| residential listings | commercial listings | tours and info| featured listings |
| Federal
Fibre Mills Condominiums Owning a piece of history is easier than you may think! With its old-world charm, modern amenities, and award-winning renovation, FFM is the ideal choice for New Orleans living at its best! |
 "You
know, you can just sense what is going to happen here. We’ve instilled a new life
into this grand old building, and we’re certain of a long and illustrious future.
There are 885 gracefully arched windows in this building, some over six feet high,
and providing views of the city skyline, the bridge, and the Mississippi River.
The interior is meticulously designed, creating living spaces of the future out
of the magnificent architecture of the past. I’m proud to be a part of the Riverfront
District Development. We’re giving back to the city a part of herself." ~Edward
Boettner, Developer |
 History
is alive at the Federal Fibre Mills Condominiums. The warmth and charm of Old
New Orleans can be seen and felt in its New Orleans tan bricks and the first growth
heart of Southern yellow pine. Because the building is listed on the National
Register for Historic Places, strict guidelines for modification of the structure
were followed. In one instances, a fireplace which was part of the old office
had each of its 1,000 bricks numbered so that it could be reassembled exactly
as it was! |
| "It’s one of the most beautiful crescents of the River." |
|
 Legend
tells us that these were the words spoken by Bienville in 1699 when he first laid
eyes on the future site of New Orleans. The young nobleman, accompanied by his
brother Iberville, was on a French expedition to reiterate fellow countryman La
Salle’s claim to the Mississippi Valley. The result was the establishment of the
Colony of Louisiana.Although several forts and posts were established in the next 20 years, Bienville remembered the beautiful crescent when it came time to place a major settlement on the River. On March 27, 1719, after reaching the site that awed him as a young man, Bienville founded a settlement on "an island surrounded by swamp." He named it New Orleans in honor of Duke Philip d’Orleans, brother of King Louis XIV. Subsequently, Governor Bienville was granted extensive property holdings on both sides of the River and behind the settlement. In 1726, he granted 20 riverfront acres, 50 deep, to the Holy Order of the Jesuits, who increased their acreage and developed one of the finest plantations in the South. Myrtle-wax trees lined their levee, which was roughly where Tchoupitoulas Street is today. After the suppression of the Jesuits by the French Crown—a move spearheaded by the infamous Madame Pompadour in 1763—the magnificent Jesuit Grant was divided into Seven long, thin plantations and sold at public auction, including the area which holds Square 48, upon which the Historic Federal Fibre Mills was built. |
 During
much of the Riverfront District’s plantation period, Royal Road, Now Tchoupitoulas
Street, was the original road closest to the River. Alluvial deposits from the
Mississippi created, between 1760 and the mid-1800’s, all of the land below this
road. The river-born land, called battures, was considered public until owners
of adjoining properties recognized its growing value and made many claims of ownership.
Shortly after the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, President Thomas Jefferson examined
the claims and declared that they remain in public domain. Within a few years,
however, new levees were built closer to the river and the public battures were
turned into saleable property. A new round of Batture Battles began, with suits
filed as late as 1852 by the heirs of previous landowners.Since that time, the land changed hands and eventually became home to the original Touro Infirmary until 1833. For a brief period during the Civil War it was a Jewish Almshouse. The land served several different businesses until 1904 when plans from architects Favrot and Livaudals were used to build the current structure. In 1932, the new Federal Fibre Mills company leased part of the building, and expanded in 1941 to all 5 floors.
|
 In
1951, the factory moved from the building, which then served as space for several
different businesses until Warehouse District developers Edward Boettner and Pres
Kabacoff purchased and renovated it for the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition. One
million dollars was spent on initial cleanup with special methods to preserve
the character of both the New Orleans tan bricks and the first growth heart of
Southern yellow pine. Because the building is listed on the National Register
for Historic Places, strict guidelines for modification of the structure were
followed. In one instances, a fireplace which was part of the old office had each
of its 1,000 bricks numbered so that it could be reassembled exactly as it was! |
| As a result of numerous innovative solutions to the renovation of the building, there are no two units exactly alike—each has its own distinctive personality! |
| Douglas
Richard Gordon Licensed Real Estate Salesperson State of Louisiana RE/MAX Real Estate Partners, Inc. Metairie, LA 70002 USA Direct Line 504-236-6918 Office 504-888-9900 |
 Equal Housing Opportunity |