Building of the Week: The Cornstalk Hotel, New Orleans

In Punch’s Cousin, when they arrive in New Orleans, Julian, Robert and Naasir are staying at the home of a friend of Robert’s—Dr. Joseph Secondo Biamenti. While Julian and his companions are fictional, Dr. Biamenti and his opulent mansion are quite real.


The grand Victorian home at 915 Royal Street now houses “The Cornstalk Hotel,” so named for the decorative wrought iron fence which surrounds the property. The hotel is a beloved French Quarter landmark with a rich and storied history.

A building has stood on that site since 1730. In 1816, Judge Francois Xavier Martin, an author, historian and Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, built a home on the property where he remained until 1826.

Legend has it that author Harriet Beecher Stowe stayed at the house where she witnessed the slave markets in the Vieux Carré and was, thereby, inspired to write Uncle Tom’s Cabin—a book which helped incite the passions that caused the U.S. Civil War.

In 1834, the mansion was purchased by Dr. Joseph Biamenti who embarked on a major renovation of the property which included the ornate Victorian façade that we see today. This is the building Robert, Julian (Punch), and Naasir would have seen upon arriving in 1852. In 1856, Dr. Biamenti commissioned the famous cornstalk fence which features painted, sculptural stalks of corn rising from bases shaped like pumpkins entwined with morning glories and other vines. As a finishing artistic touch, a yellow butterfly graces the front gate. Visitors to The French Quarter often stop to marvel at this magnificent house and its unusual fence.

The mansion has hosted many famous people over the years from film stars to a United States President. You, too, can stay there if you’re in the Vieux Carré. With its ornate woodwork, crystal chandeliers and posh rooms, The Cornstalk Hotel will afford you a chance to be enveloped in true New Orleans style. Visit their Web site for more information.