Built in 1826, this center hall raised home was later owned by St. Bernard Parish native General P.G.T. Beauregard.  By 1925, the house (across from the Ursuline convent) was in such disrepair, it was slated to be torn down to be a macaroni factory.  Saved by some nice ladies, it was bought by novelist Frances Parkinson Keyes (pronounce as K followed by “eyes”) who finished it and lived here until a few days before her 85th birthday, passing away  in the back cottage that she had rebuilt as a modern apartment.

She wrote 51 books, most famously “Dinner at Antoines”. She made the old courtyard kitchen into her office downstairs with an upstairs apartment. Interestingly, well-known jeweler Mignon Faget was her first tenant.

A private foundation struggles to maintain the house and side garden.

She liked lots of ice in her tea.

FPK’s published books (top shelf)

tour at house; Nancy in foreground (doing research for her book)