Research says New Orleans mansion housed first desegregated public school in the South

New research tied to the Lalaurie Mansion at 1140 Royal Street says the Lower Girls’ School opened there in 1870 as the first racially integrated public school in the South. The findings, part of Lance Zaal’s forthcoming book, add a Reconstruction-era civil rights chapter to a building more widely known for its haunted-history lore.

Why it matters: - The research reframes 1140 Royal Street as more than a site linked to 19th-century horror stories and later pop-culture treatment. - The Lower Girls’ School history places the building in the early story of integrated public education in the South. - The findings add Reconstruction-era civil rights history to a property usually associated with Delphine Lalaurie and the 1834 घटनations that fueled later sensational accounts.

What happened: - Historical records show the Lower Girls’ School opened at 1140 Royal Street on Nov. 21, 1870, during Reconstruction. - The school operated at the corner of Hospital and Royal streets in New Orleans. - Research led by Lalaurie Mansion owner and resident Lance Zaal identifies the school as the first desegregated public school in the South. - Zaal’s findings are included in his forthcoming historical nonfiction book, The Lalaurie Mansion Decoded.

The details: - Records show nearly 120 students learned together in each session at the Royal Street school. - The exact date integrated classes began has not been established. - The school later hosted functions for the Peabody Normal School in 1877 and 1878 before relocating. - The school’s history had been referenced by historians before, but it has remained largely unknown to the public. - The research draws from university collections, professors, Louisiana notarial records, Catholic parish records, cemetery records and thousands of period newspapers. - Primary-source documentation supporting the research will be made available to journalists for review. - Zaal’s research also traces other uses of 1140 Royal Street, including housing for women serving in the WAVES during World War II. - The book also examines historic artwork hidden inside the house and other periods tied to the property. - The Lalaurie Mansion Decoded is scheduled for publication in October 2026 and is available for pre-order at 1140Royal.com. - The project includes the 1140 Royal Reconciliation and Preservation Initiative, which Zaal established to continue research, preservation and public sharing of the property’s history.

Between the lines: - The research pushes back against a version of the mansion’s story shaped by horror books, television and tour narratives. - Zaal argues the property’s cultural significance has been overshadowed by attention to celebrities who owned it and by entertainment-focused retellings. - The Lower Girls’ School also shows that integrated education in New Orleans faced violent resistance during Reconstruction. - In December 1874, amid the White League’s campaign against Reconstruction government, mobs targeted integrated schools across New Orleans. - The Lower Girls’ School was among the schools targeted, and white parents opposed to racial equality pulled their children from the school. - The broader context suggests the school’s history is both a civil rights milestone and a reminder of how fragile Reconstruction-era gains were. - Zaal said the goal is to reveal what was hidden, why it was hidden and who was responsible. - Zaal also said the mansion should be remembered as a historic site, not treated only as a haunted attraction.

What’s next: - The Lalaurie Mansion Decoded will be published in October 2026. - Journalists will be able to review the primary-source documentation behind the research. - Zaal said the 1140 Royal Reconciliation and Preservation Initiative will continue to research and preserve the property’s broader history. - The book is expected to expand the public narrative around 1140 Royal Street beyond the best-known legends and horror portrayals.

The bottom line: - The Lalaurie Mansion story now includes a documented Reconstruction-era milestone: one of the South’s earliest integrated public school histories.