The history of Arthur Homes begins with Joe Arthur Jr. who was born in New Orleans following World War I in October of 1919. It was a time of great growth within our nation by servicemen returning from oversees. Perhaps growing up during this period of construction influenced Joe Jr. to become a carpenter. He attended school, throughout the course of the depression, including coursework in carpentry at Delgado Trades School, from which he graduated in the summer of 1938. Joe Arthur, Jr. then began apprenticing for the New Orleans chapter of the Associated General Contractors. During World War II with a handcrafted toolbox in his lap, Joe Jr. rode the streetcar to work just off of St. Charles Avenue at Higgins Industries, where he served the war effort by helping construct the thousands of plywood landing craft built for the European and Pacific theatres by Andrew Jackson Higgins. It was here also that he finally completed in his carpentry apprenticeship in July of 1943.

Following the war, Joe Arthur, Jr. now a full-fledged card-carrying member of the New Orleans Carpenter’s Local Union #1846, married and moved to Jefferson Parish, near Kenner, to begin his career in home construction by building a home for himself and his family in what was then called Little Farms. This too proved to be a period of exploding population as the GI’s once again returned from service overseas to begin families of their own. In addition to working in the metropolitan area of Orleans Parish, Joe Jr. built homes in the numerous neighborhoods that were developed throughout the greater New Orleans area, especially those of Jefferson, St. Bernard, and St. Charles parishes.

It was within this post-war building boom that Joseph Arthur, III was born in April of 1944. From a child, J.L. loved to build numerous wooden crafts for his mother. He fostered his appreciation for woodworking in shop classes at East Jefferson High School and in doing carpentry work for his father’s construction company, then called  J. Arthur and Sons. Much like his own father, J.L. also fathered sons in a period of postwar growth with the birth of Joey in 1967 and Jeffrey in 1971.

Sadly, Papa Joe drove his last nail as he suddenly succumbed to cancer in January, 1972. It was out of this necessity then that J.L. began his own homebuilding company, J.L. Arthur Construction based in Jefferson Parish. His carpentry skills have been equated to those of any artist, working in a medium of hard and softwoods to produce handcrafted custom cabinetry, mantelpieces, stairwells, and trim work. J.L.’s homes were quality constructed, exhibited beautiful carpentry, and are revered by their owners to this day.

When the oil market first subsided in the early eighties, for various reasons and with a great degree of determination, J.L. moved his family and his construction business to the booming north shore area. Working along with other established contractors in St. Tammany Parish, J.L.’s love for woodworking and dedication to homebuilding became renowned on both sides of Lake Ponchartrain. Once again an exploding populace and construction boom aided to the success of what we now call Arthur Homes. 

Following in his father’s and his grandfather’s footsteps, Joe Arthur, IV has worked in  residential and commercial construction since his 12th summer when he saved up $320 to buy a 12” Zenith color TV set in the days before remote controls. Though engaged in a career beyond residential construction, Joe also, for various reasons and with a degree of determination, has moved he and his wife back to Louisiana where both have helped with the reconstruction of homes devastated by hurricanes Katrina and Rita throughout the greater New Orleans area. Much like Joe, Jeff Arthur has helped in the family business on and off since his high school years. Though having been trained and working in a commercial career outside of home construction, Jeff has also put his own career on hold as he has been working with the post-storm construction projects of Arthur Home.

In addition to his two sons, J.L. has trained numerous helpers over the years including two of his nephews. All have taken that construction experience into building projects both in and out of state, in some cases overseas, and one in particular to a successful residential construction career of his own.