Hôtel de Pontalba

The Hôtel de Pontalba displays a long, austere facade of gray stone along the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore, punctuated by a massive, intricately carved wooden door. Baroness Micaela Almonester de Pontalba commissioned this residence in the mid nineteenth century after escaping a violent assassination attempt by her father-in-law in Louisiana. She insisted on the finest marble and gilded ornamentation, turning the townhouse into a defiant statement of her personal wealth and survival. Today, it serves as the official residence of the United States Ambassador.