Rest A While

2113 Lakeshore Drive. Rest A While, circa 1905.  There are 3 surviving buildings on the site of what was once a large complex of structures stretching from Lakeshore Drive to Claiborne Street.  Recently, new owners have connected these buildings and created a sprawling restaurant complex.

1. In 1905, the Anderson family donated the expansive property, in memory of the Rodds, Mrs. Anderson's parents, to the International Order of the King's Daughters and Sons.  For over 100 years this site, named Rest A While, provided respite for the poor, particularly women and children. An early member, supporter, educator, and philanthropist was Sophie B. Wright.  The easternmost building, a Craftsman Cottage, was built by the order and dedicated in 1916 as a memorial to her.

2. In the center is a Creole Cottage, one of three, built around 1850 by Thomas Hynes.  These guest cottages accommodated vacationers fleeing the heat and disease of the New Orleans summer.  The cottages were moved back to allow the construction of the Frapart House.  Only one of the three remains on site, and during the Rest A while years, it was known as the Fayssoux-Hadden Memorial.  A second surviving cottage was moved, post-Katrina (2005), to the adjacent property to the west.  During the Rest A While years it was known as the James T. Rodd Memorial.

3. The largest building is the former Frapart House, circa 1880.  it is the last surviving 19th-century hotel building from Mandeville's golden age.  During the more than 100-year tenure of the International Order of the King's Daughters and Sons, it was known as the Margaret Rodd Memorial. Heavy damage during Hurricane Katrina ended this long legacy of social good by this worthy organization.