A historic Victorian house in Bay Saint-Louis collapsed in the storm wave of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, twenty years later, he resurfaced, but in a way that left part of the disappointed Gulf coast.
The house, formerly perched on North Beach Boulevard, appears on the cover of “Hurricane Katrina: A Race Against Time”, a documentary series in five parts recently published by National Geographic. The series revisits the fatal disaster, stressing how it has reshaped New Orleans.
The film poster, which seems to be illustrated, presents a more lively version of the house of Bay St. Louis immersed in flood waters as an adult and child on the roof, overlooking the landscape sorry near a sign that reads “help”.
On social networks, residents of the county of Hancock asked why the image was used, since the series focuses exclusively on the consequences of Katrina in New Orleans. Acrimonia responses also highlight broader frustration among residents who have the impression that the impact of the storm on the Mississippi coast has long been overshadowed.
“As it is disrespectful that our story is not worth shared, but our loss images are perfectly well to attach to New Orleans!” A Facebook user wrote.
“There is no excuse for the false photo,” said another. “Many real houses (New Orleans) that could have been used for the film itself!”
History of the Mansion of Saint-Louis de la Baie
Although destroyed by Katrina, the house remains in the national register of the Historical Places of the County of Hancock.
Built in 1889 by Charles Sanger, the house would have been built on the elevation of the highest seafront in the Gulf, according to a 2003 Sun Herald article. Sanger, an eminent manufacturer and architect, built the domain of Raoul Telhiard, a resident of New Orleans who stayed in Bay St. Louis in summer.
Telhiard described the “Ada Villa” holiday home, until it was sold to the McDonald family in 1904 and became locally known as Old McDonald House.
In 2003, the Sun Herald wrote on the new owners organizing a visit to the house to collect funds for the Center for the prevention of children’s abuse. Visitors were greeted by guides dressed in Victorian outfit before crossing the central hall 48 feet long covered in a 19th century setting, the article said.
The altered appearance of the house, noted the article, was part of its charm. McDonalds have described it once “royally softened with a heap of life”.
