Timeline

YEAR The Women’s Exchange Hermann-Grima House Gallier House
1720s property part of grant to Ursuline nuns, nuns arrive in America to establish convent, school and hospital
Fire destroys 4/5 of French Quarter, including St Louis Cathedral 1788
Treaty of San Ildefonso requires Spain to return Louisiana to France 1800
Louisiana Purchase negotiated 1803
Louisiana Statehood 1811
1823 Samuel Hermann purchases contiguous properties, 820 St. Louis, 1827-31 Conti and 1829-34 Dauphine Streets
1825 Ursulines sell property in building boom, high demand for residential and commercial buildings
1831 Hermann home constructed
1832 1126 Royal constructed as commercial warehouse property and later soda/mineral water factory
First Mardi Gras parade 1838
1840 Mrs. Hermann purchases property from her husband’s creditors with her separate monies
1844 Judge Felix Grima acquires property from Mrs. Hermann
Yellow Fever epidemic 1853
1857 James Gallier acquires property, begins construction of his family home at 1118 Royal Street
1859 French Opera House opens, designed by Galliers
Louisiana secedes from the Union 1861
 

New Orleans Falls to the Union

 1862 Grima family in exile from NOLA, after Judge Grima refuses to sign Gen Butler’s Oath of Allegiance
1860′s Grima family returns from exile in Georgia

Louisiana readmitted to the Union

First ice factory established in NOLA

 1868 James Gallier dies
1877 Crescent City Seltzer & Mineral Water Company commercial portion of property
Second yellow fever epidemic 1878
1881 The Christian Woman’s Exchange founded
World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition held in Audubon Park 1884
1885 TCWE compiles and publishes Creole Cookery
1887 Building purchased to establish a Day care (crèche) facility
1897 Property sold to Gallier son-in-law
1917 Gallier descendant sells property; house leaves family ownership

World War I

French Opera House burns to the ground

 1919
Women gain right to vote 1920
1922 TCWE sells Lafayette Square building, purchases Royal Street property
1924 820 St Louis purchased, Royal St sold, “rooming house”, tea room and consignment shop opened
1925 Water Factory ceases operations at 1126-32 Royal Street
1929 Conti Street properties sold to Mrs. Rosalie Broussard, Broussard’s Restaurant established
World War II 1940s
1965 Gallier House acquired by Richard W. Freeman, Jr., and restored as a family home
1969 Gallier House restored to 1860 period, converted to historic house museum
1970s Colonial Dames lend furnishings for historic house museum
1971 Hermann-Grima House opens to the public as museum
1974 James J. Reiss donates portraits of his ancestors, Emeranthe and Samuel Hermann
1975 named National Historic Landmark
1985 Museum accredited by American Association of Museums
1986 Tulane University acquires Gallier House and adjoining properties, creating Gallier House campus
1996 The Christian Woman’s Exchange acquires Gallier House and continues the museum tradition
1999 Organization renamed The Woman’s Exchange
2000s Grima Bernard and Grima Johnson families donate family furnishings, textiles and silver
Hurricane Katrina hits the Gulf Coast 2005
2009 AAM accredits Hermann-Grima and Gallier House as one institution displaying the highest standards of the industry.
2011 The Exchange Shop reopens as showcase of juried work of Louisiana women artists.