New Orleans #blackspirituality #neworleans #travel #blackhistory

New Orleans courtyard walls with glass on top

Those walls with broken glass pressed into the top are one of the oldest low-tech security systems in New Orleans, especially in the French Quarter and older Creole neighborhoods.

This practice likely dates to the Spanish colonial period (late 1700s), after the great fires of 1788 and 1794 reshaped the French Quarter and led to heavier brick construction and enclosed courtyards.

They look decorative now, but they started as pure protection. Homeowners embedded shards from wine bottles and other glass directly into wet mortar along the top of courtyard walls to stop people from climbing over.

It discouraged thieves, intruders, and sometimes even unwanted visitors trying to access private family courtyards.

Once brick courtyard walls became standard, adding glass shards was a natural upgrade for security. It was cheaper and easier than iron spikes.
And remember, broken bottles were everywhere in a port city.

The myths people tell (and what’s actually true)

You’ll hear some colorful stories:

• “It kept suitors away from daughters”
• “It stopped soldiers from climbing in”
• “It was just decoration”

Those are mostly folklore explanations. The practical answer is simpler:

They were there to keep people out, period.

Got any New Orleans or Louisiana history to share let us know below!