New Orleans, Orleans Parish story
A Legacy of Fiction
At 624 Pirates Alley, the line between history and literature blurs. This townhouse, built in 1837, was home to William Faulkner in the 1920s. It was right here, in the ground-flo…
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At 624 Pirates Alley, the line between history and literature blurs. This townhouse, built in 1837, was home to William Faulkner in the 1920s. It was right here, in the ground-floor room that now houses Faulkner House Books, that he completed his first novel, Soldiers' Pay.
The shop itself, which opened on Faulkner's birthday in 1990, specializes in rare editions of his work. While the building is a national literary landmark, it's also a place where the early New Orleans literary life of a giant of American fiction still lingers. It's the perfect spot to pick up a rare book and imagine the young author at work.
Updated June 2026