#lewisbuild: in progress

Ms. Lewis was born in the Lower 9th Ward, and inherited her house on Dauphine Street after her father’s passing. He built the home after Hurricane Katrina, but the home was damaged during Hurricane Ida. lowernine.org replaced Ms. Lewis’ roof in 2023.  In spring 2024 lowernine.org and volunteers rebuilt the entire back side and deck of Ms. Lewis’ home.


After completing this, the New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission threatened Ms. Lewis with fines for the exterior cosmetic appearance of her home. In 2025 work began to strip, prime and repaint her home. With the donations of primer and paint from Helm Paint & Supply, lowernine.org is making steady progress towards the completion of Ms. Lewis’s home.

  • Weathered house with peeling blue-gray paint, white-framed windows, an air conditioner, and renovation tools. A ladder leans against the wall, under a partly cloudy sky.
  • A wooden house with peeling blue paint and exposed wood stands alongside a narrow path. Ladders are propped against the wall.
  • Weathered house with peeling paint, multiple windows, and air conditioning units. A chain-link fence runs along the lush grassy yard.
  • A house stands on stilts beside a grassy yard under a clear sky. A lowernine.org volunteer paints the siding blue.
  • A single-story blue wooden house with five windows, each with an AC unit. A satellite dish is on the roof, and a hose lies on the concrete walkway.
  • A small blue house with two red doors and a matching deck, set under a partly cloudy sky. The backyard has a wooden fence and scattered items.
  • A person wearing a maroon shirt, safety goggles, and yellow gloves is using a power sander on a wooden deck beside a house.
  • Two people in white shirts are painting a porch column. One stands on a ladder, the other on the ground.
  • A person in a blue tank top and beige pants paints a porch floor gray with a paint roller.
  • Charming blue house with two red doors, a covered porch, and white brick pillars.