Milton H. Latter Memorial Library
🏢 New Orleans Public Library — New Orleans, Louisiana
Milton H. Latter Memorial Library
Widely called the most beautiful library in New Orleans, the Latter is a 1907 St. Charles Avenue mansion — Flemish woodwork, Dutch murals, and frescoed ceilings — where you can read in a former silent-film star's parlor with the streetcar rattling past the front lawn.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10 AM – 7 PM |
| Tuesday | 10 AM – 7 PM |
| Wednesday | 10 AM – 7 PM |
| Thursday | 10 AM – 7 PM |
| Friday | 10 AM – 5 PM |
| Saturday | 10 AM – 5 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays.
📍 Location & Contact
Address: 5120 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70115
Phone: (504) 596-2625
Website: nolalibrary.org
📖 About Milton H. Latter Memorial Library
The Milton H. Latter Memorial Library occupies a grand 1907 mansion at 5120 St. Charles Avenue, built for Canal Street merchant Marks Isaacs and designed by the New Orleans architects Favrot & Livaudais. Its interiors are famous: hand-carved Flemish-style woodwork, Dutch-inspired murals, and French frescoed ceilings survive from the home's earliest years. Over the decades the house passed through a colorful cast of owners, including silent-film actress Marguerite Clark and her aviator husband Harry Williams. In 1948 Harry and Anna Latter gave the mansion to the City of New Orleans as a public library and a memorial to their son, First Lieutenant Milton H. Latter, who was killed in action on Okinawa in April 1945. Today it functions as a full-service neighborhood branch while remaining one of the city's most photographed interiors, right on the St. Charles streetcar line in Uptown.
⭐ What makes this branch special
- A 1907 mansion designed by Favrot & Livaudais for merchant Marks Isaacs
- Original Flemish carved woodwork, Dutch murals, and frescoed ceilings
- Once home to silent-film star Marguerite Clark and aviator Harry Williams
- Donated in 1948 as a memorial to 1st Lt. Milton H. Latter, killed at Okinawa
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❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Milton H. Latter, and why is the library named for him?
Milton H. Latter was a First Lieutenant killed in action on Okinawa in April 1945 during World War II. In 1948 his parents, Harry and Anna Latter, donated this St. Charles Avenue mansion to the City of New Orleans as a public library in his memory — even though Milton himself never lived in the house.
Can I visit the Latter Library just to see the historic interior?
Yes. As a working public library, the Latter is open to anyone during regular hours, so you can walk in to admire the carved Flemish woodwork, Dutch murals, and frescoed ceilings that date from the mansion's construction in 1907 — no library card required simply to look around.
Is the Latter Library easy to reach by streetcar?
Very. The library sits directly on St. Charles Avenue along the historic St. Charles streetcar line in Uptown, so you can step off the streetcar almost at its front lawn — one of the reasons it's such a popular stop for both readers and visitors.