Nicolosi Building
The wide two-story building still bears the name of the family who built it. The Nicolosi Grocery Store was a brick building with a shaped parapet.
Many of the buildings in downtown Hammond feature the names of their original owners either on the parapet or in the tiles when you enter. This type of decoration can also be seen in New Orleans, especially in Mid-City.
Most Americans have heard of Ellis Island, but few realize how many immigrants came into the United States through the port of New Orleans. People of all nationalities streamed into the Crescent City, lured by stories of the tropical climate, ethnic diversity, and European charm. Many stayed, but some chose to leave the urban environment for the surrounding smaller towns.
All nationalities, but primarily people from Siciliy, chose to come to Tangipahoa and Livingston parishes to work in the strawberry fields. By the 1920s, the strawberry auction handled close to 150,000 flats daily during the peak of the season. This market brought economic growth and prosperity to Hammond, accounting for the large scale of buildings and their unique brickwork.
