Jeffrey M. Poree, Sr.
A fifth-generation master plasterer from New Orleans, Jeffrey Poree proudly carries forward his family’s legacy of fine craftsmanship through his company Jeff Poree Plastering, which specializes in historic restoration and high-end ornamental plasterwork. Poree and his family are legendary in New Orleans for their exceptional skills in exterior and interior plaster, ornamental molds, and old-world specialty finishes—work that has characterized the city’s distinctive architectural heritage for centuries. “It feels good to drive down the street and see the buildings my father did, that I did. It makes me feel proud,” he says.
When Poree was “coming up in the trade,” plastering was going strong in New Orleans. Most of the craftsmen came from “plastering families” in the Seventh Ward, a neighborhood that has long been home to Creole artisans in the traditional building trades: blacksmiths, plasterers, carpenters, stone and brick masons. Poree’s father was considered one of the best plasterers in the city and was a member of the local plasterers’ union board.
Poree followed in his father’s footsteps, serving a rigorous union apprenticeship, learning every aspect of the trade from expert craftsmen who set high standards and demanded excellence. On the weekends, he worked alongside his father on premier jobs throughout the city, gaining experience crafting intricate ornamental work. The men he worked with “put their heart into everything they touched,” he says. Poree recalls that, as a child, he used to be puzzled by his father’s insistence on lingering in the shop in the evenings, surveying his day’s work rather than heading home right away. He came to understand the pleasure and satisfaction that comes with acknowledging a job well done.
“It’s not easy, but it’s very fulfilling. I can’t wait to get up in the morning and go into work.”
On any given day, Poree and his crew of skilled artisans can be found restoring elaborate ceiling medallions and crown moldings for historic buildings or working with architects to create old-style decorative plaster elements for new homes. His shop maintains a full-time art department and prides itself on the ability to restore almost any mold, whether working from old fragments, photographs, or drawings. “We like a challenge. At least I do,” Poree says of the artistry and care required to create intricate architectural embellishments. He has a close relationship with builders, architects, and designers, proudly working to “become the architects’ hands” and bring their vision to life.
He speaks eloquently about his strong connection to the tools of his trade. “My trowel in my hand becomes part of my body,” he says. “When you make your living with your hands, certain tools you use, you just have that close relationship.” Poree cherishes the old trowels that he has taken years to break in, not only for their practical value but for the memories and meaning they hold of people and places.
As one of the city’s leading master craftsmen, Poree is dedicated to passing on his knowledge, skills, and traditions to the next generation of artisans in the Seventh Ward—“the kids in our community”—through the New Orleans Master Crafts Guild. He is passionate about training and mentoring young apprentices so that the art of plastering can continue. “I love to see these young people get on in the craft,” he says. “We want to keep the tradition alive.”
