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CANE RIVER CACHET - October 1, 2001
By Ada D. Jarred
Remember Les Brown’s signature theme?
Gonna take a sentimental journey,
Gonna set my heart at ease,
Gonna make a sentimental journey
To renew old memories.
You can do just that by participating in the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches 47th Annual Pilgrimage on October 13. Three separate tours are provided: the Town Tour, the Cane River Country Tour, and the Candlelight Tour. A new feature, a garden symposium with author Jeanette Hardy as the major speaker, followed by a spectacular garden tour, opens the weekend with a splash on October 12.
All three tours of homes feature residences not ordinarily open to the public, and some are being shown for the first time. The Town Tour spotlights four homes–the Tauzin Plantation home, Rose Lawn, the Cunningham/Gustwick home, and the Nelken/Wright home. The structures, mostly dating from the early 20th century, range from Queen Anne to Normandy styles.
The Cane River Country Tour covers four properties located in the Cane River National Heritage Area. These include Melrose Plantation, Cherokee Plantation, Oakland Plantation, and the Kate Chopin House in Cloutierville. Dated from the late 18th through the early 19th century, the houses are characterized by Creole plantation architecture. All four are on the National Register of Historic Landmarks.
Limited to the downtown Natchitoches National Historic Landmark District, the evening Candlelight Tour is a stroll to the Swett-Simmons house, the Cloutier/Nowlin townhouse, the Perini/Smith house, and the Spiral Staircase behind the Merci Beaucoup gift shop. These sites roughly date from the 19th century. Participants will enjoy wine and cheese in Ducournau Square following the tour.
The Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches Pilgrimage follows the tradition established by the Natchez Garden Club in the early 1930s, that of featuring historic homes on yearly tours to foster interest in historic preservation. Both Natchitoches and Natchez use the term “pilgrimage” to define their tours. Although these tours are not strictly trips to sacred places, some tourists may idealize the pre-Civil War days when lavish lifestyles were predominate in and around Natchez and when the Cane River area was known as “La Cote Joyeuse.” Because of the tours, tourism has grown to be the major economic activity of Natchez, and the pilgrimages largely control the social activities of the town.
In establishing its tours, Natchez was following another tradition, that of historic preservation in the South. The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association of the Union, created in 1856, was founded to purchase and preserve George Washington’s home and the surrounding grounds. Establishment of the organization gave the South leadership status in the historical preservation movement in the United States. The Civil War hampered historic preservation, of course, but it also created many new sites of historic heritage to be preserved.
Major regional strides in the field began occurring after the 1920s. Preservation of Charleston’s historic district and the Vieux Carre of New Orleans are examples of meaningful progress. Charleston’s Historic District Zoning Law was passed in 1931. In 1937 the Louisiana Legislature established a commission, the original publicly supported body in the nation, to protect structures in the New Orleans French Quarter and to exempt historic sites from local taxation.
Other milestone projects included the Williamsburg restoration funded by the Rockefellers and the origination of annual pilgrimages to Natchez’s historic homes by the Natchez Garden Club. Natchitoches’s own Roy Graham has served as an architect on the Williamsburg project.
Widespread progress in preservation began to spread throughout the region after World War II..
The Association of Natchitoches Women for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches followed suit by beginning its historic tours in l955 under the leadership of Mrs. John Kyser. The original tour featured Oakland, Beau Fort, Lemee House, the Herman Taylor Home, the home of Mrs. Julie Prudhomme, and the home of Dr. & Mrs. W. H. Pierson. At the conclusion of the tour, Dr. & Mrs. John Kyser entertained visitors on the campus of Northwestern State College. Hostesses for the day included Mrs. J. H. Henry at Melrose, Mrs. Alphonse Prudhomme at Oakland, Mrs. C. Vernon Cloutier at Beau Fort, Mrs. John Kyser, Mrs. Herman Taylor, Mrs. T.M. Stroud, Mrs. Arthur Watson, Mrs. G. F. Thomas, Mrs. R. O. Hicks, Mrs. A. G. Lawton, Mrs. W. Peyton Cunningham, Mrs. George Sutton, Mrs. G. H. Pierson, Ms. Violet Winslow, Ms. Ruby Dunckelman, Ms. Carmen Breazeale, and Ms. Betty Porter.
The Natchitoches pilgrimages have always been more low-key than the Natchez ones. The architecture of Natchitoches is not as splendid as the antebellum mansions of the Natchez area, the Natchitoches tour guides dress in calico rather than the silks and satins of Natchez, and social events are not associated with the tours in Natchitoches. Natchitoches also varies the historic homes and buildings featured each year.
Why should you participate in the Natchitoches tour of homes? History permeates Natchitoches, and you will enjoy being knowledgeable about your heritage. You also should be aware of and appreciate how historic preservation contributes to the Natchitoches ambiance and way of life. Perhaps you’ll become a historic preservation activist, if you’re not already one.
You may have visited some of the sites on the three tours. Locations, however, evolve as structures are refreshed and restored. You may have intended to see some of the houses, but simply never took time to do so. You may be a newcomer to the area and unaware of the historical richness of the area. On the other hand, you may be a lifelong resident blissfully unaware of the fact that the Natchitoches area has so many National Historic Landmarks. If the latter is the case, you have a lot of pleasant information to discover.
Whatever your status, this is a particularly appropriate time to revel in local American history. This is your chance to absorb knowledge and heighten your awareness of the richness of Natchitoches history or perhaps to simply “renew old memories.”
As the song says,
Got my bag, I got my reservation,
Spent each dime I could afford.
Like a child in wild anticipation,
Long to near that “all aboard.”
Make your reservation today to enjoy the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches 47th Annual Pilgrimage. Tickets are available at the Natchitoches Parish Tourist Commission. Further information may be obtained by calling 318/352-8072, 800/259-1714 or 318/352-5155. Tour headquarters on October 12 and 13 is the Lemee House, 310 Jefferson Street. Tickets will be available at that location, also.
The Cane River National Heritage Area is telling your story and singing your song.
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