Renovation Report: Archaeological Finds from HNOC’s 714 Toulouse Street Courtyard

As it turned out, the explanation for the courtyard’s unusual elevation was rather boring—a 1960s drainage solution—but once digging started, the archaeologists found more evidence of a rich and complex human history, excavating 1.4 meters of earth before hitting the water table. They uncovered and processed 902 artifacts, each enhancing our understanding of the people who lived and worked on this site from the 18th to the mid-20th centuries.

The artifacts fall into three periods of heavy use on the site. From about 1730 to 1750 a French colonial barracks extended along Toulouse Street between Royal and Bourbon Streets. In this layer, archaeologists uncovered a brick and cobblestone gutter, which supported drainage around the barracks; a gunflint from early weaponry; and French ceramics used for everyday cooking and eating.

Between 1794 and 1818, the courtyard facilitated the work of laborers enslaved by the Merieult family. Here Julie, Henriette, and others cooked, washed dishes, and butchered animals out of sight of the formal living and business areas. In this layer, archaeologists uncovered animal bones, shells, and broken dishes, glassware, and wine bottles. They also found evidence of the Merieult family’s wealth and global connections: A glass perfume bottle from Paris and a silver spoon made in London and marked with Jean-François Merieult’s initials indicate access to luxury goods from around the world.

The current building at 714 Toulouse Street was constructed by 1829. Archaeologists found very few objects from its first 60 years, when the structure was home to the Consolidated Association of the Planters of Louisiana. But the layer connected with the period from the 1880s through 1920s, when the property was a boardinghouse, yielded plentiful evidence of the men and women who lived here. A plastic comb, shell buttons, and a Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce bottle are evidence of less affluent residents of the early 20th century.

Some of the artifacts from the excavation will be on display in the Townhouse when it opens to the public after the renovation, restoration, and reimagination of the 533 Royal Street campus.