Alphabe-Thursday - "E" is for English Turn - October 21, 2010
English Turn is a community located in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, on the Westbank
of the Mississippi River. Supposedly, it got its name, in 1699, when Bienville, coming
downstream at this bend in the river, met up with the British who had chosen this site for
a settlement. Bienville convinced Captain Lewis Banks that the French held the territory
and the British turned around, hence "English Turn." The site was actually considered as
a settlement or capital because of the heavy river traffic but it was abandoned because of
lack of shortcuts to the Gulf of Mexico.
English Turn is now a gated, affluent community of very high priced homes. Fortunately,
the area escaped damage during Katrina's visit to New Orleans. During my recent visit
( and on past stays in New Orleans ), I've spent time in English Turn. My closest nursing
school classmate and dear friend has lived there for about fifteen years and another one
of my classmates did for a number of years as well. Neither of the three of us, of course,
was born to such wealth. We all came from rather humble beginnings and it was difficult
for our families to afford to let us go to nursing school. It goes to show, however, that
with study, education, and hard work, one's circumstances in life can certainly change.
I might have ended up there had I remained in New Orleans and married my first love!
My friend's home is in a gated community which I find interesting because of the great
variety of styles of homes. Certainly, there is much Southern architecture, with stately
white columns but there are English Tudor styles and everything in between. I thought
you might enjoy seeing some of them. My friend originally lived in what she calls "the
large house" - a stately Southern home with eight bedrooms and eight baths ( I think ),
about 7,000 square feet. When her two daughters grew up and moved out of the house,
she decided she wanted to downsize and they bought "the small house" ( it only has four
bedrooms but it is still pretty large to me at about 4000 square feet! ).
This was my friend's first home in English Turn - what she called "the big house" and that it was!!
This is her current "small house" at English Turn - about 4000 sq ft - 3000 sq ft smaller and still plenty big!
All I know is that these elegant homes are a far cry from the "shotgun" house I rented
when I first left Charity Hospital in 1965, as a young nurse. This Wikipedia photo is a
very close replica of that first house!
photo by Wikipedia
Come and join in the fun.
