1205 St. Charles Avenue was the original home of the Athenaeum Concert Halls. One of the largest and finest auditoriums in the city, the Athenaeum was built in 1896 and rebuilt in 1907. Since its reopening in 1907, many of the oldest Mardi Gras Krewes, such as Rex, Proteus and Momus, celebrated their annual balls at the Athenaeum and some of the era's greatest artists performed here in concert until 1937 when the hall was destroyed by fire. In 1954 the "New Orleanian" hotel, a reinforced concrete high rise building was built and later converted to an apartment complex. The building is now undergoing extensive renovations and additions as it reaches its final home of the 1205 St. Charles Condominiums.