Foundation for Historical Louisiana Announces “Treasures in Trouble”
Special to The Advocate
For Release Friday, July 20, 2007
For More Information, call Carolyn Bennett at 387-2464; 931-7561
In
a continuing effort to fulfill its mission of historic preservation, the Foundation
for Historical Louisiana (FHL) called on the Capital Region to nominate and
spotlight endangered historic properties or “treasures in trouble” and
the organization has named five properties termed “Endangered.”
The properties, released at the FHL annual preservation awards banquet held
on July 19, are the architecturally significant Union Tank Car Geodesic Dome,
located in North Baton Rouge; the French House and the LSU Historic District
on the LSU Campus; Old St. Gabriel Church on Highway 75, Iberville Parish;
Carville Historic District in Iberville Parish; and St. Mary’s Church
(formerly an Episcopal Church), Weyanoke, West Feliciana Parish.
“We want to draw attention to these unique properties so communities
can learn more about their historic, architectural and cultural “treasures”,
and so individuals and organizations can come together to develop a plan of
action to bring these neglected properties back to being the economic and cultural
jewels they once were,” said Michele Deshotels, FHL board member and
chair of FHL’s Heritage Education Committee. Also serving on the committee
are Lenore Feeney, Darryl Gissel, William Brockway, AIA, David Norwood, John
W. Wilbert, Jr., J. Michael Desmond, Peggy Hunt, Anne Price, and Carolyn Bennett.
Deshotels praised individuals and communities for making the recent nominations
to this important listing. She asked communities and organizations, as well
as individuals, to come forward and to work with the FHL and other preservation
resources in the community to save and restore the properties.
FHL Chair Lenore Feeney says that the organization will review nominations
each May, as part of its national preservation month activities. The properties
will be announced at the FHL annual banquet in July and the organization will
provide technical assistance to communities. “There are individuals in
each of these communities that are reading this and saying, “Oh, we must
do something to make sure that “treasure” is saved,” said
Feeney, “and that person may be you.”
“Many of the properties on this year’s endangered list are of
interest to not just to citizens in those communities, but to visitors,” added
FHL Director Bennett. “Historic tourism is a large market force and an
economic development engine. In addition, at least one of these structures
would make a world class corporate headquarters.”
Bennett noted that in the FHL’s 44-year history, the organization has
advocated on behalf of endangered and threatened properties, including assisting
other preservation organizations to publicize endangered properties. The Foundation’s
list complements a statewide endangered list published by the Louisiana Trust
for Historic Preservation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s
11 Most Endangered List for the whole United States. In addition, the FHL has
provided extensive advocacy and resources to the preservation of Magnolia Mound,
Historic City Park Golf Course, Old Governor’s Mansion, Hotel Heidelberg
(now called the Baton Rouge Hilton Capitol Center), Historic Magnolia and Highland
Cemeteries, the Pentagon Barracks, and others. The organization is also currently
focusing on two other properties in need of restoration in New Orleans, Shushan
Lakefront Airport and Charity Hospital, both designed by Weiss, Dreyfous and
Seiferth, who designed the Louisiana State Capitol and Old Governor’s
Mansion, as well as the LSU French House, on this year’s list.
For more information, contact Carolyn Bennett at 225-387-2464 or write to
fhla@bellsouth.net.
The Union Tank Car Geodesic Dome
Old St. Gabriel Catholic Church
St. Mary’s Church
LSU French House
The Carville Historic District