965 Harding Drive (City Park/Bayou St. John Area)

The neighborhoods along Bayou St. John have a rich history that goes back almost 300 years. For a modern mini chapter of this history, our research determined that this house on Harding Place near Bayou St. John was built in 1927 for the Brownson family. Originally from planting families in St. Mary Parish, Anthony and Clara Brownson moved to New Orleans with their seven children in 1913. Their eldest son John J. Brownson had this house constructed for the extended Brownson family. A manager at the Standard Fruit Company for many years, John traveled to Nicaragua, Mexico, and Honduras regularly while he resided in the home.