Turners' Hall

Turners’ Hall

As stewards of Louisiana history, we feel it’s important to document the journey taking place within our own walls. On December 14, 2024, our beloved headquarters, Turners’ Hall, suffered a partial collapse. The building, which has stood witness for more than 150 years as the City of New Orleans changed and grew around it, is now undergoing its own evolution. In this series, we’ll share stories and photos on our progress as we work to restore Turners’ Hall.

Turners’ Hall from the outside. Photo by Zack Smith

It was around 8 p.m. on a Saturday when longtime building engineer Henry Holmes answered a call from the New Orleans Fire Department. Turners’ Hall, the building he had cared for for more than 40 years, was in trouble. 

He immediately pulled up video footage from the building. 

“I actually saw part of the building crumbling on the O’Keefe Street side,” he said. “A few minutes later all I saw was a cloud of dust, and then the camera went out.” 

The partial collapse of the building and its imminent restoration and rebuilding is yet another chapter in the long history of Turners’ Hall.

Built in 1868 as a source of civic pride for New Orleans’ German immigrants, Turners’ Hall is now the proud home of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. Courtesy of Tulane University Archives

Built in 1868 for the Society of Turners, a German benevolent association, German-born architect and surveyor William Thiel planned a palazzo-style building with a façade featuring 13 two-story high pilasters, eight facing the O’Keefe Street side. Its original use was as a gymnasium with an upper-level auditorium adjoining offices and a ballroom. 

The Picayune described Turners’ Hall an “Aladdin’s palace, grand in character and design,
and a worthy monument to the genius and patient labor of the population which called it
into existence,” according to an article in 64 Parishes magazine. 

As the City of New Orleans evolved around Turners’ Hall, so did its use. It spent time as a publishing company and furniture store, before being purchased by its current owner,
the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, in 2000. The LEH, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to preserving and promoting Louisiana’s culture and history and improving educational outcomes for children and families, used the building as its headquarters, hosting public programming, housing staff offices, and leasing space to business tenants. In 2021, the LEH completed a $3 million renovation of the first floor and celebrated the opening of The Helis Foundation John Scott Center, an art gallery and community-gathering space dedicated to the work of New Orleans artist John T. Scott. 

The grand opening after years of planning and work was one of Holmes’ most memorable moments. 

“It was something to actually see the dreams you had come true, and the smiles on the entire staff, that we did it,” he said. 

The Helis Foundation John Scott Center prior to the partial collapse.
Following the partial collapse, scaffolding was added in The Helis Foundation John Scott Center for support. John Scott’s artwork was undamaged and safely relocated. Photo by Zack Smith

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2024, as good stewards of the beloved building, the LEH launched another renovation to ensure the continued preservation of its historic home. Work on the building’s facade was being advanced to repair stucco, tuckpoint columns, and prepare surfaces for new paint. On the evening of December 14, the pilasters along the corner of O’Keefe Avenue and Lafayette Streets began to fail and partially collapse. 

Within hours of being notified of the partial collapse on December 14, 2024, the LEH had assembled a team whose sole mission was to ensure the safety of the surrounding community and preserve the building’s integrity. 

Shoring and stabilization took place both inside and outside the building. Photo by Zack Smith

The core stabilization team included structural engineer Jami Saxon, from Morphy Makofsky, shoring company Abry Brothers, and general contractor Woodward Design/Build, all supported by city agencies that included safety, permitting, transportation, the Historic District Landmarks Commission, and the New Orleans City Council.  

Over the next eight weeks, successive layers of additional shoring were added as more guidance came in. While a coordinated effort to establish a long-term strategic plan was under way, interim shoring was put in place to stabilize the existing building and prevent further movement of the facade and connected floor joists. 

Six engineering companies from across the United States have been engaged at various points to identify structural failures and guidance on the build back. Their work included installing monitors on the building, which broadcast 24/7 any movement on cracks exceeding one thousandth of an inch and ongoing frequent physical surveys of the entire property to identify any movement of facades. Monitoring systems show that the facade has moved only a fourth of an inch since the event occurred, roughly the width of a dry red bean. 

Within the first three months of the partial collapse, $700,000 had been spent to ensure the immediate safety of the surrounding area, with the entire stabilization project totaling $6.5 million when completed in 2026. 

By the fall of 2025, the engineering analysis and insurance company reviews had been concluded, and the structural restoration work plan was filed with the City of New Orleans and the Historic District Landmarks Commission for permitting. Construction commenced on December 8, 2025. 

Historic components, such as fireplaces and this sculpted arch, were salvaged for eventual restoration. Photo by Zack Smith

Historic components, including fireplaces, doors, windows, an interior sculpted arch, and exterior balconies, were carefully salvaged for eventual restoration. Art conservationists were engaged to remove the collection of John Scott’s art to safety. 

Trapolin-Peer Architects and Woodward Design/Build are leading the current construction phase to rebuild the damage caused by the collapse, including replacing the brick columns with steel and concrete, which will be sheathed in stucco to match the original look of the building. 

For Holmes, who was only months away from retirement when
he got the call, making sure the building can safely stand for several hundred more years might be his last, but most
important, assignment. 

While the complex team of engineers, architects, city officials, and LEH leadership works to ensure the safety of the building while also putting plans in motion for its restoration, Holmes – who knows the building better than anyone – now spends his days acting as the point of contact for construction crews on the ground. Just months away from retirement when he got the call, he says for now that will have to wait. 

“It happened on our watch,” he said. “I always said leave things the way that you found them or better, so my thing is I’m going to stick around and help get this thing back together.” 

UP NEXT: Shoring a historic building