Perseverance Benevolent Hall Number 4 and Early Jazz
Why is it significant?
Stand before the dignified Greek Revival portico of Perseverance Benevolent Hall Number 4, preserved within the grounds of Louis Armstrong Park. Constructed between 1819 and 1820 as a Masonic lodge for La Persévérance Lodge No.
Key Facts
| Place | Perseverance Benevolent Hall Number 4 and Early Jazz |
|---|---|
| Address | 901 N Villere St, New Orleans, LA 70116, United States |
| Geo Coordinates | 29.96580, -90.06820 |
| Part of Walk | Tremé, Congo Square and Armstrong Park: The African American Cradle of Jazz |
| Generated | Generated |
Stand before the dignified Greek Revival portico of Perseverance Benevolent Hall Number 4, preserved within the grounds of Louis Armstrong Park. Constructed between 1819 and 1820 as a Masonic lodge for La Persévérance Lodge No. 4, this historic structure is officially recognized by architectural historians as the oldest surviving Masonic lodge hall in Louisiana, and holds a sacred place in the evolutionary history of early jazz.
Look at the classical stuccoed facade: featuring four graceful Doric columns and a classical triangular pediment, the hall served in the nineteenth century as the meeting place of one of New Orleans' influential mutual aid and benevolent societies.
Mutual aid societies were essential community institutions organized by free people of color and Black laborers. Members paid small monthly dues, which guaranteed them medical care during illnesses, disability stipends, and, most importantly, a dignified brass band funeral upon death. On weekends, the society rented out Perseverance Hall for community dances, soirees, and political meetings. Around the turn of the twentieth century, legendary cornet pioneer Buddy Bolden, universally acknowledged as the "First Man of Jazz," regularly played dances in this very hall, thrilling dancing crowds with his powerful, blues-drenched horn that could be heard miles away. Cornetist Joe "King" Oliver, pianist Jelly Roll Morton, and clarinetist Sidney Bechet also performed inside these walls before taking jazz to Chicago and Europe. Today, the hall is preserved as a cornerstone of the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park.
Touching the ancient plaster columns, you can almost hear the triumphant blare of Buddy Bolden's horn shaking the wooden rafters. In this modest community hall, ordinary citizens forged a revolutionary artistic genre that changed global culture forever.
Exit Armstrong Park onto Governor Nicholls Street and walk to Saint Augustine Catholic Church.