Bayou Preservation LLC

Nora Goddard from our team is pursuing a PhD in archaeology and she finally got to dig into an old privy (toilet) on the HNOC site in the French Quarter. It’s like Christmas came early for Nora!

We started conservation work on the German Society Tomb in Lafayette 1 Cemetery. This is a project with for . Once we pulled the small wheat field of plants from the roof and cleaned the stucco, we could see that the outer bays were actually additions to the original society tomb. The change in stucco material suggests the additions were constructed about 25-50 years after the original structure. The notches on the sides of the tomb suggest this group was planning for additional future growth; the notches would have accepted the slate shelves that to form new burial vaults. We also got started on cleaning the marble…check out the satisfying video!

This historic barn from 1925 is in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, on land that’s belonged to the Jesuits for a very long time. We believe it’s a kit-of-parts building, with a gambrel roof that was likely designed somewhere up north where they encounter more snow. It’s got real barn doors and real shiplap (eat your hearts out, Chip and Joanna).

We visit our historic preservation job sites regularly, and we always find interesting things! On our HNOC project in the French Quarter, we are mapping the different periods of brick work and building changes through materials analysis. The contractor, RGGC, has unearthed some really cool pottery sherds! (“Sherds” are pottery, “shards” are glass…I just learned that).

We recently conserved an Enrique Alvarez fountain in City Park. This project involved removal of biological growth and application of a mineral coating custom matched to the color of the original work. The light, warm pink color on her is really beautiful.

I’ve officially been in business for 15 years! Bayou Preservation started as a side-hustle conservation business with a focus on cemeteries. Fifteen years later, our team had worked on tombs, art, objects, sculptures, churches, plantations, ruins, etc. I’ve helped train eight other conservators over the years, I’ve steered a business through Covid, and I had two kids. I have immense appreciation for all current and former workers, as nothing would have been finished without them. It’s been a lot of fun and a lot of sweat! Here’s to plenty more adventures ahead!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Our office and studio are closed through January 2, 2026.

Thank you to the PRC and all our other team members for helping restore a historic tomb in St Louis 2! Scroll to see Juliette get flustered in her explanation of lime plaster.

We’ve been restoring a Serpentine Stone sculpture that was dropped and heavily damaged. Many pins and a lot of stone filler later, it’s vertical again! May is Preservation month, be sure to celebrate.

Welcome back, you gorgeous thing! Our team restored the fireplace tile in this beautiful Victorian era house.

Visiting old buildings, old friends, family, and potential new projects in Mobile, Alabama.

In 2025 we’ve been conserving a 1925 model of the arch that was erected for Lafayette’s 1825 visit to New Orleans. The model is made of wood and plaster and needed a good cleaning and some plaster repairs. You can visit this piece at The Mint!