Eclectic Antebellum Masterpiece Brimming with Old-World Art
- Minimum stay:1-2 nights
- Internet:Yes
- Pets allowed:No
- Wheel chair accessible:No
Safe and secure, Race & Religious is nestled along the riverfront of the Garden District, between the Convention Center and the world-class shopping of Magazine St. Offering 4,000 sq ft of space, the property is comprised of two masonry homes built in the 1830's: a 2-story Creole cottage and a 3-story Greek-revival row house. A hallmark of the property, the “Slave Quarter” is a free-standing two-story lounge with a downstairs bar. The grounds feature a privacy fence, fountain-surrounded pool, ample flora, and brick courtyards, lit by the flicker of gas lamps. The space includes two commercially-equipped kitchens, working fireplaces, interior and exterior speakers, balconies overlooking the courtyard and downtown New Orleans, and the option of two bedroom lofts, comfortably sleeping six. Offering luxurious amenities, the nostalgia of home, and a rich New Orleans history, here, you live like you should. Visit Race & Religious, history’s masterpiece, for an authentic taste of New Orleans.
Grounds: Race & Religious
Born of a love for the city, a lifetime of travels, a taste for art and antiques, and the history of antebellum Louisiana, Race & Religious is opening its doors to you and yours. Whether your stay is a romantic getaway, a family gathering, or a business trip, your time here is bound to be unforgettable. Used for films and music video sets, weddings, private parties, and photo shoots, Race & Religious blends the nostalgia of home with the splendor of history, offering a truly sumptuous stay. Dating back to the 1830s, here you are part of the undiluted history of a row house, a Creole cottage, and a slave quarter all erected from the bricks of Mississippi River clay. The surrounding art and furniture is sometimes museum-grade, sometimes funky, creating a unique sense of comfort.
Your safety and privacy are never overlooked, as the property is bordered by an 8 ft brick fence and each building contains an alarm system. Luxury here is a staple, as is a commitment to authenticity, From the commercially-equipped kitchens to the fountain-flanked pool, to the wrought-iron gates imported from Buenos Aires, at Race & Religious, you live like you should. Soak in one of the luxuriant three bath tubs and watch the city from a balcony at the Race Street House; ring in romance in the cozy Slave Quarter upstairs lounge. Get lost amongst the art dotting the property. Dine around a Renaissance table hewn of a single oak. Gather beneath the courtyard palms, amidst the flickering gas lamps with an intimate circle of friends. Retreat to one of the two bedroom lofts after a hot New Orleans afternoon. Touch nostalgia and the implacable feeling of home.
* Note that Race St and Religious St are rented together as a single unit.*
Keywords: villa, compound, elegant, eclectic, antique, antebellum
Property Type
- Villa
Accommodation Type
- Vacation Rental
Suitability
Bedrooms
- 3 Bedrooms, Sleeps 8, Beds for 6-8
- Bedroom 1
- Bedroom 2
- Bedroom 3
- Loft + Den
Bathrooms
- 3.0 Bathrooms, 1 Half Bathrooms
- Bathroom 1
- Bathroom 2
- Bathroom 3
Kitchen & Dining
- Cooking Utensils
- Ice Maker
- Microwave
Amenities
- Air Conditioning
Other Amenities
Entertainment
- VCR
- Stereo
- CD Player
- DVD Player
- Video Library
Communications
Pool & Spa
Outdoor Features
Activities
- Cinemas
- Museums
- Live Theater
- Restaurants
- Zoo
- Health/Beauty Spa
- Antiquing
- Shopping
- Sight Seeing
- Horseback Riding
- Fitness Center
- Golf
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Cycling
- Basketball Court
Reviews
Write a review-
Ambiance & Atmosphere !
Ambiance & Atmosphere !
- Guest Alexandra
- Date of stay 04/04/11
- Review Submitted 03/12/12
If you are seeking an enchanting, unique, beautiful and confortable place to stay or host an event in New Orleans, look no further. Nothing could possibly compare. These unique buildings and grounds have so many interesting features, that all guests will be enthralled. The decor is most tasteful and creates an ambiance of the past, but with all the modern comforts. The owners and the lovely manager were most gracious, and helped me with contacts for catering and wine. They were so helpful and attentive to my needs in preparing for an important meeting (international researchers), and all who attended the reception were charmed by this incrediable home. I hope to return again, and relax with friends, for with the 3 buildings and multiple guest rooms, it would make a wonderful and memorable place to vacation with loved ones. My highest recommendation !Recommended for: Sightseeing, tourists without a car, girls getaway, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1
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New Orleans Trip
New Orleans Trip
- Guest BCS
- Date of stay 04/29/11
- Review Submitted 09/22/11
I came down with a group of my guy friends/family for 5 days during Jazz Fest weekend. The group was from across the country and all of us in our late 20's. Without question this was the most beautiful house I have ever stayed in and 100% of the group seconded that. The art work, decoration and history contained in the 3 buildings (yes it is 3 buildings AND a pool) is absolutely jaw dropping. I have to be honest that after looking at pictures online and I had an overwhelming sense that this place was way too good to be true. Without a doubt the place exceeded all expectations. The owner stopped by once and couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating through the whole process. The location is a bit off the beaten path so don't expect Bourbon street to be right out the front door. However, it is an 10 minute cab ride to any of the main draws of NOLA and never had any issue calling cabs and having them show up promptly.Recommended for: Sightseeing, tourists without a car, girls getaway, adventure seekers, families with teenagers.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1
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Amazing stay in an amazing place!!!
Amazing stay in an amazing place!!!
- Guest happy honeymooners
- Date of stay 05/19/11
- Review Submitted 06/02/11
I had my wedding at this location and had my family stay in the two houses for four nights over the wedding weekend- The houses are incredibly restored with both historical preservation and interesting re-puposing of materials- the art and style of the house are eclectic and totally comfortable. The pool was an enormous hit with the kids and everything else with the adults. The owners and managers were very friendly and helpful, and easy to reach and respond to any questions or concerns- This place is an incredible gem- I feel so lucky we spent one of the most important weekends of our life here!! We cannot praise it enough- happy honeymoonersRecommended for: Sightseeing, tourists without a car, girls getaway, families with young children, romantic getaway.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2
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FANTASTIC
FANTASTIC
- Guest Dick
- Date of stay 04/29/11
- Review Submitted 05/19/11
We had my son's bachelor party at Race and Religion. The house(s) are amazing. The kitchens were great! The bedrooms abnd funiture was great for our use. The owner stopped by and talked to us. It was a event that we will all remember for a very long time.Recommended for: Sightseeing, girls getaway, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2
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Frequent visitor from Texas
Frequent visitor from Texas
- Guest Candace
- Date of stay 07/30/10
- Review Submitted 12/26/10
I've stayed at Race and Religious several times and find it hard to express how incredible an experience it is. It's like stepping into a delicious, eclectic European fairy tale. The art and artifacts, the furnishings, the dozens of rugs in vivid colors and designs. The courtyard and pool, the stained glass doors, the frescos,paintings and antique window shutter cabinets, the dozens and dozens of tiny lamps and stunning lighting fixtures, the gorgeous stoves, the amazing walls of all three houses - it literally takes days for the eye to take it all in. It's simply staggering. I could (obviously) go on and on about Race and Religious. It's more than a just a villa or a nice place to stay. It's a destination that's very hard to leave. When I'm there, I can hardly make myself go out because the houses and grounds are so inviting. But it's just minutes from the French Quarter, and from Magazine Street and its great cafes, restaurants, shops and bars, some of which are within walking distance. When I have to go back to Texas, I feel homesick for days after I get back. Race and Religious is a visual feast and a soul experience you can't forget. The age and originality, the architectural and historical character, the helter skelter mix of Cuban, Creole, French, Spanish and Lord knows what other influences blend into pure magic. My friends and family are haunted by the beauty and magic of Race and Religious, too. They talk about it for weeks after they're back home. Even the palm trees are special - they're full of green parrots. The owners are great, too. I love this place!Recommended for: Sightseeing, tourists without a car, girls getaway, pet owners, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 8/8
Rates
| Dates | Nightly | Wknd Night | Weekend | Weekly | Monthly * | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base Rate 2 night min stay |
$700 | |||||
| Super Bowl Jan 30 - Feb 4 1 night min stay |
$20000 | |||||
This owner accepts: Credit cards.
Call the owner directly to confirm reservation details and pay with an approved method (credit card, check, or bank transfer), to protect your payment up to $1,000.
Calendar
Sorry this information is not available. Please contact the owner/manager for more information.
Location
Owner info
Year Purchased: 1977
About the owner: Billie and Granville Semmes III
Why the Owner Chose Garden District:
Perusing a forgotten area of New Orleans in 1977, Granville Semmes came upon a Creole cottage in disrepair at 1510 Religious Street. Intrigued by the dilapidated peninsula of antebellum architecture, he rapped on the door to find an unlivable first floor and an old lady on the second, renting for $153 per month. He purchased the cottage, gutting the first floor and commencing a thirty-year project as a warden of history.
Eager to acquire 510 Race Street and its “slave quarter” for many years, Mr. Semmes did not buy the two until August 2003. Throughout the renovations, he immersed himself in research through the Historic New Orleans Collection, poring over the letters, diaries, and images of those who may have inhabited Race & Religious. Vicariously living many lives through the research, he pieced together the story of his home, woven inextricably into the fabric of New Orleans.
The property is a relic of an older Louisiana, of which few glimmers remain. Originally within a row of three, the Greek-revival row-house at 510 Race St, as well as its four-brick-thick “slave quarter”, were built in 1836. A row of Creole cottages followed in 1843, of which 1510 Religious Street remains. Constructed as tenements for middle class families, the history of the homes is undiluted and common to the city. Located in the 500 block of the riverfront, the houses were built with bricks of Mississippi River clay, baked along Tchoupitoulas Street, a former Indian trail. Diaries and letters from the period tell of a neighborhood of butchers and railroad families, drunken sailors and Creole orphans. Race Street then ended in a racetrack and Orange Street is the namesake of an orange grove, cultivated by Ursuline nuns.
The Unique Benefits at this Villa:
Though faced with a property in disrepair, Mr. Semmes augmented the authenticity of Race & Religious without compromising livability. Preserving 95% of the moldings and details, he elected to leave some staircases unvarnished, maintaining traces of prior residents. French tiles and other inputs were typically 150 to 200 years old, highlighting European design elements indigenous to the property. Semmes outfitted the homes with old Italian and antique country French furniture, such as the Renaissance dining table, hewn of a single chunk of walnut, and the Basque deux corps, carved by a celebrated craftsman. Extensive travels, both actual and literary, are apparent throughout, from the Buenos Aires wrought-iron gates and stained-glass doors, to the Seville-inspired box bay window, to copious Oriental rugs and Soviet Realist movie posters, to the Peruvian tabernacle and the leper-carved armadillo.
Louisiana poignancy rings strong within Race & Religious, present within the history of the homes, the religious themes, and much of the art. A gem of Religious Street, the statue of the blessed Virgin was salvaged from a bulldozed church and found by the Semmes on a Waveland porch, braving the elements. Family is also threaded into the property, from family photos to paintings by daughter Elsie Semmes, to murals of the city executed by friend Steve Richardson and others, to whimsical works by Blake Boyd.
The thirty-year Race & Religious project began with a rich canvas of antebellum tradition, which Semmes improved upon, to highlight its uniqueness. Each renovation, piece of furniture, and design element is playfully purposeful, capturing the attention of visitors and redirecting it to other eclecticisms. A masterpiece of nostalgia, Race & Religious is a love song to New Orleans, a whimsical European fairytale, a spectacle of design, and foremost, a family home steeped in history.
Contact us
- Primary: (504) 523-0890
Links to more information:
- CLICK HERE - Race & Religious Website
- Click Here to see All My Rental Listings
Photos
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Courtyard
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Race house, 1st Floor Kitchen
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3rd Floor, Bedroom Loft of Race House
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Race house, 3rd Floor Bedroom
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1st Floor, Dining Room of Religious House
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Religious house, 1st Floor
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2nd Floor, Bedroom Loft of Religious House
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Courtyard
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Race House 2nd Floor
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3rd Floor Full Bath
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2nd Floor, Slave Quarter
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Religious house, 1st Floor half-bath
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1st Floor, Living Room of Religious House
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2nd Floor, Bedroom Loft of Religious House
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Date last modified - Tuesday, December 11, 2012
(504) 523-0890