Hurricane Ida destroys Karnofsky Tailor Shop, a jazz landmark and second home to Louis Armstrong

The Karnofsky Tailor Shop, a New Orleans jazz landmark that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places was destroyed when Hurricane Ida made landfall on Sunday, according to CNN. In the early 1900s, the Karnofsky Tailor Shop played an integral role in the history of jazz.

The building and the family that occupied it, the Karnofskys, are said to have provided a second home to a young Louis Armstrong, long before he’d become an icon of American music and culture. Armstrong befriended the Karnofskys’ five sons, shared meals in the upstairs apartment and even worked for the family for a time. The Karnofksys even helped Armstrong purchase his first cornet.

Plans to restore the Karnofsky Tailor Shop as a city landmark were announced in 2019.

This building, the former Karnofsky Tailor shop, was a “second home” to Louis Armstrong https://t.co/4YFPdUTAHa https://t.co/XNLFuzecLw

— Andy Horowitz (@andydhorowitz) August 30, 2021