2004 Bywater Home Tour

The Alvar Library

The Alvar Street Branch of the New Orleans Public Library opened on November 7, 1940 following a formal dedication ceremony on November 6. Completion of the branch ended a long struggle by neighborhood groups and public officials to secure library facilities for the eastern section of the city. The building was designed by city architect Maurice B. Depass and a Works Progress Administration allocation of $20,523 financed construction of the building.

Under the supervision of librarian Shirley K. Stephenson, the branch was an immediate success, with more books loaned for home use in its first full month of operation than any other branch except for Napoleon.

The structure stands on the site of the old Guillot Market, once a central location in the Ninth Ward. Only seven years after the library opened, the New Orleans city government traded Macarty Square to the School Board for a piece of property on Perdido Street. City Hall was built on the Perdido Street site and Francis T. Nicholls High School (now Frederick Douglass High School) was built on the Macarty Square site. The Alvar Street Library now faces the athletic field behind the school's gymnasium.

By the mid-1970s, circulation had fallen off considerably as the building began more and more to show its age. In 1977, members of the Bywater Neighborhood Association decided to take an active role in revitalizing the Alvar Branch. These efforts culminated in a large scale renovation project, completed in 1982. Made possible through $118,552 in federal Community Development grants, the renovation included a new roof, new doors and windows, and new electrical wiring.

The Bywater Neighborhood Association mean-while, developed a small park in the lot adjacent to the building and "adopted" the library grounds, which are slated as a special project by the BNA President for a much needed renovation during 2004 to provide an outdoor area for various activities, including the popular story telling of Bywater resident Charmaine Neville.