This sad scene from 1951 became even sadder in 1965 when the grandiose Campbell Mansion fell to the wrecking ball. It was designed by the architect Lewis Reynolds in the late 1850s for Dr. George W. Campbell and was recognized as one of the finest residences in the city. During the Civil War it was seized by the federal authorities and used as their headquarters. Here, though, we see it desecrated by a tacky storefront addition (housing, among other things, an early version of the Hummingbird Grill which later moved across the street). The final indignity came in 1965 when the formerly great house was demolished, according to the Friends of the Cabildo, for a used car lot. The small structure at the far right in the photograph—the carriage house for the residence—for some reason is still standing.

Images of the City   |   Images of the Family