Alexis LaTour House
Encyclopedia
The Alexis LaTour House also known as, "Old Homeplace; Guillory Homeplace is an historic house in Ville Platte, Louisiana
. The oldest portion of the house was built in 1835 by Alexis LaTour. The house was expanded in 1837. The original house was a -story Creole cottage
of bousillage construction that was one room wide and two rooms deep and had a front gallery. The 1837 expansion added two rooms and a central hall. Details of the house, including an exterior staircase, bousillage construction, and beaded clapboarding, ceiling beams, and ceiling boards were common in traditional Creole architecture. Both the older and the newer part of the house had unusual mantel
s. The older mantel featured cove moldings, panels, and a large central lozenge. The other mantels in the house were more traditional but were still unusual.
In 1900 several modifications were made including the addition of Queen Anne style dormer windows
and a large rear wing. Over time, other, smaller modifications have been made including the replacement of windows and doors, the replacement of the original gallery columns, and the replacement of front, exterior staircase. Despite the modifications, the house still retains significant integrity, including the basic Creole form of the house, the bousillage construction, the copious beading, and the original mantels. The house is the best detailed and largest surviving early structure in Evangeline Parish. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1987 for architectural significance.
Ville Platte, Louisiana
Ville Platte is a city in and the parish seat of Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,145 at the 2000 census. Its name is derived from the French ville plate, or "flat town."-History:...
. The oldest portion of the house was built in 1835 by Alexis LaTour. The house was expanded in 1837. The original house was a -story Creole cottage
Creole cottage
Creole cottage is a term loosely used to refer to a type of vernacular architecture indigenous to the Gulf Coast of the United States. Within this building type comes a series of variations. An expanded version of this type of building is commonly referred to as Gulf Coast cottage, with the...
of bousillage construction that was one room wide and two rooms deep and had a front gallery. The 1837 expansion added two rooms and a central hall. Details of the house, including an exterior staircase, bousillage construction, and beaded clapboarding, ceiling beams, and ceiling boards were common in traditional Creole architecture. Both the older and the newer part of the house had unusual mantel
Fireplace mantel
Fireplace mantel or mantelpiece, also known as a chimneypiece, originated in medieval times as a hood that projected over a grate to catch the smoke. The term has evolved to include the decorative framework around the fireplace, and can include elaborate designs extending to the ceiling...
s. The older mantel featured cove moldings, panels, and a large central lozenge. The other mantels in the house were more traditional but were still unusual.
In 1900 several modifications were made including the addition of Queen Anne style dormer windows
Dormer
A dormer is a structural element of a building that protrudes from the plane of a sloping roof surface. Dormers are used, either in original construction or as later additions, to create usable space in the roof of a building by adding headroom and usually also by enabling addition of windows.Often...
and a large rear wing. Over time, other, smaller modifications have been made including the replacement of windows and doors, the replacement of the original gallery columns, and the replacement of front, exterior staircase. Despite the modifications, the house still retains significant integrity, including the basic Creole form of the house, the bousillage construction, the copious beading, and the original mantels. The house is the best detailed and largest surviving early structure in Evangeline Parish. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1987 for architectural significance.