James Gallier Sr

By Bear Gruzen

James Gallier Sr is one of the most defining Irishmen in the city’s history, in addition he served as one of the most influential architects in New Orleans. Iconic landmarks in the city such as the Gallier House were one of his amazing creations.

James Gallier was born on July 24th, 1798 in the village of Ravensdale, Ireland. The first portion of Gallier’s life was mostly dedicated to finding employment. His father worked as a builder, and he trained his son in the craft. He attended a small country school beginning at age 4. There were very few scholars in the area, so the teaching was not ideal. He often spent his youth beside his father, training and learning the ways of a builder. His hometown was a rural community, with most residents lacking a higher education. So, when his father became unemployed for quite some time, it was a surprise to most that he was admitted to and studied at the School of Fine Arts in Dublin; his mother had encouraged him to do so. Gallier had always had a passion for art, saying so in his autobiography – and schooling offered him the ability to understand the craft of building and architecture on a much more technical level. He finished his months of schooling and returned home to his family, as he didn’t see much of a future in Dublin.

After months of employment under his father's watch, he ventured off to England to seek work. He crossed from Dundalk to Liverpool in May of 1816; at this time, it was a brutal trek, and he was only 17 at the time. Upon arriving, he continued on to Manchester, where he found employment at a cotton mill. Once again, he moved and returned back to Liverpool and connected with an acquaintance to build a water wheel for a factory. The next 2 years of Gallier’s life consisted of being in and out of employment, and moving around to find the next job. In Autumn of 1820, with no future of business in the winter, Gallier decided to further his education. He went to school in Dundalk and learned all forms of education, from bookkeeping to math to French, he tried to learn as much as possible. In 1821, James and his brother John began a series of building contracts, which ultimately became unsuccessful which prompted them to go to London to find work. This is yet another example of the struggle that James Gallier faced for a large portion of his early life. He had always struggled to keep afloat, even considering the fact he was skilled and educated. In 1826, he married Elizabeth Tyler, a young Englishwoman. She birthed four children, but tragically three of them died in their youth. Gallier first made a visit to America, and on February 8th 1832, he left the St. Katharine Docks in London headed for New York, leaving his wife and only son behind, hoping one day they would follow him.

The next portion of Gallier’s life was exploring the New World. Upon arriving in New York, Gallier established an architecture practice with an acquaintance, Charles Dakin. Business had been unsuccessful in New York, and a colleague recommended the pair move to and establish a practice in New Orleans. Gallier was hesitant at first, he was not used to the heat and humidity, and the threat of yellow fever was still very much a reality. Most merchants could leave during the summer, when it would get particularly hot and disease became a bigger concern, but an architect could not– they would have to supervise on projects that span through the summer. Despite the concerns, the pair moved to New Orleans to establish their firm. They purchased an office on Canal Street and their business was ready. Gallier had many plans to build projects for the city, such as a hotel, church, and a public school.

The timeline of when his family moved to him isn’t fully known, although it is known that in fall of 1836, his wife and son moved back to New York out of fear of sickness. Gallier’s time in New Orleans was brutal, he dealt with constant fear of getting Yellow Fever, and for the longest time he avoided it. That was until November of 1835, when he got the disease, and was bedridden for some time. He persisted through however and continued on to establish himself as a successful and influential architect in New Orleans. One of his most notable architectural achievements was the Saint Charles Hotel, which opened in 1836 and lasted until it burned down in 1851. It was, however, built again in 1853 (without the supervision of Gallier) and that building burned down later in 1894.

Gallier and his wife later divorced, and Gallier went on to marry Catherine Robinson, a lady from Mobile, in July of 1850. The next period of Gallier’s life was that of enjoyment and relaxation. Throughout his entire young adult life, Gallier faced challenge after challenge finding employment and getting the necessary money to survive. After Robinson and Gallier got married, they traveled the Americas, then went on to travel the more of the world. They went north to visit Niagara, then traveled onto the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky, and then took passage down the Mississippi river. In January of 1851, the couple traveled to Havana and spent many months there, then in April they returned to New York to travel to Europe. They saw Scotland, England, France, Switzerland, and Italy. It was truly a romantic period in Gallier’s life, in sharp contrast to his childhood. Gallier tragically passed away, along with his wife, on October 3rd 1866, when his ship crashed during a hurricane on his way back to New York, returning from a trip abroad.

James Gallier Sr was one of the most accomplished men in New Orleans history. His influence on the city has often been taken for granted, as he was the leading figurehead in much of the building of everyday New Orleans construction. He had humble beginnings as a struggling immigrant searching for work, who found great success in the Crescent City. While it’s a tragedy the St. Charles Hotel burned down, today we can still appreciate his craftsmanship through iconic landmarks in New Orleans today such as the Gallier House.