Milneburg, New Orleans
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History
Milneburg was a town on the southern shore of Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana that was absorbed into the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. A neighborhood in the area is still sometimes known by this name.
Milneburg was named for land owner developer Alexander Milne. However local pronunciation came to call it "Mill-en-burg" or "Mil-lan-bug", and the name has often been seen in print misspelled Milenberg and variations. Early on it was officially designated Port Pontchartrain, but the "Milneburg" name soon replaced this for all uses except for United States Coast Guard designation of the lighthouse there, which continued to be listed as "Port Pontchartrain Lighthouse" to 1929.
In the early 19th century Milneburg was connected to the city of New Orleans which then was along the riverfront by Elysian Fields Avenue. In 1830 it was decided to build the region's first railway along this route, and the Pontchartrain Rail-Road began steam locomotive transport of people and cargo along the 5 mile route on 23 April, 1831. A long pier was built into the shallows of the lake, with a portion of the rail line running atop it, enabling ocean going ships to dock at Milneburg. The port boomed, and hotels, saloons, bath houses, and resorts were built around it, mostly atop high wooden piers in the shallows of the lake, connected by a network of pier like wooden boardwalks.
The importance of Milneburg in shipping declined in the late 19th century, but it remained an important resort. A series of "camps" (houses on piers in the shallows of the lake) were regularly rented out for parties, with fishing, pic-nics, and dancing to live bands.
Milneburg was important in the early development of jazz. Bands from different parts of the city and across racial lines would listen to each other and try to outdo each other here. Musician Sharkey Bonano grew up in Milneburg, and the area is commemorated in the New Orleans Rhythm Kings tune "Milneburg Joys" which has remained a jazz standard.
In the 1920s and 1930s a project to dredge new land on what had been the shallows of Lake Pontchartrain extended the shorline out and was the end of old Milneburg. The Pontchartrain Beach amusement park was built on what had been the center of Milneburg. Later the University of New Orleans was built nearby.
Modern Milneburg
Right next to the lake lies the historic neighborhood of Milneburg. It's residents consist of University teachers from the University of New Orleans, single-family residents and retirees. There are many things in the area that would make a family have a desire to live in this prestigious neighborhood. For one, the beautiful lake is only a mile away. There are programs available out of the University that you can be a part of. The area also has many churches, a police station, and also a highschool nearby.
The area around these sites is still sometimes referred to as Milneburg, but the term is more usually heard in reference to the historic place. The neighborhood now designated as "Milneburg" by the New Orleans Planning Commission is actually to the south and inland of the historic Milneburg. The actual boundaries are still somewhat uncertain, with some groups saying Milneburg is located in the area bordered by the streets of St. Roch, Elysian Fields, Filmore and Mexico, while others groups state the area is much larger, going from Leon C. Simon to Filmore, and Elysian Fields to Franklin.
The types of homes in the area vary a small bit, but most can be classified as single-family dwellings. There were only a few shotgun doubles, a very popular style of housing in the city of New Orleans. The architectural styles of the homes would come under Louisiana Vernacular and Louisiana Vistorian. These terms designate the style that a home has. Vernacular homes usually have deep one and two story porches, high ceilings with columns, French doors with full-length windows and large shutters. Homes of this type are said to have either a Creole or Acadian influenced design. Victorian homes have a simple and elegant design about them, consisting of arches, large porches, and quite a bit of decorative millwork.
Post-Katrina Information
According to the 2000 Census taken by the U.S. Census Bureau, before Hurricane Katrina, Milneburg had a population of 5,640 residents with total households numbering 2,204. With no post-Katrina information available, one can only speculate at the current population. But after one year, firsthand observations have shown that the number of current residents living in the area is no more than 200, if that, all of which are living in trailers. The local business population is practically non-existent, with the only open stores being a Walgreens, Burger King and Mc. Donalds.
A notable place in the local area is the Avery Alexander Elementary School. As of now, it is still in the process of being cleaned. According to some residents, they are unsure as to what will become of the school. One resident said that he was told it was going to be torn down, stating in some disgust, "If there are no schools, the people are not going to come back."[citation needed]
The neighborhood organization that works in the area is the Milneburg Civic Association. At this moment, they are focused on cleaning up the area and getting their homes and their lives up and running again. Their desire is to have a neighborhood with most homes being single-family residentials. They are becoming very involved, advertising beautification days and the like. On the commercial side, they were very adamant about zoning out types of businesses that are not friendly to residential areas, such as bars. They want more family friendly businesses in the area like coffee shops, laundry cleaners and small restaurants.
The Milneburg neighborhood is one of 73 neighborhoods designated by the New Orleans City Planning Commission. The Milneburg neighborhood is located in Planning District 6.