St. Roch Market

The St. Roch Market was originally constructed in 1838 in the New Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, as an open air market on Washington Avenue (later renamed St Roch Avenue).^[1] The neighborhood itself was originally called the New Marigny and after a yellow fever epidemic in the early 1870s in which many neighborhood residents survived, the street, neighborhood, and the market itself was renamed to St Roch for the saint's patronage of incurable diseases and lost causes.^[2]

The building itself has been renovated several times. In 1875 the building was renovated and renamed the St Roch Market (post epidemic). It was next renovated and enclosed after World War I. Then in the 1930s through the Works Progress Administration, the building was once again restored.^[3] Up until the 1950's the market had been a multi-vendor market selling fresh produce, prepared foods, butchered items, and sundries of all varieties. After World War II, it was renovated to again and became the popular Lama's Supermarket, predominantly known for seafood and plate meals.

In the 1990's it had fallen into disrepair and became a chinese food restaurant and was ultimately shut for good after Hurricane Katrina. In the 10 years that followed Hurricane Katrina the building sat mostly vacant until 2012, when the city of New Orleans, under Mayor Mitch Landrieu began a campaign to obtain state and federal funding to restore the building. In August 2014 the city leased the building to a private business who returned the building to a multi-tenant "food hall" which is a modernization of the building's original use selling both prepared and fresh foods in a multi-vendor format.^[4]

Now, the St. Roch Market is a southern food hall featuring a diverse lineup of food and beverage purveyors.^[5]

References