Let me tell you about the long and colorful history of 3405 Royal, filled with decadence, intrigue, and secrets!

Located in the Faubourg Montreuil, and originally part of a much larger piece of plantation property, the original parcel of land was gifted to one of the oldest French colonial families in New Orleans by the King of France in the early 1800s, for services rendered to the French government. In the late 1840s, the land was bought by Charlotte Mathilde Aglae Martin.

It is exciting to note here that our girl Charlotte, the documented owner of 3405 Royal in the late 19th century, was a woman. Remember that it wasn't until 1771 that women—and that’s white women—had any kind of power over their assets. And it wasn’t until 1900, after New York State passed the Married Women’s Property Act of 1848, that all US states gave women—and that’s married white women—“substantial control” over their own property. In short, Charlotte was ahead of her time and the first of many trailblazing women to own 3405 Royal.

40 years later, in 1880, the property was sold to Andrew and Jeanette Drysdale, and sometime between 1883 and 1884, they built the house that still stands —for the most part— at 3405 Royal today. The original house was a two-story residence with a handsome captain’s walk, from which the stevedore and his wife could view the river.

In 1892, the home was sold to David Jackson, the proprietor of the Gem Restaurant and Saloon, and the President of Jackson Brewing Company. His operations were said to be quite self-indulgent, with secret societies meeting in his upper rooms and illicit soirees lasting well into the night. Rumor has it that David was quite the little dandy. 3405 Royal hosted David’s private events at all hours, and his party guests were known to throw open the french doors and spill out onto the porches, dancing to wild music and drinking the good brandy. Not to be outdone by his guests, David was prone to dalliances amidst the chaos in the “Big Boy Room” while his bride slept in the master bedroom on the second floor. Sadly, David’s opulent lifestyle caught up with him quickly (undoubtedly due to his gambling habit) and by 1897, he had lost both jobs. In 1902, he died in the first-floor bathtub, which remains in the house to this day. Some muse about the mysterious conditions of his death: How much did his wife know about his exploits? Had the secretive Mystic Krewe of Comus been plotting ill upstairs at the Saloon? Or perhaps it was actually by his own hand.

In a true testament to David’s values, his estate was mostly made up of his home and land. The third most valuable item, before his diamonds and gold pocket watch, was a piano, valued at $300 (or just over $9,000 today.)

In 1904, a mysterious fire destroyed much of the second floor. While the handsome double front gallery, two-level side bay, and the Drysdale’s beloved captain’s walk were destroyed, much of the first floor was saved. Had the fire been someone’s attempt at a cover-up? Or a desperate act performed by another woman of the house looking to reclaim her power?

 For understandable reasons (or perhaps more sinister ones) Jackson’s widow could not bear to keep the home. She left a portion of the property to her youngest daughter, Inez, but later retracted the gesture and sold the property to Francis D’Assises Charbonnet and his wife Marie in 1906. Francis was a prominent local notary, and his signature can be found on many of the properties' transfer documents over the years (which you can find in the Archive below). Francis left the home to his daughter Claire and her husband Amilcar Earnest Fortier. Interestingly, Claire was not her father’s eldest heir, maintaining the custom of 3405 Royal landing in the care of women. The Fortiers, a well respected political family, enjoyed the house until Stacy Hoover purchased the property in 2012. 

To learn more, enjoy our Archive of historical documents and articles, pertaining to both the house and the community.

Now that you know a bit about the HISTORY of the house and property,
check out the dreams for the future on the VISION page!