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Town of Brusly Certified Landmark Plaque Recipients – May 17, 2008

Catherine Blanchard Home

may01

This older home, dating back to the mid 1800s, was once located on LeJeune family property. Former neighbors recall that the home was moved to its present location by a mule-drawn sled. Catherine Hopper Blanchard and her former husband, John “Coonie” Blanchard, purchased this house from a relative of Miss “Lil” LeBlanc. Miss “Lil” and her sister, Miss “Duce,” lived next door in an Acadian style home which was later demolished when their property was sold. This home, on a portion of the LeBlanc property which their brother owned, was saved from demolition. Catherine and her former husband renovated the home, both inside and out, but strived to retain the original style. The shuttered doors, original to the house, are still in use today. This home was awarded a Town of Brusly Certified Landmark Plaque on May 17, 2008.

Babin Family Home

may02

Built around 1838 for John Baptiste Labadiole and his wife, Appoline (Pauline) Babin Labadiole, this historic home is a typical raised Creole cottage with kitchen wing extension at the rear. The back wing is thought to be part of the Jacques Caire store that was purchased when the river threatened to destroy it in the early 1900s. In a newspaper interview, the late Reaud Hebert, a longtime Brusly area resident, recalled that the house was originally called the Labadiole House and later called the Cazenave House. Changes through the years have not altered the basic shape of the home. P. Raymond Foret, Brusly Mayor from May 11, 1920, until May 11, 1921, lived in the home at one time. Bruce Bourgeois, Brusly Mayor from 1947 – 1968, owned and resided in this home with his family for many years. Rita Babin purchased the home in the early 1950s; she, along with her mother, father, and siblings, resided here. Known today as the “Babin Home” to Brusly residents, it is home to Rita Babin who continues to reside here. This home was awarded a Town of Brusly Certified Landmark Plaque on May 17, 2008. For anyone cleaning up  their homes, they can hire carpet cleaning pittsburgh from here!

Union Baptist Church

may03

This very simple gable-end structure is over 100 years old. It was remodeled in 1903, and again in 1962 when the outside was covered with brick veneer. An old picture shows how it looked prior to the 1962 renovation. The left wing addition at the rear was added later for use as a meeting hall. The church was formally organized in 1883 and the congregation has played an important role in the development of this community. There is a large cemetery located off site, one block away from the church, which contains many gravesites of African American families who settled in Brusly. Dates and the size of the cemetery indicate the age and large congregation of the church. The church was awarded a Town of Brusly Certified Landmark Plaque on May 17, 2008.

J. Harvey Blanchard, Jr. Home

may04

The historic name of this home, dating to 1850 construction, is “Gladonia.” It is French Colonial, a style which is nearly extinct in our community. One of the sidelight glass panes, near the front door, has an inscribed “Riv” visible, reportedly done by the builder, Charles Rivault. Although considerably altered, with wings added on the left and right, extensions and enclosures in the rear, a carport on the right, lowered foundations and gallery changes, it retains much of its original woodwork and millwork. Members of the Heck family lived here at one time, as did the Frank White, Sr. family. J. Harvey Blanchard, Jr. and his wife, Helen, who purchased the property in December 1943, raised their family here and resided in the home until their deaths. Their daughter, Helen, and her husband, John Gossman, now own the home and are in the process of restoring it. This home was awarded a Town of Brusly Certified Landmark Plaque on May 17, 2008.

Norwood & Myrtle Labauve Home

may05

Norwood and Myrtle White LaBauve built this home during a period from 1950- 1953, on property that was once the location of the “Original Brusly Town Hall.” Norwood and his brother, Raymond, assisted by their relative, Murat LaBauve, constructed the house, a three-bedroom, wood frame structure with a stoop in the front and a screened porch on the north side. The garage and shed were added in 1965; the screen porch was later removed and then rebuilt in 2007. Norwood and Myrtle raised their children in this home; Myrtle lives in the home today. This home was awarded a Town of Brusly Certified Landmark Plaque on May 17th, 2008.

Cyril & Ethel O. Mouch Home

may06

This beautiful, pure little Creole house, simple in shape and design, is relatively unaltered in size. Believed to have been built between 1850 and 1870, it is of importance in the community as a fine example of its type. The home sits on property which once belonged to the Kirkland family for whom Kirkland Drive is named. Louis Kirkland served as West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff for some years; his grandson, Matthew Kirkland, was born in this home in 1909. Other residents of the home include Victor Andrew Foret and his wife, Evelina Decereau Foret. Cyril G. Mouch, Sr. and his wife, Ethel O’Neal Mouch, purchased the home from Vince Kirkland, Matthew’s father. The Mouchs resided and raised their children here; “Mrs. Ethel” resides in the home today. This home was awarded a Town of Brusly Certified Landmark Plaque on May 17, 2008.

Riley & Rita Allain Home

may07

This Craftsman style home, built in 1932, remains much the same in appearance as it looked in the past. Rita Mollo Allain purchased the property from Wallace Peyronnin in 1925, following her marriage to Riley Allain in 1923. Records indicate that she used her Julian Poydras Fund money, $120, as part of the $215 required to purchase the property. Riley, Rita and their son, Marvin, lived in the home for many years. The home remained vacant for some time after Riley and Rita died, then following Marvin’s death, the home was sold. Although some alterations have been made, including the addition of a carport and a shed to the west of the house, restoration has preserved the home. Maynette M. Milazzo, the present owner, resides in the home today. This home was awarded a Town of Brusly Certified Landmark Plaque on May 17, 2008.

Mandart Home

may08

This typical Acadian style home has cypress construction beam and pier foundation, plank and lapboard siding, gabled tin roof and other features. Renovations in 1994 covered most walls and ceilings with drywall, extended the north and west walls and added a south wing. Interior renovations also included removal of the foyer stairway which granted access to the upstairs living area.

Alicide Hebert and Alphonse Mandart, who owned the home, were married in 1898, and were parents of five children, all born in the home. During the late 1930s and early 1940s, Alicide Mandart provided lodging and meals for teachers at Brusly High School. Presently, Terry Durbin Guidry and her husband, Steve Guidry, own and reside in the home. Terry’s mother, Florence Mandart Durbin, grew up in this home. With the exception of six years between 1994 and 2001, a descendant of Alicide and Alphonse Mandart has owned the home. This home was awarded a Town of Brusly Certified Landmark Plaque on May 17, 2008.

Soniat Home

may09

Henry Soniat, Sr. and his wife, Genevieve Hebert Soniat, purchased this two-story home in the early 1950s. Prior to that time, it was the home of Eddie Hebert who had resided in the home until his death. The original house, circa 1870 – 1890, with three downstairs bedrooms and a large upstairs area converted to a dormitory style bedroom, has been completely covered with brick veneer on all exterior walls and gallery façade. Original outdoor sheds remain on the property. The Soniat children presently own the home. Henry Soniat, a descendant of the Soniat-Duffosat family of New Orleans, came to Brusly in the late 1930s to teach at Brusly High School. This home was awarded a Town of Brusly Certified Landmark Plaque on May 17, 2008.

The Old Dance Hall / Aubry Dupuy Home

may10

The site of the Back Brusly Oak Tree and the adjacent “Old Dance Hall” evoke treasured memories for those who lived in the area and for others, living other places, who grew up hearing stories of long ago activities here. The “Old Dance Hall,” once a gathering place in the late 1800s and early 1900s for young and old in Brusly and surrounding communities, was a place where many romances began and blossomed into marriages. As gleaned through public records, family stories and oral interviews, it has been determined that Wiley “Man” and Susie Landry Daigle owned the property when the “Dance Hall” was in operation. The wood frame structure, on piers, with a tin roof and porch across the front, is believed to be well over 120 years old. Adam and Rita LaBauve Hebert, then Aubry and Irma Dupuy are among those who owned and resided in the “Dance Hall” structure through the years. The Dupuys resided here until their deaths; the late Gerald Caillouet and his wife, Jane Hebert Caillouet, purchased the property in 1972 when a succession was opened. Jane Caillouet, the present owner, uses the house as a rental property. The structure was awarded a Town of Brusly Certified Landmark Plaque on May 17, 2008. The “Elizabeth Oak,” a member of the Live Oak Society, stands at the rear of this property, behind the Caillouet home. The oak was named in honor of Jane and Gerald’s daughter when it was registered in the Live Oak Society

David Blanchard Home / Redmen Hall

may11

This raised cottage, circa 1830 – 1840, with three interior partition walls, was originally used as the “Redmen Hall” by “Uncas Tribe #64.” Older residents of the area recall going to dances at the “Redmen Hall” at its original site behind the present levee. It was moved from a site to the right of the present catholic church when the levee was set back and raised in the early 1930s. There is an unusually large two-story cistern to the rear of the home, behind the carport. Previous owners, David and Lucille Arboneaux Blanchard, made it their home and raised their family here. Some changes and upgrades were made over the years, including placing the lower floor on a cement slab foundation. Present owners are Tommy and Jeanette Jester Blanchard. This home was awarded a Town of Brusly Certified Landmark Plaque on May 17, 2008.

Stuart Bourgeois Home

may12

This home, a California bungalow, was built in 1927 by John P. Landry, Sr. for Stuart and Lorraine Marler Bourgeois on property owned by Stuart’s mother, Eva Sarradet Bourgeois. The exterior is much the same as when it was built and there have been few interior structural changes. After Stuart, an employee of the Texas and Pacific Railroad, was transferred to Dallas in the early 1940s, the house was used as rental property until being sold in 1973. Several local residents owned the house in the ensuing years. Ronnie and Babs Babin purchased the home in 2006, refurbished it inside and out, and presently use it as rental property. This home was awarded a Town of Brusly Certified Landmark Plaque on May 17, 2008.

Brusly Middle School Campus

may13

The first public high school in West Baton Rouge Parish, a two-story wooden building, was erected on this site in 1911. The gym, built in 1937 through the WPA, was designated as a school auditorium and a community center when it was constructed. Local men, including some still in high school, were hired to work on the gym project. The class of 1937 was the first to hold their graduation ceremony in the gym, even though the floors had not been completed. The classroom building adjacent to the gym was completed in 1938. In 1950, when the long white building north of the gym was constructed, the original wooden building was demolished. The small four-room building, visible from the front drive, was constructed in 1957. The original Brusly High School Gymnasium, standing on this campus, was entered into the National Register of Historic Places on September 20, 2007. A Town of Brusly Certified Landmark Plaque was awarded to the campus on May 17, 2008.

Heno Hebert Home

may14

Heno Hebert, a local carpenter, built this home in 1920. He and his wife, Bertha LeJeune Hebert, resided and raised their family here. Heno died in 1930 and Bertha resided the home until her death in 1969. Several “card playing ladies” frequently congregated at Bertha’s home for evenings of fun, lively conversation and general camaraderie. Volina Babin Berthelot, who later purchased the home, continued the card playing tradition. The home has been altered, but its original shape can still be determined. After Volina’s death, John and Marianne Berthelot purchased the home and currently use it as rental property. This home was awarded a Town of Brusly Certified Landmark Plaque on May 17, 2008.

Catherine Blanchard – “Catherine Blanchard Home”
Rita Babin – “Cazenave Home”
Union Baptist Church – “Union Baptist Church”
John & Helen Gossman – “J. Harvey Blanchard, Jr. Home”
Myrtle Labauve – “Norwood Labauve Home”
Ethel Mouch – “Cyril G. & Ethel O. Mouch Home”
Maynette M. Milazzo – “Riley Allain Home”
Steve & Terry Guidry – “Mandart Home”
Heirs of Henry Soniat – “Soniat Home”
Jane Hebert Caillouet – “The Old Dance Hall”
Thomas & Jeanette Blanchard – “Redmen Hall”
Ronald & Babs Babin – “Stuart Bourgeois Home”
John & Marianne Berthelot – “Heno Hebert Home”
WBR Parish School Board – “Brusly Middle School Campus”

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