November 19, 2025
Nestled in the historic heart of the French Quarter, the story of Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights is one of craftsmanship, legacy and the glowing romance of old-world flame. It began in 1945, when Andrew Bevolo Sr. arrived in New Orleans and set up shop. This was the beginning of a gas lantern legacy. Bevolo was an Italian-born metal-worker who had honed his skills at large industrial firms like Ford Motor Company, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation working on helicopters, and Higgins Industries making the famous “Higgins boats” for World War II.
Bevolo Sr.’s early work involved repairing and fabricating decorative metal pieces, including streetlight fixtures that local clients brought in. Many of these old gas-lamps were welded or soldered, and over time the heat of the flame and weather would weaken the joints. Drawing on his aviation background, Bevolo pioneered a hand-riveting technique. These rivets, instead of brittle soldered joints, made his lanterns far more durable under heat and flame.
The pivotal moment came when famed architect A. Hays Town knocked on his shop door. Town asked if Bevolo could fabricate a custom light fixture. Bevolo replied, “If you can draw it, I can make it.” Together they created what became the now-iconic “Original French Quarter Lantern,” a copper, brass and glass fixture that would come to define the look of the French Quarter and beyond.
From its earliest days, Bevolo insisted on doing everything by hand: copper sheets cut by foot and hand shears, bracket-work and mountings crafted in-house, countless rivets hammered by artisan coppersmiths. Even the burn-patterns and flame design became part of the brand; their patented “bat-wing” flame assembly offered a distinctive silhouette and improved efficiency. Their materials are not only beautiful, the pure copper, naval brass and hand-forged iron were but built to last. The copper alone has a life span well over 300 years. The brackets are hand-welded and the nearly one hundred rivets are tapped in with ball-peen hammers. All lanterns bear a craftsman’s Maker’s Mark, claiming responsibility for their work.
As the oldest and largest continuously operating gas light manufacturer in the country, Bevolo brings an unrivaled commitment to New Orleans. Although rooted in the ambience of the French Quarter, Bevolo’s ambitions and reach extend far beyond. The lanterns they make today appear in all fifty states and in dozens of countries around the globe. Yet while the scale grew, the company remained family-owned and manufacturing remained in Louisiana, an enduring tribute to place, tradition, and craft.
Walking through the French Quarter at dusk, you’ll see the warm flicker of flame beneath green-patina copper hoods on historic buildings, courtyards, restaurants, and homes including Brennan’s Restaurant, The Cabildo, and Jackson Square. These aren’t generic fixtures; they are works of art tied to one family, one city, and a craft that could have died in an era of mass-production. Instead, the lanterns shine on. In a city like New Orleans, where architecture, light and atmosphere matter just as much as the music and food, the lights made by Bevolo add texture and emotional resonance. A flickering gas flame isn’t just illumination; it is nostalgia, warmth and continuity. It reminds us that behind the wrought-iron balconies, the moss-draped oaks, and the historic stucco facades there are still human hands bending metal, still artisans devoted to their craft. In an age of LEDs and mass manufacturing, that makes a difference.
Today the company is in its fourth generation, still based in New Orleans, still hand-crafting each piece with the same attention to detail instilled by Andrew Bevolo Sr. For those who appreciate architecture, craftsmanship, and the layered story of a place, Bevolo’s lanterns are more than light-fixtures … they’re storytellers.
Fueled by a truly unique city, the flickering of the French Quarter lantern casts a romantic glow on a true and lasting art form. No other exterior lighting fixture on the market can hold a candle to the quality, patina and craftsmanship of a Bevolo light. The French Quarter lantern is elegant and timeless, and few things are as alluring as the burnished glow of a gas-lit flame. Not just made in America, these pieces are made right here in the heart of the French Quarter. The company even opened a museum and showroom where visitors can see historic fixtures and working coppersmiths making lanterns on the original worktable. Visit the Bevolo Lighting Museum at 316 Royal St., Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bevolo Sr.’s early work involved repairing and fabricating decorative metal pieces, including streetlight fixtures that local clients brought in. Many of these old gas-lamps were welded or soldered, and over time the heat of the flame and weather would weaken the joints. Drawing on his aviation background, Bevolo pioneered a hand-riveting technique. These rivets, instead of brittle soldered joints, made his lanterns far more durable under heat and flame.
The pivotal moment came when famed architect A. Hays Town knocked on his shop door. Town asked if Bevolo could fabricate a custom light fixture. Bevolo replied, “If you can draw it, I can make it.” Together they created what became the now-iconic “Original French Quarter Lantern,” a copper, brass and glass fixture that would come to define the look of the French Quarter and beyond.
From its earliest days, Bevolo insisted on doing everything by hand: copper sheets cut by foot and hand shears, bracket-work and mountings crafted in-house, countless rivets hammered by artisan coppersmiths. Even the burn-patterns and flame design became part of the brand; their patented “bat-wing” flame assembly offered a distinctive silhouette and improved efficiency. Their materials are not only beautiful, the pure copper, naval brass and hand-forged iron were but built to last. The copper alone has a life span well over 300 years. The brackets are hand-welded and the nearly one hundred rivets are tapped in with ball-peen hammers. All lanterns bear a craftsman’s Maker’s Mark, claiming responsibility for their work.
As the oldest and largest continuously operating gas light manufacturer in the country, Bevolo brings an unrivaled commitment to New Orleans. Although rooted in the ambience of the French Quarter, Bevolo’s ambitions and reach extend far beyond. The lanterns they make today appear in all fifty states and in dozens of countries around the globe. Yet while the scale grew, the company remained family-owned and manufacturing remained in Louisiana, an enduring tribute to place, tradition, and craft.
Walking through the French Quarter at dusk, you’ll see the warm flicker of flame beneath green-patina copper hoods on historic buildings, courtyards, restaurants, and homes including Brennan’s Restaurant, The Cabildo, and Jackson Square. These aren’t generic fixtures; they are works of art tied to one family, one city, and a craft that could have died in an era of mass-production. Instead, the lanterns shine on. In a city like New Orleans, where architecture, light and atmosphere matter just as much as the music and food, the lights made by Bevolo add texture and emotional resonance. A flickering gas flame isn’t just illumination; it is nostalgia, warmth and continuity. It reminds us that behind the wrought-iron balconies, the moss-draped oaks, and the historic stucco facades there are still human hands bending metal, still artisans devoted to their craft. In an age of LEDs and mass manufacturing, that makes a difference.
Today the company is in its fourth generation, still based in New Orleans, still hand-crafting each piece with the same attention to detail instilled by Andrew Bevolo Sr. For those who appreciate architecture, craftsmanship, and the layered story of a place, Bevolo’s lanterns are more than light-fixtures … they’re storytellers.
Fueled by a truly unique city, the flickering of the French Quarter lantern casts a romantic glow on a true and lasting art form. No other exterior lighting fixture on the market can hold a candle to the quality, patina and craftsmanship of a Bevolo light. The French Quarter lantern is elegant and timeless, and few things are as alluring as the burnished glow of a gas-lit flame. Not just made in America, these pieces are made right here in the heart of the French Quarter. The company even opened a museum and showroom where visitors can see historic fixtures and working coppersmiths making lanterns on the original worktable. Visit the Bevolo Lighting Museum at 316 Royal St., Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
