The Hotel Maison de Ville, which in French means “town house,” is just that -- a two-storied dwelling built by Jean Baptiste Lilie Sarpy, circa 1800. The house was built just after the disastrous fire of 1788, which destroyed much of New Orleans and the French Quarter. The Maison de Ville has been witness to more than two-hundred years of New Orleans history.

Antoine Amedee Peychaud – Creator of Peychaud Bitters

An early resident of the home was Antoine Amedee Peychaud, an apothecary who developed a concoction of bitters and brandy, measured in a coquetier or egg cup. Peychaud is often credited as developing the first cocktail. Peychaud Bitters, still produced today, are used in a traditional New Orleans cocktail called Sazerac. Although in many Creole homes of the time the first floor was used as a store or office, we know that Peychaud maintained his pharmacy on nearby Royal Street.

Historic Buildings

The Hotel Maison de Ville has worked to maintain as many of the historic original buildings as possible. The carriage house, adjacent to the courtyard, is now a charming two-story suite. Across the courtyard, with its cast iron fountain and bricks original to the location, are the four former slave quarters, believed to have been constructed fifty years before the main building. If our information is correct – research has been hampered by the loss of vital documents through fire, flood, and other disasters – these cottages, along with the Ursuline Convent, are the oldest buildings in New Orleans.

Some background material on these structures also refers to them as garconnieres, or bachelor quarters. The Creoles often built separate buildings for their grown sons to live in until they married – single men’s habits having been not much different in previous generations -- and it is possible that these little buildings were used as such during different ownerships. They too have been converted to luxurious guest accommodations. Learn more about our accommodations.

Tennessee Williams

Before he purchased his own house in the French Quarter, Tennessee Williams often stayed in room number nine, where he completed A Streetcar Named Desire and drank Sazeracs in the hotel courtyard. The room, which opens onto the patio, was the setting for Dick Cavett’s 1974 interview with Williams -- surrounding him by the lush semi-tropical greenery and flowers the playwright enjoyed.

Guests to New Orleans can not only attend the annual Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival, but also stay in the same room Mr. Williams wrote one of his most famous works.

John James Audubon

The seven Audubon Cottages, nearby on Dauphine Street, were named for the illustrious naturalist and painter John James Audubon. In 1821 he produced a portion of his Birds of America series while residing in what is now called Cottage Number One. The pool at the Audubon Cottages is said to be the oldest in the New Orleans French Quarter, and is set in the original bricks. Learn more about the Audubon Cottages.

Southern Hospitality

Come learn why New Orleans is called the Big Easy. New Orleans residents are known for their relaxed and laid-back attitude. No one knows exactly who originally coined the term, but Times-Picayune gossip columnist, Betty Guillaud, helped to popularize in 1970s as a response to New York (The Big Apple) “I Love NY” marketing campaigns. Trust us – stay at the Hotel Maison de Ville and you’ll never wonder why New Orleans is the Big Easy!

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Original Painting of the
Maison de Ville Courtyard