SPRING 2014 NEWSLETTER

w w w . L t h p . o r g

Dear Preservationists:

The Winter has been an exciting time across the state for preservation. Buildings are being saved, economic development is happening and we are creating jobs. I appreciate all the work that individuals and the development community are doing to make Louisiana one of the best states for doing historic preservation.

Spring is right around the corner and there are many events that you will want to mark on your calendar. On April 22 the Lt. Governor will host the Louisiana Annual Cultural Connection. Artists, cultural entrepreneurs, and preservationists alike will be recognized for their efforts throughout Louisiana. This time will also provide our network of volunteers the opportunity to speak with our legislature individually to express the importance of historic preservation. I hope you can attend. Another upcoming important event that you will not want to miss is the Louisiana Annual Preservation Conference on June 25-27, in Natchitoches, hosted by the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation and the Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation. Another highlight in Natchitoches will be the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation Annual Soiree on June 25, honoring Senator and Mrs. J. Bennett Johnston as the 2014 Preservationists Extraordinaire.

This newsletter serves as a reminder to renew your membership or join if you are not currently a member. There are various levels of support which you can see at www.lthp.org. Your support is needed to ensure we continue the efforts as the only state wide partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In our last newsletter I introduced a new program to assist in preserving properties statewide that have fallen into disrepair or are no longer wanted by the owners. This program was inspired by Preservation North Carolina’s award winning Endangered Properties Program. This program is done by acquiring endangered historic properties through donation or purchase option. The LTHP will work with developers and individuals to rehabilitate, to protect, and to put these properties back into commerce. If you know of any vacant historic properties in your communities, cities and/or parishes that need to be rescued, please let us know.

Thank you for your service to our state preservation efforts. We look forward to working with you in the future. Don’t forget, join as a new or renewal member for 2014 at www.lthp.org.

Sincerely,

Michael EcholsPresident, LTHP

Letter from the President

Michael EcholsPresident

Officers:Michael EcholsPresident • Monroe, LA

Richard GibbsVice President • New Roads, LA

Scott ChotinSecretary • Lacombe, LA

David BroussardTreasurer • Baton Rouge, LA

John R. Crook Immediate Past President • Leesville, LA

Board Members: William Lane Callaway • Shreveport, LA Altha Lee K. Ripley • Lafayette, LADelbert W. Chumley • Shreveport, LA Darryl Gissel • Baton Rouge, LACharlotte Lowry Collins • Slidell, LAJohn Denison • Monroe, LADr. Gary Joiner • Shreveport, LAGregory Jones • Pineville, LADonna Richard • Lake Charles, LADr. Dan Seymour • Natchitoches, LA

StaffSherry McInnis

Ex-Officio Officers: Phil Boggan Deputy Assistant Secretary Office of Cultural Development

Nicole Hobson Morris Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation

Ray W. Scriber Director, Louisiana Main Street

James Logan National Trust Advisor

Jean Sayres National Trust Advisor

Winnie Byrd Advisor Emeritus

Sue Turner Advisor Emeritus

Board of Directors

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LTHP President Michael Echols, Monroe, sends ships ahoy!

Historical Tranquility Plantation owned by Jimmy and Suzanne Broadwell.

The Francois Cousin House, St. Tammany’s oldest known structure in the parish circa 1789 owned by William Lowry.

Salmen-Fritchie House built in 1895 and presently owned by Pat Bacharach. Dubuisson Cemetery Ramblers learn of its centuries old history from Creole Genealogist Alice Doucette Twillie. Advocate Staff photo by Scott Threlkeld.

Ramblers afloat in miracle weather!

Tom Collins, Bayou Liberty, leads the flotilla!

Natchitoches Ramblers Dan and Cathy Seymour enjoying Bayou Liberty.

LTHP Founder Sue Turner, Baton Rouge, touring historical Tranquility Plantation.

2013 Fall Bayou Liberty RambleOn October 5, the LTHP took its first Ramble into St. Tammany Parish near Olde Towne Slidell and historic Bayou Liberty partnering with the St. Tammany Parish Government and in cooperation with the Bayou Liberty Association. Special guest speakers were Judge Frederick Ellis, author of L’Autre Côté du Lac, “Storyteller”, John Case, Camp Salmen Nature Park spokesman, Ben Taylor, Creole Genealogist Alice Doucette Twillie, and Charlotte Collins, author and photographer of the artist’s book Rooted in Liberté. Charlotte Collins served as chairman of the 2013 Fall Ramble which concluded with a social, “Wrap Up and Wine Down”, at the Lowry home, the historic Francois Cousin House.

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Most Endangered and Success Stories for 2013 By Lane Callaway, LTHP Board Member, Shreveport

Historic Properties

The nomination forms for the state-wide Most Endangered and Success Stories for 2013 are being distributed with a submission deadline of Friday, March 28, 2014. For this cycle, there is a change in the time frame going from a two year period to a calendar year basis. Therefore for this nomination cycle, the focus is on a historic structure that underwent some type of preservation effort during the January through December 2013 period. The historic structure definition includes buildings, non-building structures and landscapes as well as historic streetscapes. There is no limit to the number of historic structures nominated by a community, group or individual. And as similar to last year’s nomination efforts, the two categories – Most Endangered and that of Success Stories – remain. The nominations forms for 2013 have been changed slightly to capture any use of federal and / or state historic tax credits. Nomination forms for both categories are as seen below, are located on the LTHP website, www.lthp.org, and have been distributed to the Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation (within the Office of Cultural Development), the LTHP Board, Main Street Program of Louisiana, preservation organizations state-wide, office of various Downtown Development Authorities, and to local historic preservation commissions. Approved nominations covering 2013 for both categories are to be presented at the June 2014 LTHP annual conference in Natchitoches.

Success Stories Nomination form

Most Endangered Nomination form

Check ExchangePresented to St. Tammany Parish Government

Michael Echols , Monroe, President of the LTHP shares the proceeds of the 2013 Bayou Liberty Ramble with Pat Brister, President of the St. Tammany Parish Government. Jeanne Stangle, Historian, Friends of Camp

Salmen, and Maurice Doucette, whose ancestors are buried in the Dubuisson Cemetery.

Salmen Lodge historical marker denoting its placement on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

LTHP Co-Founder and Advisor Emeritis Winnie Byrd (left), Baton Rouge , with Phil Boggan , Baton Rouge , Deputy Assistant Secretary and Deputy SHPO, LA Office of Cultural Development and Wensel Convoy, Director of CRT, STP Government observe the check presentation.

William Lowry, long time resident of Bayou Liberty and owner of Francois Cousin House was present with grandson Curly Lowry and Jessica Caldwell.

On Friday, December 6, 2013, LTHP President, Michael Echols presented a check to Pat Brister, St. Tammany Parish Government President, on the grounds of Camp Salmen Nature Park located near Slidell. These funds will be utilized in the restoration of the historic Salmen Lodge on the banks of Bayou Liberty. The Salmen Lodge was selected to receive shared proceeds of the 2013 Fall Ramble, which is one of several fundraisers held annually throughout the state by the LTHP. The Bayou Liberty Association and Friends of Camp Salmen were in cooperation with this endeavor.

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100 Years and Still Standing Proud Louisiana Highway 538 at Mooringsport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana

Call For Nominations

The Historic Caddo Lake Drawbridge

Louisiana Culture Awards 2014

The Historic Caddo Lake Drawbridge - 100 Years and Still Standing Proud Location: Louisiana Highway 538 at Mooringsport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana In 2014, the Caddo Lake “Vertical Lift” Drawbridge crossing Caddo Lake in Mooringsport, LA will be 100 years old . Built in 1914 under the authority of the Caddo Parish Police Jury during “Mooring’s Port’s” oil boom era, it is one of Louisiana’s very earliest surviving bridges. Slated for replacement in the late 1980’s, a citizen‘s campaign was launched to save the unique landmark. The saving endeavor triggered the Louisiana

Department of Transportation & Development to conduct its first historic bridge survey. The evaluation indicated that the bridge is nationally significant due to its designer, its unique design , and the fact that it is the sole surviving example of this bridge type in the State of Louisiana. With this determination, the bridge became eligible to be presented for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. On October 18, 1996, the Historic Caddo Lake Drawbridge was officially entered into the National Register of Historic Places. Funds that were originally appropriated for removing the structure were used to refurbish it as a pedestrian walkway and preserve it as tourist attraction and civil engineering landmark. Today, the drawbridge is a proud asset of the Caddo Parish Department of Parks & Recreation. It is open to the public from dawn to dusk where visitors are welcome. The town of Mooringsport is located 12 miles north of Shreveport, Louisiana.

The Office of the Lt. Governor and the Office of Cultural Development, in partnership with the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation, the Louisiana State Arts Council, the Louisiana Archaeological Survey and Antiquities Commission, the Louisiana Folklife Commission and the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, is sponsoring the annual Louisiana Culture Awards on Tuesday, April 22, 2014. The purpose of this awards program is to recognize individuals and organizations making outstanding contributions to Louisiana’s culture. The following awards will be presented for the HISTORIC PRESERVATION and ARCHAEOLOGY AWARDS:

Other Award categories include: the Arts Awards with seven individual awards, and the French Language Award. Nominations must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26, 2014. to mday@crt.la.gov. For nomination forms and further information, contact Matthew Day at (225)342-7600 or mday@crt.la.gov.

Southern Hotel Adaptive Re-Use, Historic Tax Credit Project City of Covington, Louisiana

Progress ReportBy Scott Chotin, LTHP Board Member, Lacombe

The long awaited rebirth of the historic Southern Hotel is in its final stretch with the expected opening date June 1, 2014 according to Lisa Condrey Ward, one of the developers of the project. Owners will spend more than 8 million dollars on the project to bring the historic 1907 hotel back to commerce. The property is located at the corners of Boston and New Hampshire Streets in the heart of Covington’s Historic District.

The 38,000 s.f. structure has a storied past. Constructed in 1907, the hotel boasted modern amenities such as electric lights, hot water and carpeting catering to the well-heeled clientele. In 1911, the hotel was sold and converted to a sanitarium for people suffering from health issues. The hotel closed in the 1960’s and was adapted to accommodate retail businesses.

In 1983, the building was sold to the St. Tammany Parish government to be converted into courtrooms and office space and served as the parish administrative complex. Local architect Arthur B. Middleton supervised the renovation. The Parish used the building for 20 years then sold it at auction for $885,500 in the early 1990’s.

The building sat mostly vacant until late 2005 when the Red Cross and other Federal agencies following Hurricane Katrina used it for a few years.

In 2011, the present owners bought the building for $1.75 million and immediately embarked on the effort to bring the building back to its original use as a hotel. The developers, using historic tax credits, began demolition and remodeling in 2012.

The Southern Hotel will cater to up-scaled clientele offering 40 guest rooms, a high-end restaurant, ball room, full service bar, spa and smaller meeting room.

From the beginning, the developers wanted a first class historic adaptive re-use project that would be the centerpiece for the City of Covington and the Northshore. They selected Trapolin-Peer Architects as designer and Woodward Construction as general contractor. Both of these New Orleans businesses have extensive experience with high profile adaptive re-use historic tax credit projects.

City officials, local property and business owners in down town Covington see the resurrected hotel as a stimulus for economic development helping local businesses and expanding the City’s tax base.

Lisa Condrey Ward added, that to her knowledge, the Southern Hotel project is the first federal historic tax credit project in St. Tammany.

■ Main Street Award ■ Education Award

■ Leadership ■ Heritage Award

■ Preservationist of the Year ■ Archaeologist of the Year

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

LOUISIANA LEGACY SOCIETY:

Preservationist $250.00

Landmark Donor $500.00

Heritage Contributor $1,000.00

Presidential Circle $3,000.00

Presidential Trust $5,000.00

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP:

Individual $35.00

Family/Double $50.00

Supporting $100.00

Non-Profit $25.00

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*Make checks payable to the LA Trust for Historic Preservation and mail to P.O. Box 1587 - Baton Rouge, LA 70821 S

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SAVE THE DATEApril 22-23, 2014 Cultural Connection, Baton Rouge, LA

June 26-27, 2014 Louisiana Preservation Conference hosted by the LTHP and Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation in Natchitoches LA

June 25, 2014 LTHP Soiree honoring 2014 Preservationists Extraordinaire Senator and Mrs. J. Bennett Johnston in Natchitoches, LA