Colonel Short's Villa, New Orleans

Built in 1859 for Colonel Robert Short of Kentucky and designed by Henry Howard, this Italian Renaissance-style villa is handsome enough on its own. But let’s be honest: most people come here for the fence. Its elaborate cast-iron design is covered with morning glories and cornstalks, making it look as if someone asked a blacksmith to combine fine architecture with a very dramatic vegetable patch.

According to local legend, Colonel Short’s wife missed the cornfields of her native Iowa so much that he bought her this now-famous cornstalk fence as a sort of romantic gesture in iron. Indeed, flowers would be nice, of course, but nothing could soothe one's homesickness quite like several hundred pounds of decorative metal corn... The fence is one of only a few of its kind in the United States, and unlike the similar version on Royal Street, this one still keeps its original colors, having never been painted over.

The house also had its share of wartime drama. During the Civil War, federal forces confiscated it in 1863, and it briefly served as the executive mansion for the federal governor of Louisiana. Eventually, it was returned to Colonel Short, who continued living here for the rest of his life. More recently, after a careful restoration that lasted about a decade, the property was listed for $5 million in 2015, making it the most expensive home listing in New Orleans at the time.

Today, Colonel Short’s Villa remains a private residence, so no wandering up the steps or peeking through windows is allowed, however tempting the architecture may be. Instead, you can pause at the sidewalk, observe the villa, and give the fence the attention it clearly came dressed for. In a neighborhood full of grand mansions, this one proves that sometimes the supporting cast can steal the scene...