Harvey Castle Site
Built in 1844,
Harvey Castle was the Gothic Revival home of Marie Louise Destrehan and her
husband Joseph Hale Harvey. It served as the third courthouse of Jefferson
Parish, 1874-1884. Located east side of Destrehan Avenue 450 feet north of
railroad. Demolished in 1924 to enlarge Harvey Canal and Locks.
A canal was dug in the early 1840s connecting the Mississippi
River with Bayou Barataria and Barataria Bay. Now known as the Harvey Canal,
the canal was originally called the Destrehan Canal. There was no lock between
the canal and the river; boats were transported on a "submarine
railway" from the river, over the levee and into the canal. The canal was
owned by Joseph Harvey and his wife as described in the marker text. They built their home within view of
the canal. It did resemble a castle, complete with crenellated towers. A picture of the home may be found in New
Orleans: Then and Now by Richard & Marina Campanella (Pelican
Publishing, Gretna, La., 2000)