Colonel Short's Villa

Colonel Short's Villa Review

Occupied for a brief time by the Union governor Michael Hahn and subsequently by occupational governor Nathaniel Banks during the Civil War, the house was stylistically influential in the district because the two-story galleries of its dining room wing had railings made of cast iron rather than wood. Its architect, Henry Howard, is known for designing Nottaway—the largest plantation home in America—and other monumental homes. The fence, with a pattern of morning glories intertwining with cornstalks, is the most famous example of cast iron in the Garden District. Legend has it that Colonel Short purchased the fence for his wife, who was homesick for Kentucky. A similar cornstalk fence appears in the French Quarter at 915 Royal Street.