Spanish Town Neighborhood, Landmark Buildings, Mounds, Historic Wood Windows, Big Charity Named to FHL “Treasures in Trouble” Endangered 2009 List
In a continuing effort to fulfill its mission of cultural and architectural preservation, the Foundation for Historical Louisiana (FHL) has spotlighted endangered historic properties and entities, calling them “treasures in trouble,” to draw attention to their potential loss.
Named to this year’s unusual list are Baton Rouge’s National Register and Local Historic District of Spanish Town; Clinton’s Marston House, St. Helena Parish Land Office, the Kleinpeter Mounds in the Country Club of Louisiana, and historic wood windows in homes, churches, and buildings throughout the region, including the Old Governor’s Mansion.
A special recognition, called the FHL Chairman’s Recognition, was named to spotlight the comprehensive and continuing efforts in Louisiana and across the country to save Charity Hospital of New Orleans and restore it as a 21st century medical facility. In 2006 the Louisiana State Legislature named the Foundation for Historical Louisiana in House Concurrent Resolution 89 to assess the landmark and make recommendations for its use. Over 75 organization have called for an independent analysis of the situation. In 2008 the Trust named Charity Hospital to its 11 Most Endangered List in America. Over 128 buildings are threatened with demolition in the Mid-City Historic District in the controversy.
The newly listed Treasures in Trouble were selected predominately from the 9-parish capital region. Nominations came from citizens concerned about their preservation and all are architecturally or culturally significant, said FHL board member J. Michael Desmond, PhD., who along with FHL Chair Emeritus Lenore Feeney chair the selection committee.
“The Treasures in Trouble recognition draws attention to these unique properties so communities can learn more about their historic, architectural, and cultural riches. Additionally individuals and organizations can come together to develop a plan of action to bring these neglected properties back to the cultural and built “jewels” they once were,” . Also serving on the committee are Mark Upton FHL Chair; Michele Deshotels; William Brockway, FAIA; Darryl Gissel; Danielle Honeycutt; Jennifer Berniard; and FHL Executive Director Carolyn Bennett.
“We hope that by providing details of these structures’ history, preservation needs, and importance to their communities assistance will come to save the structures and their historical information for generations to come,” said Desmond.
Recognized by the Foundation for Historical Louisiana as the 2009 Treasures in Trouble are:
Spanish Town, nominated by The Historic Spanish Town Civic Association, is a unique settlement dating to 1805. It is Baton Rouge’s oldest subdivision. A few antebellum houses survive along North Street, but the majority of handsome structures date from 1870s to 1930s. The neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic neighborhood and is also locally designated by the East Baton Rouge Parish Historic Preservation Commission. “Since the late 1970s, the neighborhood has undergone many private restoration efforts, especially by owner-occupants, increasing the property values significantly. Increasing pressures to demolish homes and the overdevelopment by inappropriate structures continue to threaten and change the streetscape ambience which is a majority of one and two- story family homes. Within the approximately 50-acre Spanish Town, there are 6 buildings of Greek Revival architecture that were constructed before 1860; 37 in Queen Anne style, shotgun, and small Creole styles dating to the later 1800s; and, 175 Creole and craftsman bungalow style homes, built from 1900s to the 1930s. The diversity and rich mixes of shapes, sizes, and types makes this one of the most appealing and cherished neighborhoods in the city. Spanish Town association leaders, David Brown, President, and John Sykes, Historian may be contacted at www.spanishtown.us.
St. Helena Parish Land Office, in Greensburg is 190 years old. The small building is significant in the area of architecture as good example of a small rural office building in the Greek Revival Style. It is of a type commonly found in the Eastern states as well as in nearby Lawyer’s Row in Clinton, but which is seldom in other parts of Louisiana. Although some towns had them, all but a few were sacrificed to downtown redevelopment in the later nineteenth century. It was nominated by the Audubon Regional Library, Jean Claxton, Branch Manager. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966 along with the Old St. Helena Parish Jail Museum. The Greensburg Land Office is also significant because it houses the St. Helena District Land Office, which served the entire Florida Parishes. Although Congress had in 1812 organized a land district out of the Florida Parishes, no provision had been made for the surveying of the private claims and public lands in this area. On March 3, 1819, however, Congress officially named this region the St. Helena District and provided for its survey. It was here that Florida Parish residents applied for American patents of their lands. In fact, this can be seen as but one of the many steps involved in the Americanization of Louisiana. In 1843 the land office was removed from Greensburg to Baton Rouge. The structure is currently used as a Veteran’s Administration office one day a week. Preservation efforts have leadership support of the St Helena Police Jury sthelenapolicejury@hotmail.com., the St. Helena Historical Association, St. Helena Tourist Commission, and the St. Helena Economic Development District.
South Louisiana is graced with the presence of many Native American building and mound sites of various size, age and significance. Some of these, such as the LSU Mounds, rank among the oldest known manmade structures in North America. Others, such as the cluster of six mounds known as the Kleinpeter Site, are located at natural places that have been involved in our collective history in significant ways.
The Kleinpeter Site Mounds occupy a location probably used by native Americans beginning with the Tchefuncte Culture group by 250 BC, and continuing into the 18th century. This group of six mounds lies on high ground overlooking the intersection of Bayou Manchac and Bayou Fountain, two of the region’s most important natural waterways, and just a short distance from Alligator Bayou which gives access into the large area of Spanish Lake. This is an area that historically abounded in wildlife.
Until the development of the Country Club of Louisiana the site remained relatively inaccessible by land, it has never been plowed, and until recently never cleared. A roadway was cut thru the site in 1985, and subsequently a house built over one of the mounds. Today another house is being constructed in the 14,000 sq. ft. “ceremonial plaza” lying between these mounds.
The epoch changing French explorer known to us as Iberville made a famous journey of exploration up the Mississippi River in 1699, during which he became the first European to discover Bayou Manchac, a tributary that native Americans had used for centuries connecting the great river with what we now know as the Amite River system, Lake Ponchatrain and the Gulf of Mexico. Camping in the area one night during this journey, Iberville writes of the land at this confluence of bayous as
“ . . . .one of the prettiest spots I have ever seen.” This important historic site is just one of many similar locations across the state that are not protected and are threatened by modern development.
Marston House, in Clinton, derives its name from its owners, the Marston family of Boston and Louisiana. In 1836, the Union Bank purchased land and began construction of a Clinton branch bank in Greek Revival architectural style, but a widespread financial depression of 1837 interrupted the construction. Henry Marston offered to complete the construction at his own expense, provided he was made cashier of the bank and could have the entire upstairs as a residence for his family. The bank accepted the offer. Later, Marston bought the bank and ran it until his death in 1884. Abbie Marston, his youngest daughter, lived upstairs and allowed the parish to use the downstairs for an elementary school. In 1945 the Marston Estate gave the home to the Parish of East Feliciana, and it was leased to the East Feliciana Pilgrimage and Garden Club in 1958 for 99 years. The house was partially restored in 1980 with grant funds and private funds but continued to struggle with financing the restoration.
A new organization, True Heart Feliciana, Inc. was formed in 2002 by the Marston heirs and the Police Jury. The group, which nominated the structure, demonstrated the need for restoration to its interior and exterior finishes, new heating and air conditioning systems, and accessibility upgrades. They retained Conservator George Fore of North Carolina who has developed a plan of restoration. The group hopes to find restoration funds and then to make the building a library, interpretative and geological center, or possibly some other appropriate use befitting this landmark. True Heart FelicianaBoard members Betsy Jones or Mildred Worrell may be contacted at 683-8577 or mworld@bellsouth.net.
Historic wood windows in homes throughout the region have been nominated by the FHL because of the organization’s research and advocacy to protect the windows in the Old Governor’s Mansion, the group’s headquarters and a historic house listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Additionally, there is an epidemic across America of window replacement. Historic windows are one of the most important and defining elements of a vintage building. Simple repairs and routine maintenance are the key. A number of years back when the Division of Administration informed the FHL Board of Directors that it was going to replace the original cypress windows with replacement windows, the organization was quick to research and learn that the windows in The White House and Monticello had been carefully restored in place, the recommended restoration method. Repairing rather that replacing windows is certainly the “greener” option and a more sustainable building practice. Since this time, FHL has conducted workshops and brought window experts to Baton Rouge to explain the process of restoring vintage windows. This information can be obtained at www.fhl.org or National Trust for Historic Preservation website, http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/weatherization/windows/.
According to FHL Chair Mark Upton, the organization has assisted with preserving numerous endangered properties, including Magnolia Mound, Historic City Park Golf Course, the Old Governor’s Mansion, the Hotel Heidelberg, the Pentagon Barracks, Historic Magnolia Cemetery, and others over its 44 year history. The Foundation for Historical Louisiana is a membership based organization and a local partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Download National Trust's Repair or Replace Old Windows presentation. This 18 page document is packed full of information on when historic windows can be repaired or should be replaced. And also what NOT to do when replacing windows to maintain the the historic look and style of the building.
The Union Tank Car Geodesic Dome
Old St. Gabriel Catholic Church
St. Mary’s Church
LSU French House
The Carville Historic District
