Frances Parkinson Keyes House
If you like elegance from a bygone era, the New Orleans home of Frances Parkinson Keyes (1885-1970), prolific author best known for Dinner at Antoine’s, is ready for your tour. It is located at 1113 Chartres Street. Visit its website at bkhouse.org for details about scheduling, pricing, and parking.
Prior to its ownership by Keyes, the house was the former residence of General Gustav Toutant Beauregard, a controversial officer in the Confederate War who published writings about Civil War battles.
Restoration of the house began in the 1920s, and continues to be meticulously maintained to this day. Keyes lived there in her twilight years, from 1945 to 1970. According to the Beauregard-Keyes House website: “Opposite the old Ursuline Convent on Chartres Street stands the Beauregard-Keyes House. The House is now owned by the Keyes Foundation, which was established by late resident Frances Parkinson Keyes, to ensure the preservation of the house and garden which she restored. Since the construction of the House in 1826, many different residents have contributed to the stories that make up the fabric of this unique historical site.”
About the Mystery Writer
Author of more than 50 books, Keyes set several stories in Louisiana, including Dinner at Antoine’s, a best-selling murder mystery published in 1948. The actual Antoine’s Restaurant is in the French Quarter of New Orleans and has been in operation since 1840, making it the oldest restaurant in New Orleans. You can read more about it at antoines.com.
“Taking the way that opens, even if it seems hardly more than a footpath, not infrequently leads to the highways of heart’s desire, if not to fame and fortune.” –Frances Parkinson Keyes
This is the second stop on our Louisiana Author Adventures Trail.
Patricia Smart
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