On a corner in one of Uptown New Orleans’ less fashionable working class neighborhoods, amid decaying, slanting porches, rusting fences and yards overgrown with weeds, stands a tall, dignified house, gleaming with fresh turquoise paint, maroon trim, its woodwork perfectly restored to 19th century form, the surrounding grass neatly trimmed.

In this community, the house is more than an example of what can be attained with talent and discipline. It is also a somewhat humorous symbol for the o...