User:Amberzsimmo/Lafayette Square (New Orleans)

Lafayette Square is a 2.5 arcer park in the heart of the Central Business District. The park was completed in 1788 by Charles Laveau Trudeau, and it is a popular community spot for hosting events. The park's current name was inspired by Lafayette's visit to New Orleans in 1825, and his French influence is still seen at the park, since one half of the park's welcome sign is in French. Though it is in New Orlean's Business District, the park is well known for hosting a number of the city's popular art festivals throughout the spring and summer seasons.

History
Originally called "Place Publique" or Place Gravier, Lafayette Square was renamed after Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, after his visit to New Orleans in 1825. The park is now the second largest public park in the city of New Orleans, located in the heart of the Central Business District, and it is also a part of the Warehouse/Art District.

Charles Laveau Trudeau, or Don Carlos Trudeau, designed the park in 1788 while the city was under Spanish Government. The park was originally surrounded by an iron fence but due to the Second World War, the fence was scrapped and used during an iron shortage.

Local Area
The Square is bordered by four streets, St. Charles Ave, S Maestri Pl, Camp St, and N Maestri St. The park has some of the most historic building surrounding it. Though it is within New Orleans Business District, the area is also known as The Lafayette Square Historic District. The Lafayette Square Historic District was established in March of 1978, by the Central Business District Landmarks Commission. The area started to grow a residency between the 1820s and the 1840s, however the area started to shift from a residential area to a commercial area in the early 20th century. In the area today, you can find The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, as well as The National WWII Museum.

Lafayette Square Conservancy
After Hurricane Katrina the park was unsafe due to the damage. There was broken glass and debris from the buildings, and broken trees. After this, the Lafayette Square Conservancy was formed by a group some neighborhood residents and a few downtown workers. It is a non-profit organization that works to preserve and improve the park, as they partner with the City's Department of Parks and Parkways. The organization takes donations to keep with the park's upkeep. The Conservancy is sponsored by AT&T, Downtown Development District of New Orleans, and more.

Recent Events
Surrounding the park are museums, art galleries, and a growing residential area. As well as the former City Hall of New Orleans, Gallier Hall on St. Charles Avenue. The park is stilled used for inaugurations and civic events.

The park also hosts Wednesday at the Square, a free event held in the spring from March to June every year that is sponsored by the Young Leadership Council of New Orleans. The festival features local New Orleans talent, every week between the times of 5PM to 8PM. The event is open to the public, and locals can bring their own chairs and blankets. There are food and beverages provided to the people that help keep the festival going, so there's no outside food and drinks allowed to the concert.

In January 2021, the square host a memorial ceremony for those who died due to Covid-19. The remembrance ceremony was put on my the city of New Orleans, as they placed white flags around the park, and citizens were encouraged to leave memories of loved ones at the gates of Gallier Hall.

Some other events that are held at the park include LUNA (Light Up Nola Art) Fête, Crescent City Blues Music Festival, Barbecue Festival, and many more.

Monuments


The Square has three monuments a statue of Henry Clay, a statue dedicated to John McDonogh, and a statue of Benjamin Franklin. There is also an artwork, as well as headstones located at the park. The Clay statue (see left) was originally in the middle of Canal Street but as the city progressed, the street became too busy for the statue to remain in the middle of it, so in the year 1900, the statue was moved to Lafayette Square.