands a small bed and breakfast with quite an extensive guest list, even when the home appears to be empty!
            The Dauphine House Bed and Breakfast is the perfect place to stay if you want easy access to the French Quarter, while still feeling as though you are off the beaten path. Built in 1860, this small inn has been through several different hands with no valid reports of significant deaths or incidents occurring. However, this does not stop the Dauphine House from being haunted. In fact, this home is said to contain several spirits; as many as five!

Audubon Cottages/Dauphine Orleans - New Orleans, LA (The Home of John Audubon)

509 Dauphine St.

New Orleans, LA 70112

29.957873,-90.067809

www.auduboncottages.com

One of the most helpful pieces of advice I can give to first-time visitors to the French Quarter is that there is no short supply of places to drink, places to eat and places to sleep. I purposely placed those locations in a specific order; as most first-timers prioritize in that manner. “Give me something to drink, something to eat, then if I get tired, somewhere to sleep!” If you do decide to partake in burning the midnight oil and end up needing a place to stay, fear not, as every block contains at least one place to rest your weary head. What’s unique about the inns in the French Quarter is that each one has quite a long history attached to it. These are not quite your everyday “no-tell motels”, if you know what I mean, where a $10 deposit garners you a can of Lysol!

A look into that mysterious pool! You first!

The Audubon Cottages on Dauphine Street are a perfect example of these great little historical inns. These intimate homes were built just after the two great fires destroyed most of the area in the late 1700’s. The grounds consist of seven beautiful and cozy homes, all surrounding a courtyard containing what many claim is the oldest swimming pool in the French Quarter. Fortunately, it is cleaned regularly, as one could only fathom the stories that would culminate from the area’s oldest swimming pool!