User:James G. Derbes

Jim Derbes graduated from Tulane Law School in 1968, and moved to the French Quarter, where his interest in architecture, architectural history and historic preservation began. That interest in and love of New Orleans 19th Century built environment formed the catalyst for his service as President of the Vieux Carre Property Owners, Residents & Associates, the doyenne of New Orleans preservation organizations; his two-term  Presidency of the Louisiana Landmarks Society; and his appointment as Advisor from Louisiana to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

For his distinguished work in historic preservation, Jim received the Harnett T. Kane Award from the Louisiana Landmarks Society.

He has travelled throughout Europe and North America.

In the early 1970’s Jim became an owner and the publisher of the Vieux Carre Courier weekly newspaper. In 1973, he served as an elected delegate to the Louisiana Constitutional Convention, where he authored the provision retaining constitutional authority for historic preservation. He taught Historic Preservation Law in the Urban Studies Program at the University of New Orleans.

While engaged in public service and professionally in the practice of law for more than forty years, Jim’s avocation has been most notably that of renovator, restorer, preserver and adaptive re-user of 19th Century buildings. He has owned and worked on five: an 1830’s Creole cottage in the French Quarter; the 1858 Benachi House & Gardens and two adjoining townhouses in New Orleans’ Esplanade Ridge National Historic District: and most recently, the Woodville Lofts & Studios.

For Jim, the defining project was the Orleans Parish Landmark Benachi, a double-galleried, Greek Revival, center-hall plantation style building and its dependencies. . This complex consists of about 7200 sq. ft. of floor area, situated on the historic Bayou Road - first an Indian trail and portage from the bayous to the Mississippi river, and now a brick-paved street. The restoration required seven years of work, for which Jim received the 1985 Honor Award for Residential Restoration from the New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission.

Benachi became a bed & breakfast in 1991, and after Katrina, an event venue rented primarily for weddings and receptions. www.benachihouse.com

An Italianate double-townhouse on Esplanade Ave. was purchased by Jim in 1991, then restored and re-used adaptively as a bed & breakfast – in conjunction with the Benachi House just across the intersection. That work required two years, at the conclusion of which Jim received another award from the HDLC. That property and another adjoining townhouse were sold in 2012.

Woodville Lofts & Studios is by far the most extensive and costly renovation/restoration undertaken by Jim to date.