Anne Rice's New Orleans Mansion Unique House Tours

Table Of Content

• Novelist Anne Rice leaves a legacy in architecture, too, with St. Elizabeth's and other buildings
• Anne Rice’s home in New Orleans inspired her ‘Mayfair Witches’ books
• Anne Rice’s house served as inspiration for Mayfair Witches
• Lafayette Cemetery
• Rice Family Mausoleum
• From early horrors to present day: The 121-year history of a Canal Street landmark

Originally the site of St Elizabeth’s boarding school, this massive 55,000 square foot building is the former residence of Anne and Stan Rice in the decadent city of New Orleans. Built in 1865, the 3-story structure is comprised of 3 buildings and was purchased by the Rice family in 1993. In 1993, Rice bought the unoccupied St. Elizabeth’s orphanage on Napoleon Avenue and invested millions in the renovation of the 1857 building that occupied much of the block.

Novelist Anne Rice leaves a legacy in architecture, too, with St. Elizabeth's and other buildings

The 1239 is no exception, of course, as Miss Pamela Starr Crapp, who lived in the house at the turn of the century, is said to appear in the living room, as was vigorously claimed by the owners of the home during the 1950s. But the neighborhood is less famous for its fancy houses than for its regularly reported paranormal activity. Stories of ghosts waltzing in colonial manors or dead brides wandering the streets have made the Chestnut and First Street area a Disneyland of spook houses. Much like her vampires, Anne Rice has reached an immortal status in the hearts and minds of those that enjoyed her work.

Anne Rice’s home in New Orleans inspired her ‘Mayfair Witches’ books

The six-bedroom, 7,609-square-foot home is said to have been haunted since long before Rice moved in, with spirits dating back to its completion in the 1800s. From the exterior, that doesn't seem too far fetched; inside, there's pastel walls, beautiful stained glass from the 1880s, elaborate moldings and mantels, and no shortage of crystal chandeliers. Rice moved out three years ago and the place has been on and off the market ever since; now it's listed as actively for sale for $2.65M. Our tour takes you to the childhood homes of Anne Rice, where you can see the places where she spent her early years and got her start as a writer. You’ll also visit the homes where she lived and worked as an adult, including the famous “Rice House” where she set many of her most beloved novels. Anne Rice wrote her first novel, Interview with the Vampire, in the span of only 5 weeks in 1976.

Anne Rice’s house served as inspiration for Mayfair Witches

You could own Vampire author Anne Rice's $4.5M mansion - Daily Advertiser

You could own Vampire author Anne Rice's $4.5M mansion.

Posted: Wed, 13 Jun 2018 07:00:00 GMT [source]

The gourmet kitchen, for example, features all the shiny modern amenities you could ask for. One of the building’s wings on the second level was formally a chapel prior to being made into a sprawling condo in 2005. Below, you can see what the space looked like in its former life when Rice called it home. There’s also a detached two-bedroom guesthouse that has a fully set up kitchen and a living room. Chris Rice, 43, said the last years of his mother’s life were an opportunity to become closer, both geographically - she moved from New Orleans to southern California to be nearer him - and emotionally. At the height of his mother’s success, he said, he had been a typical rebellious teen who took a “dismissive and anxious attitude” toward his parents, distancing himself from them.

‘Mayfair Witches’ Filmed on the Same Street as Anne Rice’s Home in NOLA — What to Know About the Historic Manor

Upon the death of Mrs. McStea in 1924, the Redemptorists acquired the property for use as a residence for elderly priests. During this time, Catholic families in the Garden District began attending mass at the Our Mother of Perpetual Help chapel, which was located in the home. The ironwork gazebo and statue of the Virgin Mary that were added by the Redemptorists during their tenure as owners of the property still stand today on the left side of the property. From 1929 to 1953, the Redemptorist Girls’ School, also known as “Third and Prytania,” operated on the property, serving Catholic Irish Channel and Garden District families. Here's a rare chance to take a peek into the stately—and slightly spooky—New Orleans home once owned by Anne Rice, undisputed grand dame of gothic fiction. Still enchanted with her native city, Rice moved back to New Orleans' Garden District in the late 1980s, buying up several homes—including this glamorous Victorian Gothic.

Lafayette Cemetery

Vampire novelist Anne Rice is laid to rest in New Orleans - NOLA.com

Vampire novelist Anne Rice is laid to rest in New Orleans.

Posted: Sat, 15 Jan 2022 08:00:00 GMT [source]

In the 1930s, two brothers named John and Wayne Carter were put to death after committing over a dozen murders and draining their victims’ blood. They were eventually caught after one of the women they had taken managed to escape their apartment. Now, if you ever watched the film adaptation of Anne’s novel Interview with the Vampire, you’ll remember that Louie lived on a huge plantation in New Orleans. If property records are correct, Anne sold the home in 2015 for $2.1 million. In the backyard, you’ll find a spacious patio as well as an equally large covered entertainment space with its own fireplace.

In addition to providing us with some of the greatest gothic literature of our time, Rice inspired so many others, this writer included, to pursue their dreams of becoming writers. Located at 3711 St Charles Avenue, Anne’s former 5-bedroom, 5.5-bathroom New Orleans Garden District home is estimated to be worth $4.6 million as of 2022! The author reportedly purchased the mansion in 1989 and lived here until 2004.

During her girlhood, the 19th century church was the center of spiritual and community life for her family. As often was the case with places she lived, she worked the house into her novels. That generated no small amount of curiosity among her fans, prompting her to open it to tours in the 1990s. By the middle of the 20th century, however, advancements in medicine blunted the impact of various diseases.

From early horrors to present day: The 121-year history of a Canal Street landmark

In its former life as the Rice estate, the building also featured a huge ballroom complete with a stage, ample space for seating, gorgeous crystal chandeliers, and hardwood floors. Anne paid $3,600,000 for the 9,156 square foot, 6 bedroom, 9 bathroom, cliffside home. Rice, for whom New Orleans architecture was sacred, bristled when Copeland opened a restaurant with a deliberately glitzy design at a St. Charles Avenue location that was a crucial locale in her Vampire Chronicles. She famously made her feelings known in 1997 via a full-page advertisement in The Times-Picayune.

“The house is a private home, and not open to the public, but any trip to New Orleans is enhanced by a walking tour of the great houses of the Garden District. Within just a few years, however — and with outbreaks of yellow fever, cholera and the like creating a flood of orphans in the city — St. Elizabeth’s by 1872 took over the St. Joseph’s building and became St. Elizabeth’s Asylum, an orphanage. A grand Victorian mansion once owned by Anne Rice has hit the New Orleans real estate market once again, only this time it's undergone a complete renovation that highlights its grandeur. The tub inside the master bathroom of the home at 3711 St. Charles Avenue offers views of the floor to ceiling windows. Along the way, our expert guides will share fascinating anecdotes and insights into Anne Rice’s life and work, offering a deeper understanding of her literary legacy. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a newcomer to her work, this tour is the perfect way to explore the world of Anne Rice and immerse yourself in the magic of New Orleans.

Terri Kelly of Phoenix momentarily choked up at the realization that the beloved author would soon be sealed behind its heavy metal gate. After her husband, poet and painter Stan Rice, died in 2002, Anne sold some of her property and moved to California to be with their son Christopher. Stan was interred in Metairie Cemetery, the resting place of many famous Louisiana residents including Louis Prima. It is believed that the star flew off and destroyed one of the stained glass windows.