Quick Bites: A Legacy of Service at the Kemper-Williams Residence

The Historic New Orleans Collection, is a great jewel in the crown of the Crescent City.  Founded in 1966 by General L. Kemper and his wife, Leila Williams, the collection today includes a museum and research center encompassing ten historic French Quarter buildings. At the heart of the HNOC is the Kemper-Williams residence, a house museum, which allows visitors to experience life as the General and Leila lived it there for decades.

On this Louisiana Eats Quick Bite, we tour the residence with Lydia Blackmore, the HNOC’s first decorative arts curator. As Lydia researched life at the residence, she uncovered previously untold tales of the Kemper’s “help.”

The staff, which included a butler, chauffeur, cook, housemaid, personal maid, laundress, gardener and private secretary, made the Kemper’s life of privilege possible. Lydia decided that it was time their story was told, so she developed a focused tour that told the story of the servants who worked for the Williams from 1946 through 1964 which has now been incorporated into the daily tours of the home.

To learn more about the Historic New Orleans Collection, visit their website, www.hnoc.org.