Part 1

THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE NORTH LOUISIANA RIVER PARISHES

VOLUME I OUACHITA PARISH

Dedicated To The Memory Of WILLIAM KING STUBBS (1910-1986) Who practiced Architecture in Ouachita Parish for over 50 years

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...

LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE

STUDENTS

Peter Aamodt Lance Ballard Andrea Beaver George Bendeck Paul Bratton Jeff Brown Steve Butler Tom Clark Darryl Cockerham Steve Dixon Jim Funderburk Charles Gaushell Scott Gay Amy Grafton John Greer Harmon Haley Juan Hidalgo Billy Mack Hogue Donna Hammons Rico Harris Teresa Harris Johnny Hembree Teresa Henderson Keith Matthews Brian McGuire Philip Morse Roberto Mossi Cheong Muikit Laura Netto Jn Obasi David Peterson Wayne Renaud Terry Roye Ken Smith Lloyd Smith Shawn Sprinkel Alexis Torres Brian Veal Ellen Wilson

FACULTY

F. Lestar Martin, Professor, Editor Peter Schneider, Head, Department of Architecture Dr. Joseph Strother, Director, School of Art and Architecture

Partial funding for publication was provided by:

Central Bank of Monroe—West Monroe—Ruston Convention and Visitors Bureau of Ouachita Parish Downtown Development Authority of Monroe

This book was also has been financed (in part) with Federal funds from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, administrated through the Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. The contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of the Interior.

This program receives Federal financial assistance for identification and protection of historic properties. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the U.S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, or handicap in its federally assisted programs.

LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY Ruston 1988

INTRODUCTION...

A most useful tool for understanding the culture of a region is the study of its architecture. Buildings in which people live, work, learn, and worship reflect their tastes, economics status, and aspirations. And it is through research of extant architecture of an area that knowledge of past culture is ascertained.

The Louisiana Tech University Department of Architecture has received grants from the State Division of Historic Preservation and the Division of the Arts to conduct field surveys of various parishes in North Louisiana. The purpose of the surveys has been to ascertain the types, location and quality of buildings 50 years or more in age. The architecture students toured the highways and back roads and photographed houses, outbuildings, churches, schools and commercial buildings. They interviewed occupants and area historians in search of information concerning original builder/owners. Each building was then documented, and the compilation of documentation was cataloged by the Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation in Baton Rouge.

Each student was required to prepare eight pen or pencil sketches of buildings of individual choice. The original drawings, of which there are now over 1300, were placed in the William King Stubbs Architectural Archives, the permanent collection of North Louisiana architectural drawings at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston.

The Ouachita Parish publication is the initial volume of a series entitled “The Architecture of the North Louisiana River Parishes.” The Ouachita River divides the parish into two distinct regions, the western portion being hilly country with the eastern portion being flat river delta terrain.

Thus, a unique opportunity exists to study in one parish various lifestyles and cultures as reflected in historic architecture. Not only is there the rural architecture of the western hills which contrast with the rural architecture of the delta lands, but these elements may be examined in relation to the urban architecture of Monroe and West Monroe—The Twin Cities on the Ouachita.

Following is the history of the settlement of the parish and descriptions of the areas west of the Ouachita, east of the Ouachita, and the urban fabric of the Twin Cities. A catalog of extant buildings according to plan type and characteristic details concludes the booklet.

So, join us now for a tour of the architecture of Ouachita Parish.

THE SETTLEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF OUACHITA PARISH....

18th AND 19TH CENTURY SETTLEMENT

The area now identified as Ouachita Parish had been occupied by aborigines since pre-historic times. Early European explorers included DeSoto (1542), La Salle (1682), and Bienville (1703). But it remained for Don Juan Filhoil with a commission from the Spanish governor to establish the first permanent settlement on the banks of the Ouachita. When Filhoil arrived in 1783, he named the site for the outpost Prairie des Canots for the Indian and trapper canoes gathered there. The military post was later named Ft. Miro in honor of the Spanish governor of Louisiana.

A colonization scheme formulated by the Spanish government enticed the Marquis de Maison Rouge to establish a settlement further north near the conflux of the Ouachita River and Bayou Bartholomew, the site of the present town of Sterlington. But this settlement lost its position as a rival for the seat of parish government after Filhoil laid out a plot in 1811 for a town on his plantation adjacent to Ft. Miro.

An exciting event occurred at the townsite in May, 1819, one which was to have a two-fold effect on the 400 inhabitants of Ft. Miro. The event was the docking of the _James Monroe_, the first steamboat to ply the Ouachita to this northerly point.

The ensuing excitement effected a village name change to “Monroe.” And for nearly a century the Ouachita River and steam powered boats combined to form a great highway of commerce and transportation for the region.

Overland transportation systems developed throughout the territory during the 1800’s. The earlier Indian trails often became bridle paths. In 1839 a road was cut through from Monroe to Vicksburg, but it was passable only in dry weather. Stage coach service was initiated in 1849. During this era a road was established westward through the hills beyond the river; another went northward toward Arkansas. These westerly roads later became wagon roads bringing caravans of wagons from Jackson and Claiborne Parishes to river trade centers such as the former town of Trenton, two miles north of the present town of West Monroe. But it would be the advent of the Vicksburg to Shreveport railroad in the 1880’s which would provide the communication link between the east and west portions of the Ouachita Parish. In 1853 the state legislature granted the first charter for the construction of the Vicksburg, Texas, and the Pacific Railroad through North Louisiana. The first passenger service from Vicksburg to Monroe was in 1860. The tracks were destroyed by Union forces in the Civil War but were reconstructed and replaced in service by 1870. In 1882 the railroad bridge spanning the Ouachita was opened. It contained wood planking for vehicular and pedestrian circulation. Rail passenger service from Monroe to Shreveport commenced on July 10, 1884.

Ironically, the installation of the railroad service initiated the demise of two regional institutions, the town of Trenton on the west side of the river and the steamboat industry. Trenton, which had been platted into town lots in 1851, declined with the location of the railroad two miles south. Cottonport, a tiny community at the bridgehead on the west side of the Ouachita, changed its name to West Monroe and eventually developed into an important business and industrial community.

Steamboat traffic on the Ouachita, which had begun in 1819, yielded to the speed and flexibility of railroad service. The glamorous steamboating era of nearly a century of luxurious but sometimes tragic travel came to an end in the 1910’s.

20TH CENTURY DEVELOPMENT

Thus, the parish of Ouachita, which had been created in 1807 and which was subsequently divided into nine parishes, entered the 20th century as a rural agricultural region containing small urban entities. Surrounding Monroe were large plantations with cotton production as the major source of wealth. But with the discovery of gas by Louis Locke in 1916 in Morehouse Parish, the area became known as the Monroe Gas Field, one of the largest gas fields in the world at the time. With this wealth came progress—paved streets, “skyscrapers” and a salt water natatorium in the city of Monroe. And the parish prospered as well. Industries using available natural gas and paper mills using yellow pine from the nearby hilly region located in the area.

Transportation routes have continued to unite the parish to the region and to the world. U.S. Highway 80 was constructed in the 1930’s as a major east-west artery. Delta Air Lines began in Monroe as a small cotton dusting operation. And Interstate 20, completed in the 1960’s, now serves as an important coast-to-coast transportation route.

Ouachita Parish has been called the “mother parish” of northeast Louisiana. It has contributed much to the welfare of the region, and it continues to offer the leadership of a pacemaker parish as the twenty-first century approaches.

WEST OF THE OUACHITA....

CONTRASTS ACROSS THE RIVER

The rolling piney hill landscape of Ouachita Parish west of the river contrasts with the delta overflow land east of the river. This contrast was reflected in settlement patterns with different land allocations and building techniques. The delta lands had been acquired by pioneers in the late 18th century and a plantation economy evolved. The less productive western hilly area was settled in the 19th century as small farm holdings. The eastern lands were subject to river overflows; houses were elevated and were generally of wood frame construction. Pioneer houses west of the river were often constructed of logs on wood or stone piers in close proximity to the ground.

Thus, contrasting cultures existed on opposite banks of the river. In this section the architecture of the western bank will be explored through an explanation of its extant architecture as evidenced in housing, out-buildings, churches and commercial buildings.

THE LOG HOUSE, 19TH CENTURY

The early North Louisiana pioneers were more concerned with the erection of a shelter for protection from the elements and wildlife than they were with architectural styles. Folk houses were constructed of either horizontal logs or wood frame.

The typical log folk house plans of the mid 19th century in the hilly country were the single pen (room) wide and the dogtrot. The dogtrot plan consisted of the two single pens (rooms) separated by a floored and roofed but open walled space. (The designation “pen” is used only in reference to the rooms built of log construction).

Folk house plans constructed of wood frame during the 19th century were the one room, two room, saddlebag, dogtrot, central hall and later the gable front and wing. These house types will be examined subsequently.

Pictured on this page are examples of log construction. In figure 4 the logs were split; the inner room wall surface would be even. In figure 5 may be seen several elements of folk log house construction in the drawing of a house being dismantled. This dogtrot with open passage between pens had an attached porch, square logs with square notches, an end exterior chimney (base visible), three inch round pole roof rafters and gallery door openings with the head occurring at the seventh log. In figure 6 a close-up detail shows the square hewn logs and square notches on this dogtrot.

THE WOOD FRAME HOUSE, 19TH CENTURY

During the late 19th century and early 20th century wood frame construction was used to build high style and vernacular houses in the Greek Revival and Queen Anne styles. Figure 7 depicts a late vernacular Greek Revival house with a symmetrical plan, and figure 8 shows a Queen Anne house with asymmetrical plan.

The central hall plan in figure 7 has a steep roof with an integral gallery. Windows are six lights over six lights. A wing was attached to the rear. The original chimney is still visible.

The gable front and wing plan house in figure 8 was popular in the period from 1890 to 1920. The key feature was the forward wing which occupied a portion of the full gallery and the resultant half porch. Often the front wall of the wing was angled, or cut away, but the full roof gable remained. Or, an additional polygonal bay was added. Note the Queen Anne scroll and trim on the porch. This replaced the simple 6″ × 6″ square post of older house forms. This house plan sometimes featured a central hall.

Though in a deteriorated state, the two room house in figure 9 has features worth noting. The siding is vertical board and batten, a technique of construction which appeared with the erection of lumber and railroad worker housing in the 1880’s. The front covered area does not extend the full width of the core; therefore, it is termed a “porch” in contrast to the “gallery” of the previous two examples. Also, it is “attached” and not “integral” with the main core roof structure.

THE WOOD FRAME HOUSE, 20TH CENTURY

The 20th century houses shown on this page exhibit a quest for individuality and contemporary expression. Figure 10 depicts a typical central hall plan. The roof is hip and not the usual gable. This detail required a shorter gallery which was not flush with the extreme end walls. The front door is flanked by full width windows. Shutters were added to the front gallery windows.

The bungalow plan appeared in North Louisiana in the mid 1910’s. This two room wide and two or more room deep house type (figure 11) proliferated in rural and urban areas. In its simplest form there was a forward facing gable with a porch. Here is depicted a half porch. Double windows were used.

The 1930’s house illustrated in figure 12 is typical of the one room wide, several room deep shotgun plan found throughout much of Louisiana. This plan type became the typical house type for workers in New Orleans after the Civil War. It was seldom found in the hill parishes away from the waterways. In the shotgun depicted in figure 12 plywood siding has been installed over the original horizontal siding on the porch.

THE FARM OUTBUILDING

The small farms in the hill country were to a large extent self-supporting. Certain elements, such as food staples and clothing, were purchased at area or regional stores. But the rural farmer needed additional facilities to provide for his other needs. Facilities were built on the farm separate from the dwelling itself.

Farm outbuildings may be placed in two categories, dwelling-related outbuildings and farm-related outbuildings. Dwelling-related buildings were used on a daily basis and included the well house, smoke house, storage room, chicken house, privy, and sometimes the storm shelter. Farm related buildings, those necessary for agriculture and caring for livestock, included barns (single crib, double crib, transverse crib), storage buildings and often the potato house, blacksmith shop and syrup mill. “Crib” is a term used as a designation for room in farm outbuildings.

The drawings on this page depict the nature of the construction of farm outbuildings. They are basic structures erected by the farmer and his neighbors from available materials. Usually they are in the rear of the dwelling. Style and quality and finish of materials were not of great importance. These buildings were altered as needed.

The largest outbuilding was the barn which was used for the protection of horses and cattle and the storage of wagons and farm equipment. The transverse crib barn in figure 13 included, in addition to the log crib, an open wagon shed, a sealed storage area and a loft for hay storage. Note the wood shingle roof and combination of rough sawn horizontal siding, logs, and vertical plank siding.

The small building in figure 14 is similar in design to a smoke house but was probably used for animal shelter. The round logs have saddle notches and no chinking between logs. Ventilation was thus provided. The side addition gave storage area.

The clean, simple storage building in figure 15 was constructed of flush sawn siding with a raised floor. The opening was for ventilation and light. The side addition has a dirt floor.

THE RURAL PLACES OF ASSEMBLY AND COMMUNITY

The physical area required for the small farm caused the dwellings to be dispersed among the hills. One result was the existence of the lonely farmstead and the extended neighborhoods. Community feelings developed and interactions occurred at places of meeting. These meetings were both formal and casual. The formal occasions would occur at the church, school, or in rare cases the Masonic Lodge. Informal gatherings occurred at the rural general store.

The predominant religions in the hilly country west of the Ouachita were Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian. Church services would be held on Sunday. Some denominations would also have weekly prayer services. Additional community happenings were the annual graveyard clearing with “dinner on the ground” and a revival. At these events family and friends would discuss newsworthy events. Figure 16 is an example of the small rural church which was built in the region.

The Masonic Lodge was once an important community establishment. The Cadeville Lodge, figure 17, is one of the few lodge buildings remaining in North Louisiana. The first floor could be used for public services or community meetings. But the second floor was reserved for the private functions of the lodge members.

The general store not only provided for the physical needs of the rural inhabitants, but also it contributed to their emotional well-being as well. The store owner would stock his business by traveling to distribution centers, often on the Ouachita River, purchasing goods and selling them to area residents. The regular weekly journey from the farm to the store would be a time for sharing news and discussing public events. Thus, supplied both physically and emotionally, the family member, or members, would return to the rural dwelling.

The general store shown in figure 18 had a porch for neighborly use, wide openings and a high ceiling for ventilation, and it even featured a flag pole in the front yard.

EAST OF THE OUACHITA...

THE RIVER PLANTATION HOUSES, 19TH CENTURY

The alluvial lands on the east side of the Ouachita fostered a settlement pattern which contrasted greatly with that of the hilly country west of the river. Large holdings had been claimed during the latter part of the 18th century and early 19th century. The Ouachita River then was the only source of regional transportation. Therefore, it was necessary from a communication transportation aspect that the land holdings possess headrights on the river.

The resulting land holdings tended to have narrow frontage but deep extent. Annual spring overflows deposited silt near the river edge, and this high bank was the obvious location for the main buildings of the holding. Thus, the land also determined the hierarchy of architectural development on the holding.

This hierarchy of spaces on the plantation followed a definite pattern. First, the river landing provided an entry to the owner’s house. Behind the house would be the workers’ quarters, and beyond these were the buildings necessary for the operation of the plantation.

Pictured on this page are details of two plantation houses typical of those which once lined the east bank of the Ouachita. The 1838 Filhoil raised cottage of figure 19 has a Greek Revival portico with fan light in the front gable, Doric columns and a balustrade. The house was elevated for protection from the river overflow.

The Whitehall Plantation house, figure 20, was built in 1858. Greek Revival style details include the squared transom and sidelights at the front door, low roof pitch, and pedimented window trim detail on the front gallery, figure 21. The gallery siding was flush but beaded. The windows extended to the floor allowing easy passage from interior rooms to the gallery. Operable, slatted shutters allowed sun control, ventilation, privacy.

Whitehall is a 1½ story house with dormers, attic rooms, and an integral gallery. These were typical features for the Greek Revival cottages of both North and South Louisiana. The central hall plan is another characteristic of this type, which is generally associated with American settlement.

“TURN OF THE CENTURY” ONE ROOM, TWO ROOMS AND SHOTGUN HOUSES

The alluvial lands east of the Ouachita contained two categories of dwellings, those of the plantation owner as previously described and the houses of the tenants and small land owners. The dwellings depicted on these and subsequent pages are typical of the latter category. The basic folk house plan types used were the one room, two room, shotgun and later the bungalow. Houses were usually constructed of wood frame with vertical board and batten siding or horizontal milled siding.