Thomas Norton Bernard House — 1328 Harmony Street
Strikingly handsome in its simplicity, the Bernard house is often cited as a pure example of a Louisiana raised cottage. Sturdy brick pillars support the wide gallery which is reached by a long flight of steps. Wooden railings are plain while windows to the floor are symmetrically arranged on either side of the recessed doorway.
Long owned by various members of the Bernard family, the cottage exudes family tradition but the builder and construction dates are unknown. Earliest record of the “property with improvements” is 1861. Bernard family lore tells of workmen who were finishing the roof watching Admiral Farragut’s fleet steam up the river toward New Orleans in 1862.
The floor plan of the main floor of the house is typical, a wide central hall, in this instance eight feet wide and 33 feet long, which extends from front gallery to back gallery. Behind the characteristic double parlors on the right of the hall an added wing contains dining room and kitchen. All rooms are large, distinguished in proportion but not formal in character. Modernization has been done in an unobstrusive way by the present owners who also corrected alterations done some 20 years ago so that all changes are now compatible with the structure’s original lines.
This old house has been adapted skillfully to the needs of an active family with the attic converted for boys’ bedrooms and additional rooms in the ground floor basement. The spacious corner lot is landscaped with swimming pool and patio.