The Touro-Shakspeare Home in New Orleans, Louisiana was named after former Mayor Joseph Shakspeare and philanthropist Judah Touro. Touro was a famed Rhode Island-born merchant who moved to New Orleans and made a large fortune through shipping and real estate.
The concept of a facility to care for the “indigent homeless” came from a dying wish of Touro. To honor his dying wish, the city built the original Touro-Shakspeare Home in Uptown in 1862. The homes main focus was on social welfare while providing care for approximately 300 indigent persons.
The Touro-Shakspeare Home was moved to General Meyer Avenue in Algiers in 1932. The city-owned nursing home was designed by local architect, William R. Burk. The design combines elements of both the Neo-Classical Revival and Jacobean Revival styles. The facility sits along the west bank of the Mississippi River.
After years of neglect, the chapel pews were stolen and stained glass windows removed. The courtyard outside features several large concrete fountains, however today it resembles more of a jungle with its overgrown trees and brush.
The Touro-Shakspeare Home features stepped parapets, a prominent front portico, and diamond-pattern polychrome brickwork on the exterior. The building served as a city-operated nursing home for over 70 years before it was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The property has been abandoned and left deteriorating ever since.
Thanks for reading. You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For more abandoned places from across the city, check out my book Abandoned New Orleans.
Nature taking over …pretty impressive, all the same
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There’s a certain strange beauty to abandoned places, and I think your photos capture that well! I especially like the ones with the fountain.
~ A.R.
rosearianna.com
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Thank you!
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Interesting to learn more about the Touro name. I was born in the Touro hospital in New Orleans in the 60s.
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These photos are beautiful, I hope to one day be able to visit.
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Thank you!
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Thanks!
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That place is beautiful! I hope it gets some restoration. I could only imagine what those pews looked like.
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Very beautiful place, in spite of being abandoned.
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Would love to see photos of the home during its prime while in use. I remember it as a child/teen but have never been inside.
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I visited and sang Christmas carols there for the residents while attending St. Julian Eymard School. It is very sad that it has been neglected to this degree!
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I agree about abandoned places I’ve been to some cool ghost towns out while on climbing trips and just riding around.
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I agree about abandoned places I’ve been to some cool ghost towns out west while on climbing trips and just riding around checking out the forgotten wild places. (Cool)
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I came across a draft card of a relative and saw Touro Shakpeare Home as the address so decided to look it up. Very interesting. I’d love to tour the place myself.
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My sister and I went inside Touro-Shakespeare back in 2013. I have tons of photos of it back before all of the stained glass windows where busted out if your interested I would be happy to share them. The place really is amazing.
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Hello,
‘I loved this article and it’s photographs. so beautiful to see this great home, even in it’s decaying state. If you Kristen,can share those lovely photos with me I would be grateful. I have always been fascinated by the beauty all historic places hold. The beauty in the homes, castles and their surroundings.
My dream to actually travel out of Florida and see what hidden treasures are in this great country!. Thank you and abandon Southeast for all the great pictures and information!
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