St. Elizabeth's

Please visit the photo albums for an album of St. Elizabeth's pictures.

St. Elizabeth's has been sold. The restoration will continue and the building will be converted to wonderful condominium residences.

St. Elizabeth's is a three story red brick 19th century building, encompassing some 47,000 square feet and an entire city block on beautiful Napoleon Avenue. Once an orphanage, built between the 1860's and the 1880's -- with its mansard roofs and Italianate style, it is an Historic Landmark.

The Corinthian columns of the front porch guard a wonderland of rough and ready elegance -- bare brick walls, gorgeous draperies, mirrors, burgundy carpet, shining heart pine floors and crystal chandeliers.

At the time of Mrs. Rice's ownership, bedrooms included the snazzy and huge Sunset Boulevard room with its two queen size beds, the stylish Miami Beach room, and the gracious Victorian room.

Huge drawing rooms -- the game room with its leather furnishings and reproduction juke box, and pool table -- the green ballroom with its many mirrors and majestic velvet draperies -- and the dining room with its bold antique table and sideboard -- lead to the upstairs and the magnificent two-story chapel, with fully restored plaster ceilings and walls, and the original stained glass windows. The chapel seats 225 for recitals or concerts or what you will. Acoustics are incredible. And the chairs can be cleared away to reveal a wonderful wooden dance floor.

St. Elizabeth's has been the site of many memorable parties, weddings, and events. It has hosted the National Mayors Conferece, and was visited by President Clinton.

St. Elizabeth's is one of the largest private residences in the United States.

Tours of St. Elizabeth's are no longer possible. The information provided below is an historical look into the property as it was maintained by the Rices.

The St. Elizabeth's pictures are now downloadable as large size JPEGs, with superior resolution and clarity. Click on individual pictures to have a look! The descriptions have also been updated. There's also a downloadable QTVR of the magnificent White Chapel.

St. Elizabeth's was built as a boarding school in 1865 and later turned into an orphanage for girls in 1870. The Daughter's of Charity closed the school in 1989 and moved the program to Marrero, where they already operated a similar program for boys. The place was put on the market and almost became upscale apartments and senior citizen housing before Anne bought it in 1993. St. Elizabeth's is an immense three-story brick edifice of 55,000 square feet. The three buildings that comprise St. Elizabeth's are the largest cluster of Second Empire design architecture in the city of New Orleans and are on the National Register of Historic Places.

The entire house was decorated by the Rice Family and bears many of their personal touches, antiques and artwork, such as the St. Elizabeth statue and the old Victrola record player in the foyer.

"Usually Americans have to go to Europe to obtain an old villa, palazzo or chateau," Rice said in a press release announcing the purchase. "We have found one right here in one of the most beautiful cities in America. And all our plans are in complete harmony with the lovely work of the architects who built St. Elizabeth's Home." The large library and chess room holds Anne's extensive collection of books (ranging in subjects from menopause to Biblical history) and an engraved and inlaid chess set. One of Stan's many paintings hangs over the mantle.

It was the white chapel at St. Elizabeth's that particulary captivated Anne. Its brilliant stained glass windows fill the church with subtly tinted light. The former altar and the side aisles remain adorned with Roman Catholic religious statues and figurines, part of Anne's extensive collection. To have a closer look, download the White Chapel QTVR movie (527K), which is a navigable, 3-D, 150 degree look from the center aisle. You'll need the QTVR Player from Apple (http://qtvr.quicktime.apple.com/) to run it on either a Mac or a PC.

The "Burgundy Guest Suite" is one of the many rooms in St. Elizabeth's set aside for visitors, friends, and family. The importance of family to Anne is well-known, but perhaps not as well-known is her generosity and her role in bringing her own extended family together. Anne's residence on First Street and St. Elizabeth's have served as homes for other relatives, gathering places for family events, and repositories of family history.

Part of one wing of St. Elizabeth's houses Anne's extensive doll collection. A collector for nearly twenty years, Anne has dolls from all over the world, including works by many of the greatest doll craftpersons, one-of-a-kinds, and commissioned works. The collection comprises over 800 individual pieces.

PLEASE NOTE: These pictures have been provided for the personal enjoyment of visitors to the Official Anne Rice Web Site. Please do not reproduce or distribute them in any manner without written permission. Direct any questions to the Webmaster.

The photos on this page are from the time Anne owned St. Elizabeth's, which has since been sold. Click to enlarge.