Dryades Street, now known as Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard, was historically a thriving commercial center in New Orleans. Creole architect Barthelemy Lafon designed this street as a part of Coliseum Square in 1809.

In January 1849, the City of New Orleans opened Dryades Market which helped create a flourishing commercial area with churches, banks, schools, services, and retail stores.

By the 1860’s the street and community were known to be a “socially, morally, and religiously a desirable portion of the city.” (1)

Dryades Street became the second most popular retail district in New Orleans and was an area “where your dollars buy the most.” (1)

This commercial success continued as did economic and social segregation.

The district reached its height in the 1940’s-1950’s and was the favored shopping district for black shoppers in the city.

Mrs. Oretha Castle Haley, a founder of the New Orleans chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality, was a civil rights pioneer. As a young college student, she joined the 1960 boycott of stores on Dryades Street that wouldn’t hire black sales clerks or cashiers. The vast majority of patrons were African Americans, but few were able to obtain a job on Dryades Street. The boycott proved to be somewhat successful and employment opportunities grew over time. However, the trend to suburbanization took its toll on Dryades Street and many urban commercial districts.

By the 1970’s the area began a steep decline, leaving dozens of abandoned storefronts and blight.

Posthumously in 1989 the blocks of Dryades St. between Howard and St. Philip were renamed Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard.

Since the mid-1990’s concerted efforts have been made to bring the boulevard back.

Cooperation between the private sector, public agencies, non-profits, artists, and neighborhood residents has paid dividends for the boulevard, which was recognized for its progress in 2017 with a Great American Main Street award for the many buildings, sites, businesses, and organizations that thrive along the boulevard.