1854 St. Bernard Market

The city established the St. Bernard Market in 1854, providing a market house be erected at Claiborne and St. Bernard Avenues (1522 St. Bernard Ave), between Laharpe and Robertson Streets. In 1865 it was described as triangle, 191 by 176 feet with small iron pillars a slate roof, and lots adjoining. Its market value was $15,000. By 1903 it was estimated to be worth only $5,000.

LeBreton and St. Bernard markets were screened in 1914 at a cost of $30,485.45. In 1915 Sam Stone drew plans for the addition of a vestibule.

In 1931 the city authorized the purchase of additional property to enlarge site - work was done by Sam Stone, Jr. & Co.

In 1941 the half of the market property was sold to Jacob Steinman -- the other half to his five siblings -- all of whom also purchased adjacent properties. In 1949 the property was sold to the George Wainer, and his immediate family who sold it in 1954 to the 3rd District Homestead Association -- the same day the Homestead turned it over to Herbert J Gabriel and Mike Gabriel at a $20,000 loss. In 1964, the building was sold to Circle Food Realty, Inc., in exchange for the controlling share of stock in the company by the Gabriels. In 1995 Herbert Gabriel passed the business on to the head manager and current owner (as of 2010), Dwayne Boudreaux. Boudreaux testified in 2010 that ts heyday, the Circle Food Store was a crucial component of life in the 7th Ward and that it hosted the largest Easter display in the city, moved the highest volume of bell peppers, and that the store had housed a doctor, a dentist, and a chiropractor. (see http://theneworleansblightblog.wordpress.com/)

The market was open until Hurricane Katrina (in 2005) still operating as the Circle Foods grocery store, seen below in 1954.