1/ Washington Avenue was still a dirt road, as were both Chestnut and Camp Streets which flanked the palatial home known both as the home of James Robb and John Burnside, shown here circa 1858. Robb made a fortune by the time he was 30, establishing banks and businesses in the US

2/ Repost by Request: The Robb Mansion

He established banks and businesses in the US and Europe, and building the first gas-works in the city of Havana, Cuba. He spared no expense in building this home and was an avid art collector, with a huge art gallery with 16' ceilings.

3/ The 1857 financial crisis forced him to sell off his assets, including the mansion and its art collection, which may be found in some of the finest museums in the world. The Burnside family lived in the mansion on Washington Avenue from 1857 until 1890.

4/ At that time, it was sold to Sophie Newcomb College, which had been established in 1887. In 1917, the college moved to a larger campus on Broadway, next to Tulane University. The house that Mr. Robb built stood for 100 years before it fell to the wrecking ball in 1954.