Algiers () is a historic neighborhood of

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

and is the only

Orleans Parish Orleans Parish (; ) is a parish of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Since 1870, the parish has been coextensive with the city of New Orleans, and the parish and city are largely governed as a single consolidated city. History On April 10, 180 ...

community located on the West Bank of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. Algiers is known as the 15th Ward, one of the 17

Wards of New Orleans The city of New Orleans, in the U.S. state of Louisiana, is divided into 17 wards. Politically, the wards are used in voting in elections, subdivided into precincts. Under various previous city charters of the 19th century, aldermen and later ...

. It was once home to many

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

musicians

History

Early settlement

Algiers was established in 1719 as a plantation, not a neighborhood. It was first used as the location for the city's powder magazine, a holding area for the newly arrived enslaved Africans. Decades later, it became a port call for the displaced Cajuns. This region of the city was a French colonial encampment originally managed by Le Page du Pratz on which cabins housed the enslaved. According to geographer Richard Campanella, Ph.D., this area was used as a "warehouse, workshop, lumber mill and a farm in service of the principal colony across the river. Its primary use, however, was as a depository for captive Africans recently arrived from

Senegambia The Senegambia (other names: Senegambia region or Senegambian zone,Barry, Boubacar, ''Senegambia and the Atlantic Slave Trade'', (Editors: David Anderson, Carolyn Brown; trans. Ayi Kwei Armah; contributors: David Anderson, American Council of Le ...

as well as the

Bight of Benin The Bight of Benin, or Bay of Benin, is a bight in the Gulf of Guinea area on the western African coast that derives its name from the historical Kingdom of Benin. Geography The Bight of Benin was named after the Kingdom of Benin. It extends ea ...

and Congo regions. Before then it was Known as the Company Plantation, the site in the 1720s had more than 30 cabins used for the temporary sheltering of slaves until they were sold to colonists, or for their permanent housing if they were owned by the Company itself — as were 154 people at one point, making present-day Algiers Point." Developed as a town by Barthelemy Duverjé, Algiers expanded due mainly to the shipbuilding and repair industries of the dry docks and the extensive railroad yards. A large part of the town surrounding the Courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1895. In 1870, Algiers was annexed to the city as the 15th Ward, an arrangement which has remained despite repeated discussions of

secession Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a Polity, political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession (such as a declaration of independence). A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal i ...

. Until the latter 1930s, rail yards housed large amounts of freight and

rolling stock The term rolling stock in the rail transport industry refers to railway vehicles, including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example, locomotives, Railroad car#Freight cars, freight and Passenger railroad car, passenger cars (or coaches) ...

, which was brought back and forth across the

barge A barge is typically a flat-bottomed boat, flat-bottomed vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. Original use was on inland waterways, while modern use is on both inland and ocean, marine water environments. The firs ...

. Then, the Huey P. Long Bridge, which included a railway bridge, was built upriver at Bridge City, Louisiana. The largest railroad presence had been the

Southern Pacific The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the names ...

yard. That location is still known to Algerines as "the SP yard." For decades, it was largely a vacant strip. Portions of the tract were redeveloped for housing in the early 21st century. In the yard's active days, a

steam-powered A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be tra ...

Southern Pacific

train ferry A train ferry is a ship (ferry) designed to carry Railroad car, railway vehicles, as well as their cargoes and passengers. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with Track (rail transport), railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the f ...

brought railroad cars from there across the Mississippi River.

20th century

In 1901, the U.S. Navy established a naval station in Algiers. During the early 20th century, Algiers was segregated due to the

Jim Crow Laws The Jim Crow laws were U.S. state, state and local laws introduced in the Southern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that enforced Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, "Jim Crow (character), Ji ...

of the Southern United States. Under Jim Crow, blacks were not allowed to live in

Algiers Point Algiers Point is a location on the Lower Mississippi River in New Orleans, Louisiana. In river pilotage, Algiers Point is one of the many points of land around which the river flows—albeit a significant one. People from Algiers Point (and A ...

, which was tended for whites or

Creoles of color The Creoles of color are a multiracial ethnic group of Louisiana Creoles that developed in the former French and Spanish colonies of Louisiana (especially in New Orleans), Mississippi, Alabama, and Northwestern Florida, in what is now the Unite ...

who passed as white. Blacks occupied the area downriver from

called McDonoghville (locals refer to it as "Over the Hump"). The neighborhood was named after

John McDonogh John McDonogh (December 29, 1779 – October 26, 1850) was an American entrepreneur whose adult life was spent in south Louisiana and later in Baltimore. He made a fortune in real estate and shipping, and as a Slavery, slave owner, he supported ...

. Before his death in 1850, McDonogh established "Freetown" for formerly enslaved people and other people of color. Freetown was renamed McDonoghville in 1815. When Algiers became a part of

in 1870, it became the largest populated black community on the West bank of the Mississippi River. Many

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

artists such as

Kid Thomas Valentine Kid Thomas (1896–1987), born Thomas Valentine, was an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader. Kid Thomas was born in Reserve, Louisiana and came to New Orleans in his youth. In the early 1920s, he gained a reputation as a hot trumpet man. Star ...

and

Red Allen Henry James "Red" Allen Jr. (January 7, 1908 – April 17, 1967) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist whose playing has been described by Joachim-Ernst Berendt and others as the first to fully incorporate the innovations of Louis Armst ...

all grew up in McDonoghville section in Algiers during the 1910s. Some of the early black neighborhoods included Riverview, Tunisbourg McCLendonville, LeBeoufville, Hendeeville, Oakdale, and Whitney. In 1938, L.B. Landry High School opened as the first all-black school in Algiers. The school was named after Dr. Lord Beaconsfield Landry, who lived in the area and died in 1934. It was also one of the first schools in New Orleans to serve African Americans. Algiers Point sign

Around the 1930s and early 1940s, several other schools and neighborhoods were built for blacks, including Peter S. Lawton School in Tunisbourg-McCLendonville and Oakdale. Oakdale once stood on the edge of

Jefferson Parish Jefferson Parish () is a parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 440,781. Its parish seat is Gretna, its largest community is Metairie, and its largest incorporated city is Kenner. Jefferson Parish i ...

and stretched from Whitney Avenue to the

. It was destroyed in the late 1950s to make room for the Greater New Orleans Bridge. Newton Street became the heart of Algiers's black community as it was once filled with ballrooms, saloons, and

juke joints Juke joint (also jukejoint, jook house, jook, or juke) is the African-American vernacular term for an informal establishment featuring music, dancing, gambling, and drinking, primarily operated by African Americans in the southeastern United S ...

. The most famous, Greystone Voter's League, became the place for

Rhythm & Blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...

shows and great singers such as

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

Son House Edward James "Son" House Jr. (March 21, 1902 – October 19, 1988) was an American Delta blues singer and guitarist, noted for his highly emotional style of singing and slide guitar playing. After years of hostility to secular music, as a prea ...

, and B. B. King, who all played there. Other popular hangout spots like Kohlman's Tavern, Ping Pong Club, and Whitney's Ballroom attracted hundreds of people every weekend. Most of the jazz venues in Algiers closed by the 1970s. Algiers slowly declined after suburban neighborhoods were developed along Gen. Meyer and Gen. De Gaulle. Many white families from across the river began to move into the newly built subdivisions of Algiers during the late 50's and early 1960s. The old plantation homes further down river, known as the “Lower Coast” were sold off and developed into suburbia. These neighborhoods include

Aurora An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...

, Huntlee Village and Walnut Bend subdivisions. All of which were mostly white middle-class areas. The oil industry provided many jobs and sustained the growth of commerce. In 1970, New Orleans Public Schools opened O. Perry Walker Senior High School. O. Perry Walker was named after former New Orleans Public Schools superintendent Oliver Perry Walker who supported segregated school systems. Before the school opened its doors, many of the white students attended Martin Behrman High School until it was converted into a middle school in 1969. During the 1970s, Whites had begun to move out of the new section of Behrman Heights after the Housing Authority of New Orleans opened the Christopher Park Homes for low-income black families. The building of a public housing site led to further

White flight The white flight, also known as white exodus, is the sudden or gradual large-scale migration of white people from areas becoming more racially or ethnoculturally diverse. Starting in the 1950s and 1960s, the terms became popular in the Racism ...

. However Aurora and Huntlee Village remained white well into the 1990s. The White flight resulted in a major decline, as many businesses left Algiers for more sustainable neighborhoods in the neighboring

Culture

Algiers was home to various

pioneers such as

Peter Bocage Peter Edwin Bocage (31 July 1887 – 3 December 1967) was an American jazz trumpeter and violinist. Career At 21, he played violin as the leader of a ragtime band, the Superior Orchestra, which included Bunk Johnson. He played trumpet in the Tu ...

, George Lewis,

Papa Celestin Oscar Phillip Celestin (January 1, 1884 – December 15, 1954), better known by his stage name Papa Celestin, was an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader. Life and career Celestin was born in Napoleonville, Louisiana, to a Creole family, son o ...

and many others.

musicians of the 1920s referred to Algiers as the "Brooklyn of the South", the latter for its proximity to New Orleans as compared to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

and

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, both separated by a river. Algiers also has a long history of

Brass band A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting primarily of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands (particularl ...

's. The most notable is the

Algiers Brass Band The Algiers Brass Band is one of the oldest active brass bands in New Orleans Louisiana. They were originally formed sometime in the late-1880s in the Algiers neighborhood which is located directly across the Mississippi River from the French Qu ...

, one of the oldest traditional brass bands still active in the city. There were several social halls, including Algiers Masonic Hall, the Elks Hall, and the Ladies of Hope Benevolent Hall, where early jazz was played. There is some jazz parading in the neighborhood today.

Demographics

Algiers is predominantly

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, with 89.4% of residents identifying as such in the 2000 Census. Algiers' total population pre- Katrina, according to the census, was 28,385 of whom 45.9 were male and 54.1 female. The average age is 29.6, while the population for children under 5 was 2,515. Aged 18 and over was 19,204, while 65 and over were a total of 2,839. Whites make up 21.8 per cent of the population in

, while

African-Americans African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

make up 73.6. Native Americans and Alaskan Natives are 0.2 per cent of the population. Hawaiians barely registered, and Latino/as make up 4.3 percent. The average household size is 2.68; the average family size is 3.41. The total number of housing units in Algiers was 12,351; 83.9 per cent were occupied, and 16.1 vacant. 40.6 of those units are owned by homeowners, while 59.4 are rented. Socially speaking, 72.3% are high school graduates, and 14.3% hold at least a bachelor's degree. The married population is 41.2 percent male, and 33.2 are female. Families that are below the poverty level are at 30.3%; individuals below the poverty level are 35.3%.

Crime

Algiers lies within

NOPD The New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) has primary responsibility for law enforcement in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. The department's jurisdiction covers all of Orleans Parish, Louisiana, Orleans Parish, while the city itself is div ...

's 4th District jurisdiction of

. The 4th District violent crime rate in low-income neighborhoods besides

, has struggled with crime since the 1980's during the Crack epidemic. The areas drugs effected the most include the notorious Fischer Projects, Whitney, and Behrman Heights neighborhoods. Between 1987 and 1988, 4th District's violent crime rate doubled with the biggest increase in gun homicides. Algiers made national headlines during 1981 with the "Algiers 7" case in which seven officers were indicted for killing and torturing black families in revenge for the slaying of

officer Gregory Newport in 1980. Throughout the 1990s, homicides were the only violent crime that remained high in the district, reaching 29 in 1995 which was a slight decrease from 1991 rate. In 2015, the district tallied 25 homicides, 26 in 2020. In 2022, the district was second in homicides behind Eastern New Orleans, with 38 homicides just 1 killing above the previous year. In 2017, 4th district teamed with the NOPD's street-gang unit to quell gun battles spurred by conflicts between neighborhood groups. The groups were formed of loose associations among people, not stable enough to be considered traditional gangs, and had "some very petty, petty beefs that led to very violent encounters," he said. To reduce crime, law enforcement installed 13 crime surveillance cameras, including ten fixed cameras and three mobile cameras, along with five license-plate readers, including three fixed readers and two mobile readers.

Neighborhoods

Algiers contains many neighborhoods, such as *

* McDonogh (also known as "Over The Hump") * Old Aurora (formally known as Aurora Gardens) * New Aurora * Lower Algiers (Cutoff, River Park) * Whitney * Behrman * Fischer Housing Development * Tall Timbers/Brechtel * Tunisburg-McClendonville * Oakdale (demolished)

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Algiers is zoned to schools in the

Orleans Parish School Board The Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB), branded as NOLA Public Schools, governs the public school system that serves New Orleans, Louisiana. It includes the entirety of Orleans Parish, coterminous with the city of New Orleans. In the 2024-25 ...

(OPSB), also known as New Orleans Public Schools (NOPS). The district has its headquarters in the Westbank area of Algiers. The schools include: * Martin Behrman Elementary School (K-8)- Algiers Point * Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary School (K-8)- Tall Timbers/Brechtel * William J. Fischer Elementary School (K-8)- Fischer Development * McDonogh #32 Elementary School (K-8)- McDonogh * L.B. Landry High School - Old Algiers * O.P. Walker High School - Old Algiers The InspireNola Charter Schools operate *

Edna Karr High School Edna Karr High School is a public, open enrollment, coeducational charter school in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. The school is a college preparatory high school and is a part of InspireNOLA Charter Schools and the New Orleans Public ...

- Old Aurora * Alice M. Harte Elementary School (K-8)- Old Aurora Crescent City Schools include * Harriet Tubman Charter Elementary School * Paul B Habans Elementary School One campus of the International School of Louisiana (ISL) is in Algiers.Tan, Sarah.
The International School of Louisiana opens in Harahan
" ''

Times Picayune ''The Times-Picayune , The New Orleans Advocate'' (commonly called ''The Times-Picayune'' or the ''T-P'') is an American newspaper published in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ancestral publications of other names date back to January 25, 1837. The cu ...

''. November 23, 2012. Retrieved on May 18, 2014.

Notable people

Henry "Red" Allen Henry James "Red" Allen Jr. (January 7, 1908 – April 17, 1967) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist whose playing has been described by Joachim-Ernst Berendt and others as the first to fully incorporate the innovations of Louis Armstr ...

, jazz trumpeter and singer raised at 414 Newton St. * Joe Blakk, rapper * Corey Calliet, trainer, actor * Keenan Lewis, former

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

cornerback *

, jazz trumpeter and violinist, raised at 425 Brooklyn Ave. * Gary Carter, Jr., politician *

, jazz trumpeter, moved to Algiers in 1891. *

J. Lawton Collins General Joseph Lawton Collins (1 May 1896 – 12 September 1987) was a senior United States Army officer. During World War II, he served in both the Pacific and European Theaters of Operations, one of a few senior American commanders to do so. H ...

, World War II general * Frankie Duson, jazz trombonist *

G-Slimm Kenneth Jackson Jr. (February 17, 1975 – October 13, 1996), best known by his stage name G-Slimm, was an American rapper. Biography Jackson was raised in the Christopher Homes Housing Development, Christopher Homes area in the Algiers, ...

, rapper * Alvin Haymond, retired NFL player *

Rich Jackson Richard Samuel Jackson (born July 22, 1941), nicknamed "Tombstone", is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and a linebacker in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played ...

, former NFL defensive end * Anthony Johnson, NFL defensive tackle for the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...

Cee Pee Johnson Cee Pee Johnson (born Clifton Byron Johnson,"Cee Pee's Wife Faints ...

, jazz drummer and vocalist * Freddie Kohlman, jazz drummer raised at 428 Homer St. *

L. B. Landry Lord Beaconsfield Landry (1878 – 1934), commonly known as L. B. Landry, was an American physician, civic leader, teacher, newspaper columnist, and vocalist. He was African American, and lived in the Algiers neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana ...

(1878–1934), physician, and civil rights activist * George Lewis, jazz clarinetist * Kendrick Lewis, NFL free safety for the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

Lance Louis Lance Louis (born April 24, 1985) is a former American football offensive guard. He was selected by the Chicago Bears with pick 246 in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL draft. He played college football at San Diego State. College career Loui ...

, NFL offensive guard for the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

Manuel Manetta Manuel "Fess" Manetta (October 3, 1889 – October 10, 1969) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist. Early life Manetta was born in New Orleans (district of Algiers) on October 3, 1889. He was of African and Italian descent."Subversive Sounds: ...

, jazz musician raised at 416 Powder St. *

Memphis Minnie Lizzie Douglas (June 3, 1897 – August 6, 1973), better known as Memphis Minnie, was a blues guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter whose recording career lasted for over three decades. She recorded around 200 songs, some of the best known being " ...

, blues singer and guitarist * Jimmy Palao, jazz musician raised at 900 Verret St. *

Malik Rahim Malik Rahim (born Donald Guyton in 1948) is an American housing and prison activist based since the late 1990s in the New Orleans area of Louisiana, where he grew up. In 2005 Rahim gained national publicity as a community organizer in New Orlean ...

Black Panther Party The Black Panther Party (originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist and Black Power movement, black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newto ...

member and activist * James Ray,

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

power forward * Cyril Richardson, NFL guard for the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...

* Virgil Robinson former NFL

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

running back * Lou Sino, jazz trombonist and singer * Herb Tyler,

LSU Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

quarterback *

, jazz trumpeter and pioneer of the

Preservation Hall Preservation Hall is a jazz venue on St Peter Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. The building is associated with a house band, a record label, and a non-profit foundation. History of the jazz hall In the 1950s, art de ...

Jazz band raised at 825 Vallette St. *

Mike Wallace Myron Leon Wallace (May 9, 1918 – April 7, 2012) was an American journalist, game show host, actor, and media personality. Known for his investigative journalism, he interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers during his seven-decade car ...

, NFL wide receiver for the

Eddie Bo Edwin Joseph Bocage (September 20, 1930 – March 18, 2009), known as Eddie Bo, was an American singer and pianist from New Orleans. Schooled in jazz, he was known for his blues, soul and funk recordings, compositions, productions and arrang ...

, singer *

John Lindsay John Vliet Lindsay (; November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American politician and lawyer. During his political career, Lindsay was a U.S. congressman, the mayor of New York City, and a candidate for U.S. president. He was also a regu ...

, jazz musician raised at 1019 Verret. * Joe Thomas, jazz clarinetist *

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most i ...

, jazz saxophonist *

Bobby Mitchell Robert Cornelius Mitchell (June 6, 1935 – April 5, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a halfback and wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini an ...

, singer * Herman Riley, jazz saxophonist * Jim Robinson, jazz trombonist, moved to Algiers in 1911 *

Clarence "Frogman" Henry Clarence Henry II (March 19, 1937 – April 7, 2024), known as Clarence "Frogman" Henry, was an American rhythm and blues singer and pianist, best known for his hits " Ain't Got No Home" (1956) and "(I Don't Know Why) But I Do" (1961). Life a ...

, rhythm and blues singer * Tom Albert, jazz violinist and trumpeter * Shawn Wilson, politician * Edgar Mosely, jazz drummer

References

External links

Algiers Point Association

Algiers Point Information and Links page

City of New Orleans
{{authority control Louisiana populated places on the Mississippi River Neighborhoods in New Orleans 15