Dottie’s Childhood Home in New Orleans

Did you know Dorothy Lamour’s childhood home still stands today? Born in New Orleans in 1914, Dottie’s parents divorced when she was a small child. Her mother, Carmen Louise LaPorte, would later marry Clarence Lambour, in which she and Dottie adopted his surname.

Several years ago I did some sleuthing and found a New Orleans census from 1930. On record for 2652 Lepage St., Michael Lambor (36) is listed as the head of household, with Carmen (35) as his wife and Dorothy (16) as his “daughter.” The surname is misspelled, however it’s not uncommon to find such errors on census records. Multiple documents state Clarence’s middle name as “Michael/Michel” which matches the census, so we can safely assume that is the name he went by.

As Dottie aged and matured, Clarence “directed more of his attentions toward [her], and started treating Mother very badly.” Carmen would keep the “Lambour” name after the inevitable divorce. The separation likely occurred not long after this census report and the girls would move in with family members in town.

While I’m unsure just how many years Dottie lived in this home, it’s wonderful to see that it still stands today. Nestled in the Esplanade Ridge Historic District, it was “once the most prestigious Creole neighborhoods in the city … and one of the largest and most impressive concentrations of historic buildings in the nation,” as stated by the City of New Orleans.

You know, something tells me NOLA and the current homeowners haven’t the faintest idea that a STAR once lived in this cute, little home. I’d say it has double the historic value!