A Brief History |
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 Dive Inn, like much of "real" New Orleans, has an ambience all its own, with architectural features of different historical periods. A Creole cottage (circa 1847) and an early Victorian double stood on the original site of Dive Inn. These homes were surrounded by properties which were sold during the recession of 1895. In 1908, the Mexican Counsel to the United States purchased adjacent land. Two homes were built on Napoleon Avenue and in 1920, the Counsel |
bought the houses and
land which are now Dive Inn. He tore down the Victorian double and all but four rooms of
the Creole cottage to make way for a gymnasium for his family. In 1927, a ceramic tile pool was constructed within a domed (Lamella) structure which is an engineering marvel and beyond known technologies of the time. Upon the his death, individual houses were willed to separate children. One of his daughters lived in what is now Dive Inn until 1972, when the building was sold to become one of the first in a series of indoor scuba diving schools. The current property owner recognized immediately that under the various "improvements" and years of neglect, to the building over the decades, lay a timeless jewel. She has dedicated the last several years to burnishing and polishing this work of art, restoring it to its former glory. |