Elizebeth Thomas Werlein (28 January 1883 – 24 April 1946) was an American preservationist who is considered responsible for the preservation of the French Quarter of New Orleans. She was also one of the first women to fly in a plane and she was a philanthropist in the city.

Early life

Elizebeth Thomas was born in

Bay City, Michigan Bay City is a city in Bay County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The population was 32,661 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is located just upriver from the Saginaw Bay on the Saginaw River. It is the princip ...

on 28 January 1883 to dynamite manufacturer Henry Thomas and his first wife, Marie Louise Felton Smith. From a wealthy family Werlein was educated at school in Bay City as well as attending Liggett School in Detroit and the Detroit Conservatory of Music. She studied voice and considered a musical career. Werlein went to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

to continue her studies at Miss White's School in 1903. Two of her teachers were Antonio Baldelli and

Jean de Reszke Jean de Reszke (born Jan Mieczysław Reszke; 14 January 18503 April 1925) was a Polish dramatic tenor and opera star. Reszke came from a wealthy Polish family with classical and operatic musical traditions. His mother gave him his first singing ...

. However as a socialite, Werlein had many demands on her time. She hunted in Africa and met Empress

Eugénie de Montijo Eugénie de Montijo (; born María Eugenia Ignacia Agustina de Palafox y Kirkpatrick; 5 May 1826 – 11 July 1920) was Second French Empire, Empress of the French from her marriage to Napoleon III on 30 January 1853 until he was overthrown on 4 ...

and

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and travelled through

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and

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. She had been engaged to marry a Russian prince. When their engagement broke up Werlein moved to London. There she met a new fiancé Viscount Charles Yorke Royston. With him she took up ballooning and they travelled to Belgium in 1908 by balloon. Werlein wore a suit specially designed by the House of Worth of Paris for the trip. Werlein travelled to

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

that year and what was supposed to be a short trip changed when she met and married instrument dealer and music publisher Philip Werlein III on 4 August 1908 in Bay City. The couple settled in New Orleans and had four children; Betty, Lorraine, Evelyn, and Philip.

Career

As one of the elite of the city Werlein began a career of working to become completely involved in the social life of

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

. Werlein's husband died of influenza in 1917 and she threw herself into ever more activities as well as raising their young children. She founded sewing classes for underprivileged girls in Kingsley House and later became the first president of the Louisiana League of women voters in 1920. She founded and directed the New Orleans Red Cross canteen in 1919 after the end of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. She had worked as a volunteer during the war running the Woman's Committee of the New Orleans Liberty Loan drives, the Woman's Division of the Council of National Defense for New Orleans, and the ''Landing Fields in Louisiana'' Committee. Werlein never lost her love of music and was on the board of the New Orleans Philharmonic Society and acting as a host to artists arriving in the city. She gave

Nellie Melba Dame Nellie Melba (born Helen Porter Mitchell; 19 May 186123 February 1931) was an Australian operatic lyric coloratura soprano. She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian era and the early twentieth century, and was the f ...

a place to recover after she experienced an accident on stage. Werlein worked against censorship in the twenties with the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Association. It was her only paid position, when she was the public relations director of the Saenger Theatre as the group worked to forestall legislation by attempting self censorship of their films. Werlein was the president of the ''Orleans Club'' and the ''Quarante Club''. But it is primarily for her work in the

French Quarter The French Quarter, also known as the (; ; ), is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. After New Orleans () was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city developed around the ("Old Square" in English), a ...

of New Orleans that she is remembered. She fought for the preservation of the buildings and cultural uniqueness of the city from the 1920s. Werlein supported Le Petit Salon, Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré, and Le Quartier Club. She created a booklet showing photographs of the wrought iron railings of the district and fighting to ensure they were not replaced. She was the first president and founder of the Vieux Carré Property Owners Association in 1930. Despite the early lack of support Werlein persuaded the public and officials to recognise her perspective and as a result of her efforts the French Quarter became a valuable part of the national heritage. The

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

made her an honorary member in 1942 for her work. Werlein died of cancer in 1946 and was buried in New Orleans. Her home was at 630 Saint Ann Street where there is a bronze memorial to her.

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Werlein, Elizebeth Thomas 1883 births 1946 deaths People from Bay City, Michigan Historical preservationists People from New Orleans