It was a hot and humid August day, like many summer days familiar to New Orleans. Ace Allen walked down Royal Street wide-eyed, soaking up every sight, sound, and smell. He had never been to New Orleans before. It felt as if he had stepped into a strange, distinct world. Never had he seen a city like it before.
Ace stopped in front of a house on Royal Street and took in the details. Built in the 19th century, like most houses he came across in New Orleans, this one stood out from the others. Surrounded by an iron fence, the bars had a design unique from the other houses he had seen. These iron bars resembled cornstalks. Never had he seen a fence like it before.
Later, he discovered a postcard featuring the house and its iron cornstalk fence. He bought it right away.
Postcard purchased by Ace Allen, and sent on August 4, 1941. I discovered the postcard in an antique store in Jefferson, TX. The house with the cornstalk fence is still there, and is now The Cornstalk Hotel.
The year was 1941.
The United States remained at peace on this particular day, but the rest of the world found itself embroiled in World War II. Four days before Ace Allen sent his postcard, Adolf Hitler was doling out directives. One such directive given to Hermann Goring concerned the Nazi’s Jewish question. Goring wrote to S. S. General Heydrich, “…submit to me as soon as possible a general plan of the administrative material and financial measures necessary for carrying out the desired Final Solution of the Jewish question.” In the summer of 1941, United States citizens remained ignorant of the Holocaust and hoped to remain out of the war. Four months later — on December 7, 1941 the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Peal Harbor.
This is the world Ace was living in as he paused for a moment to write a note on the back of a postcard.
“Hello Stubby, Well — this is some place. Lots of people, river, tall buildings, (not legible) stores, and pretty girls. Ahem — Be a good little girl. Ace Allen” — Then Ace sent the postcard to Letitia Skinnell in Marshall, TX.
Built in 1816, the house on Royal Street with the cornstalk style fence was the home of the first Attorney General of Louisiana. Its unique fence wasn’t erected until the 1850’s. Dr. Joseph Secondo Biamenti owned the house by then. His wife had become homesick for her home state Iowa. In an effort to cure her homesickness, Biamenti had the fence erected with decorative iron cornstalks around the house.
BONUS: Blank postcard depicting Royal Street in New Orleans. The opening scenes of the Elvis Presley movie King Creole took place on this stretch of the street. This postcard was also purchased in Jefferson, TX and was with the featured postcard. I’m assuming Ace Allen purchased this one too, but there is no way to verify that.
Today, the house is The Cornstalk Hotel. The hotel claims Elvis Presley stayed there during the filming of King Creole — the subject of our last post involving New Orleans. A search of newspaper articles and records from that time, however claim he and his entourage stayed at The Roosevelt.*
But, in 1941, Ace Allen strolled by. He noted the unique cornstalk fence. Perhaps he was from Texas, and the ironwork reminded him of home too. Later he found some souvenirs for sale. He spotted a postcard with the same house and cornstalk fence and purchased it. He knew “Stubby” from Marshall, TX would appreciate the fence too.
78 years later — this is the postcard we’re featuring today.
*I reached out to The Cornstalk Hotel for more information on the Elvis Presley claim. They have not returned any correspondence.