New Orleans, Orleans Parish story
A Legacy of Free Women
Few figures represent the complexity of old New Orleans like Rosette Rochon. Born in Mobile, Alabama, in 1760, Rosette was a wealthy free woman of color who became a prominent dev…
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Few figures represent the complexity of old New Orleans like Rosette Rochon. Born in Mobile, Alabama, in 1760, Rosette was a wealthy free woman of color who became a prominent developer and early investor in the Faubourg Marigny. In 1806, she purchased land from Bernard de Marigny and later built a typical Creole cottage on Pauger Street.
Rosette lived an extraordinarily long life, passing away in 1863 at the age of 103, leaving behind an estate valued at one hundred thousand dollars. Her home, a briquette-entre-poteaux cottage built directly on the sidewalk, now serves as a museum dedicated to her memory. It stands as a testament to the influence and success of the gens de couleur libres, the free people of color who helped shape the city's early economic and social landscape.
Updated June 2026