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Collection bids farewell to longtime master carpenter
December 31, 2012, marked the last day of work at The Collection for master carpenter Larry Falgoust, who joined the staff over 21 years ago, in September 1991, and has been a vital part of preserving the organization’s historic properties. In his absence he leaves a number of disappointed colleagues, all of whom relied on Falgoust’s deep knowledge of building systems and ability to fix problems large and small, from building custom display cases for an exhibition to fixing a broken lock or a bent key.
“Larry knows everything there is to know about buildings,” says Mimi Calhoun, facilities manager and Falgoust’s former supervisor. “He’s always so delightful—never has a bad day. I’m just so mad at him for leaving (not really). He’s going to be impossible to replace.”
Falgoust, who was born and raised in Uptown New Orleans, learned the trade from his father, who worked as a maintenance carpenter for a local hospital. “I used to do odd jobs with him,” Falgoust says. “Then I went to school for carpentry and studied architectural drafting. I enjoyed seeing what you could accomplish, building things and fixing and repairing things.”
Recently retired master carpenter Larry Falgoust is shown in his shop.
By the time he joined the staff at The Collection, he had completed carpentry and renovation jobs on countless historic New Orleans homes. Falgoust appreciates that The Collection “likes to bring [a structure] back to the original way it was built,” he says. In addition to his maintenance work, Falgoust was also tapped occasionally to build furniture for exhibitions. One of his favorite projects, he says, was building a chest to go on top of a replica of a work table used by Ursuline nuns. The chest and table, now on view in the recently renovated Louisiana History Galleries, have special significance for Falgoust: it was the history galleries’ earlier renovation
in 1991 that first brought him to The Collection, as foreman of the crew that worked on that project.
“When it came to assisting in exhibitions, Larry was first a problem solver,” says Director of Museum Programs John Lawrence. “His understanding of all phases of an installation—security, aesthetics,	conservation—made the
solutions he crafted both functional and elegant. He was a valuable member of the exhibition team and an ultimate team player.” That team spirit extended to the softball diamond, where Falgoust’s pitching talents helped propel the office team to respectability, if not victory.
“Larry’s dedication to the security ofThe Collection has been amazing,” adds Executive Director Priscilla Lawrence. "Every time we prepared for a hurricane, he was the last one to leave. His shoes will be hard to fill.”
Falgousi s two-plus decades of service were honored Friday, December 21, with a lunchtime pony in the Counting House. Staff members eagerly waited to take photos with Falgoust and wish him well. Falgoust says he looks forward to spending rime with his family; he and his wife, Lara, have three children and two grandchildren.
—Molly Reid
IN MEMO RI AM
Monsignor Crosby W. Kern, 42nd rector of Saint Louis Cathedral
The board and staff ofThe Historic New Orleans Collection mourn the passing of Monsignor Crosby Kern, rector of Saint Louis Cathedral, lie was 73. With his inclusive spirit, Monsignor Kern galvanized the entire French Quarter community around its cultural heritage. His establishment of the Catholic Cultural Heritage Center at the Old Ursuline Convent sparked an era of collaborative projects, such as Musical Louisiana: America’s Cultural Heritage, The Collections annual concert with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra at Saint Louis Cathedral. Both the center and the cathedral afforded the community opportunities for broader outreach. We will miss his enthusiasm, welcoming collegiality, and extraordinary generosity.
12 Volume XXX, Number 1 — Winter 2013