Historical research by John Hilbert and Shar Mansukhani and originally published in Preservation in Print.
Architect Emile Weil reputedly loved this 22-room Italianate / Beaux Arts Renaissance Revival?house above all the other St. Charles Avenue and Audubon Place residences he designed. It took four years to complete the two-and-a-half-story palace ? with its stone fa?ade, balustrade and paired Ionic columns, grand interior foyer, replicated Versailles staircase and long ballroom ? but by 1916 businessman Emmanuel V. Benjamin was ensconced in his dream home. Legend has it that his son, who grew up in the mansion, was such an eccentric that a group of men started ?The Benjamin Club? just to tell and retell their favorite stories about him.
Paul Maloney Jr., son of Congressman Paul Maloney, bought the house in 1943, and 12 years later sold it to J. Edgar Monroe, a self-made millionaire and philanthropist. Monroe had a taste for opulent homes ? his other house being a 100,000-square-foot cottage in Newport, RI. He died without heirs and his foundation sold the mansion to Michael Christovich, who renovated the interior under the direction of architect Peter Trapolin and decorating doyenne Nina Sloss. Davis Jahncke of Jahncke + Burns Architects designed the pool and poolhouse. Christovich donated a preservation easement to the PRC, which means any changes or alterations to the exterior must be approved by the PRC to ensure the protection of the historic integrity.
Tracy and Susan Krohn bought the property in January 2005, and soon Mrs. Krohn and interior designer/hair dresser Burke Saucier were off to Europe. They shopped Paris for chandeliers and antiques, bought French and Italian silk to create drapes hand stitched to Burke?s specifications, and shipped home a hand-carved Italian door to grace the entrance. They applied extensive embellishments to the moldings and medallions (including one designed by Burke using 360 pieces of plaster.) They were still decorating when Hurricane Katrina bore down, and the Krohns and Burke hurriedly flew off to Las Vegas.
Relocating to Houston, Susan Krohn put the house on the market and in the interim rented it to author Michael Lewis. The enormity of the property was described by Lewis in an article he wrote for portfolio.com, Sept. 18, 2008. He and his wife had found the only way to locate each other in the house was by cellphone, so one afternoon she called him on his mobile.
?Where are you?? she asked. ?I?m in the house taking care of the kids,? I said, a little indignantly. ?Well, you can?t be watching them very closely,? she said, ?because I?m in the house taking care of the kids.?
When Fred and Jennifer Heebe bought the mansion in 2009, it needed structural work and an interior that would better suit their family so they hired The Hopkins Company to lead the project. Architect Steve Quarles assisted with the endeavor. The Heebes worked closely with PRC easement director Leah Tubbs in repairing the fa?ade. Gerrie Bremermann, known for her blend of fine antiques, simple lines and sophisticated paint palette created the interior design. Her eye for completing a space is evident in the Heebe?s gracious living room. They added a chandelier with a plaster medallion by Tommy Lachin, hung Louisiana art collected with the assistance of Jean Bragg, and laid beautiful rugs found in New York. They also replaced all light fixtures, hardware and curtains throughout, graced the large entrance hall with a piano from M.S. Rau Antiques, and modified a rear room of the house to create a bar and family room whose walls are lined with Louisiana cypress. Heebe home was a perfect and spacious place to host the 2010 Holiday Home Tour Patron Party.
A Weil-designed two-story triplex at 5428 St. Charles Ave. (pictured to the left) is proposed for demolition. NCDC will consider the proposal on September 6, 2011.
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