For a lot of the twentieth century, Royal Pharmacy served as a French Quarter cornerstone. Its classic outside Coca-Cola signal supplied a heat invitation to come back in and fill a prescription, pull up a stool on the nostalgic soda fountain, or browse the hand-labeled cabinets for on a regular basis sundries. Above the store, two residential flooring offered a uncommon perk: the chance to stay the place you’re employed – and with a captivating wraparound balcony overlooking the French Quarter.

A uncommon and distinctive piece of New Orleans historical past courting again to 1831 has hit the market. 1101 Royal St. is on sale for $1.625 million. The almost 200-year-old French Quarter landmark options 5,400 sq. ft of business and residential area with three bedrooms and three loos on the 2 residential flooring.

“The historic Royal Pharmacy has been an iconic fixture of the New Orleans French Quarter for many years, and this outstanding property is a uncommon gem boasting a first-rate location,” mentioned itemizing agent Eleanor Farnsworth, a licensed Historic Residential Specialist and Realtor with Latter & Blum | Compass. Farnsworth, a local New Orleanian with 45 years of expertise within the native actual property market, added that the property, wrapping the nook of Royal Avenue and Ursulines Avenue, affords “glorious avenue visibility to bustling foot visitors.”
Farnsworth mentioned the curiosity up to now has come from each native and out-of-state buyers. “It combines historic attraction with fashionable potential, excellent for an investor or a enterprise proprietor seeking to set up a singular presence in New Orleans,” she mentioned.

The late pharmacist Louis Castillon Sr. initially owned the Royal Pharmacy, which opened circa the late nineteenth century/early twentieth century. His household lived upstairs whereas he ran the pharmacy downstairs. In accordance with his 1938 obituary in The New Orleans Merchandise, Castillon was “one of many best-known figures of the Vieux Carre for greater than 40 years … and was the druggist for a lot of Italian, French, and different benevolent organizations.”

Within the late Thirties, Castillon offered the enterprise and the property to Charles Tusa, whose household operated the pharmacy. The property stays within the Tusa identify near a century later.

The Tusa’s added the classic Coca-Cola and Royal Pharmacy signage to evoke the constructing’s century-long legacy and in addition added the marble soda fountain transported from Italy with backlit mirror shelving and Nineteen Forties chrome stools. In accordance with information from the Instances-Picayune/States-Merchandise, the shop additionally featured a pinball machine and a circulating library.

The constructing’s façade options tall home windows, balcony railings, and colourful Creole structure. The storefront has detailed ironwork and interval architectural components, corresponding to a mosaic tile entry means with lettering spelling out “Royal Pharmacy.”
Inside, the preserved business area options authentic tin ceilings, classic shelving, and extra storage and workplace areas within the again – one among which was traditionally and conveniently used as a health care provider’s workplace, the place sufferers would stroll to the entrance of the shop after their medical seek the advice of and fill their prescriptions within the pharmacy.

The sunlit, storefront inside has transom home windows and authentic tile flooring, and basic pharmacy counter with classic fixtures accompanying the genuine soda-shop ambiance. There’s a neon “Rx Medication” signal and hand-labeled interval shelving. Despite the fact that the precise pharmacy enterprise closed about 5 years in the past, folks can nonetheless come into the business area and buy every single day, over-the-counter objects.

“Folks nonetheless pop into the shop, and they’re fascinated by the attraction and the classic look of every part inside,” Farnsworth mentioned. “They wish to know the historical past of every part, and it’s simply a kind of nostalgic New Orleans properties with a number of tales to inform.”
The residential area begins on the second flooring with massive dwelling areas, authentic stucco partitions, 13-foot ceilings, and two full loos. Farnsworth mentioned the residential portion has been partially up to date whereas sustaining the integrity of the unique tradition, that includes hardwood flooring, customized options and finishes all through, together with uncovered brick and beamed ceilings.

The up to date kitchen features a checkered tile flooring, farmhouse sink, classic vary, stainless home equipment, and brick-accented kitchen wall with basic New Orleans shutters. One rest room features a glass bathe, pedestal sink, and restored hex-tile flooring, whereas the opposite contains a double vainness, clawfoot tub, and ornamental stained-glass window.

The stairway touchdown has detailed millwork, transoms, and authentic hardwood flooring. There’s a sun-filled parlor with French doorways and a refined sitting room with authentic hardwood flooring and an ornamental fire mantle. 4 units of French doorways open to a wraparound balcony overlooking Royal Avenue, framed by neighboring wrought-iron galleries.

The third flooring supplies a further residential area with quite a lot of makes use of, whether or not as a bed room, workplace, or leisure room, and contains entry to the roof. The pool desk within the leisure room is included within the sale, Farnsworth mentioned.