The Society's Mission

The Algiers Historical Society (AHS) was formed in October 1999 by Kevin Herridge, Judi Robertson and a handful of like-minded people to promote the history of Algiers - and occasionally McDonoghville, Freetown and Gretna.  The Society is also dedicated to informing Algiers’ natives and newcomers through "The Algerine," our quarterly newsletter, as well as, monthly speakers on the history of Algiers and metro New Orleans, its people and places.

Join the Society

If you are interested in your local lineage, history of your home and/or local truth and lore, then please consider joining the Algiers Historical Society.  In doing so, you will begin to amass the tools you will need to research your family home and ancestors. By joining, you will receive word of monthly* meetings along with the quarterly newsletter, "The Algerine".  

Membership

The Society's membership year runs from January 1st to December 31st. Subscriptions are due each year on January 1st.  If you should join towards the end of a year you will receive the back issues of "The Algerine" for that year unless you stipulate you wish to join for the forthcoming year.

History Relevance - The Value of History

The Algiers Historical Society (AHS) Board of Directors, in July 2020, unanimously voted to adopt and endorse the History Relevance initiative and its seven principle components. This will guide the AHS, an IRS 501(c)(3) organization, henceforth. For more details about History Relevance, click on the link below. 

The AHS now joins the ranks of over 400 other organizations, across America, that have already embraced this initiative that began informally, in early 2013, with a series of conversations about why history - both knowledge about the past and the practice of researching and interpreting the past - was marginalized in our country. 

The Algiers Historical Society Officers

President...........Donald Costello
Vice President.... Arthur Ruiz, Jr. .
Secretary/Treasurer...........Frank Wagner

Algiers Courthouse
​Built 1896 - Restored 2018

Algiers Courthouse $1.38 million restoration, at 225 Morgan St., in Historic Algiers Point is now completed. It began in early 2017 and the ribbon cutting ceremony was on Feb. 1, 2018. (Click on this paragraph, then scroll down to the middle of the web page to review FEMA documents, descriptions and photos taken throughout the year long project.)

Family & Home Histories Wanted

If you are an AHS member and would like to share your family and/or home history or your life in any part of Algiers, please contact us and we would be happy to add it as a future AHS meeting.

General Meetings

The Algiers Historical Society (AHS) meets from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the third (3rd) Saturday of each month, January thru November, unless otherwise noted. There is no meeting in December. 
 
All meetings are free and open to the public and media.
 
Location: Algiers Regional Library, 3014 Holiday Dr., New Orleans Westbank (Algiers), La. 70131, in the large, first floor meeting room. Library Phone: 504-596-2641.
 
AHS meetings, at the library, are not endorsed by or affiliated with the New Orleans Public Library.

We have some exciting presentations coming up, so please do join us. Be sure to share this information with your family members, friends and neighbors. 
 
Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlgiersHistoricalSociety/

Upcoming Meetings

​Location: Algiers Regional Library, 3014 Holiday Dr. in Algiers. Library phone: 504-596-2641. Large, first floor meeting room.

AHS meetings, at the library, are free and open to the public and media. Also, they are not affiliated with or endorsed by the New Orleans Public Library.

Saturday, February 21, 2026
​10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Origins of Algiers Point Street Names
Presenter: William HYLAND
​
The streets in Algiers Point were primarily laid out in the1820s and 1830s when a series of individual plantations were subdivided into smaller lots, which resulted in a somewhat disjoined, piecemeal grid. The initial, core street grid of Algiers Point, also known as Old Algiers, was surveyed in 1821 by state surveyor General C. N. BOUCHON.

These actions were primarily driven by the growing shipbuilding industry and the establishment of the Louisiana Legislature state sanctioned Algiers - Canal St. ferry, in 1827, connecting Algiers Point to the French Quarter.

However, the naming of these streets, initially and later on, is another amazing story that very few people would know about today.

HYLAND is the distinguished St. Bernard Parish Historian who has authored publications on Islenos, Creole, African, Irish, Italian, Filipino Asian, German and American influences on Southeast Louisiana. Since 1997, he has served as site manager/director of the Los Islenos Museum Complex in St. Bernard Parish. The center preserves, interprets and promotes the language, heritage and cultural traditions of the Canary Islanders.

Saturday, March 21, 2026
​1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

NOTE: THIS AHS MEETING BEGINS AT 1:00 PM IN THE AFTERNOON, AT THE ALGIERS REGIONAL LIBRARY, OUR USUAL MEETING LOCATION.

New Orleans Military & Maritime Academy

Presenter: Colonel Christopher SCHLAFER USMC (Ret) Commandant

Col. SCHLAFER will share an overview of the New Orleans Military & Maritime Academy's (NOMMA) unique public charter school model at Federal City in Algiers. As the only school in Louisiana to offer a full school Marine Corps JROTC program, NOMMA blends rigorous academics with leadership training, discipline, and civic responsibility.

The presentation will highlight the school’s growth, outstanding student outcomes, and plans to expand its campus to meet increasing demand. Attendees will gain insight into how NOMMA continues to prepare the next generation of leaders for success in college, careers, and service to their community.

Colonel Chris SCHLAFER is a 29-year Marine Corps veteran. He has served in many different billets and locations throughout his career, had the privilege of commanding a Marine Security Guard region based in the Mideast, and served three combat tours.  Col. SCHLAFER served as the Assistant Chief of Staff G6 (Communications and Information Technology)

for Marine Forces Reserve Headquarters in New Orleans from 2008 to 2012. During this period, he was part of the team that relocated the Reserve Headquarters into Marine Corps Support Facility New Orleans, located in the historic neighborhood of Algiers on the West Bank of New Orleans. Col. Schlafer completed his active duty career serving as the Chief of Staff for US Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command. Col. Schlafer took over as Commandant for the New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy in September 2015. 

Speakers & Volunteers Needed

The Society is always seeking speakers, preferably on Algiers or New Orleans related topics. If you can speak for 20-30 minutes on your life, family, church, music or Algiers experiences, we want you!  The Society is also looking for volunteers. Duties will include typing documents, collecting information from headstones in churchyards, transcribing interviews, photography, etc.  Please contact us if you can help in either area.    algiershistoryhistoricalsociety@aol.com