Merchants Mutual Insurance Company Building
MERCHANTS MUTUAL
INSURANCE COMPANY BUILDING
ERECTED IN 1859
WILLIAM A. FRERET, JR., ARCHITECT
C. CROZIER, CARPENTER-BUILDER
THE LOCAL FOUNDRY OF BENNETT & LURGES CRAFTED THE CAST-IRON FACADE, TOUTED AS A DEMONSTRATION THAT HIGHLY ACCOMPLISHED IRON WORK COULD BE MANUFACTURED IN NEW ORLEANS.
THE INNOVATIVE USE OF SOLOMONIC COLUMNS AT THE SECOND LEVEL RATHER THAN THOSE FROM THE CLASSICAL ORDERS WAS CONTROVERSIAL AT THE TIME OF ITS COMPLETION.
THE BUILDING IS ONE OF TWO REMAINING EXAMPLES IN NEW ORLEANS OF A CAST-IRON FACADE.
Submitted by @lampbane
Submitted by @lampbane