DESIRE STREET HISTORY: DESIRE Street was on the former plantation of Robert Gauthier Montreuil. He was a veteran of the Battle of New Orleans which was the last battle of the War of 1812. When he subdivided his land, he named a street after his daughter Desiree. Over the years, the street has become pronounced DESIRE. It is also the street which inspired the title of legendary Tennessee Williams' work, "Streetcar Named Desire". The DESIRE streetcar once rolled down ROYAL Street near Tennessee Williams' apartment.