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Calcasieu Historical Preservation Society

The Landmark

The Calcasieu Parish Historical Preservation Society's prestigious Landmark Award is a decorative wooden plaque that is usually attached to the front of a structure. 
 
This award is given in recognition of homeowners who have restored a historic structure as near as possible to its original look.
 
Among the architectural styles often seen in this area are Queen Anne revival, Eastlake, Colonial revival, bungalow and 20th Century eclectic.

Wilson

211 Wilson

The house located at 211 Wilson Street is positioned on Lots 15 and 16 of the Margaret Place Subdivision and actually faces Grove Street. Although commonly referred to as the "Noble Home", the original owner of the first structure was A.J. Vicellio who, as it appears, built the cottage circa 1920. In 1936, Charles Noble acquired the cottage and the vacant adjacent lot. He constructed the first addition to the home in 1939. The house was later expanded again and a garage and screened porch were added by the Nobles. The garage and screen porch are now the present day kitchen and family room of the home.

In 1995, John Miller purchased the house and built a shop behind the existing carport and caretaker's cottage. Mr. Miller, who's hobbies included woodworking, built the arched columns on the current screened in patio to mimic the arched columns on the front facade of the home. In 2002, the property was sold to Vicki and Paul Shearman. In 2005, just days before Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, the current owners, Kathryn (formally Quinn) and Tom Filo purchased the home from Paul Shearman.

The Filos had not yet begun renovations to the house when Hurricane Rita struck Lake Charles in late September of 2005. Tom's oldest son Taylor and his wife Mary Anne moved into the house after their home on Earnest Street was extensively damaged in the hurricane. Taylor's oldest daughter Emily spent her first year in the house while planned renovations to the home proceeded.

The extensive renovations made to the house in 2006 included taking in attic space for a second story playroom and half bath, installing a staircase, building a brand new master suite in place of the former kitchen and dining room and moving the kitchen to the lower portion of the house where the old garage was located. The Filos also built an outdoor fireplace and grilling area on the screened patio, and extensively renovated the old "shop" outside to convert to a game room and storage. During renovation, the Filos discovered many quirky characteristics about the home. For example, every door on the interior of the house, including pocket doors, could be locked from both the inside and outside. Where the kitchen pantry is currently located, there was an old boiler that had been converted into a concrete and brick interior planter. While during the attic renovation, a photography darkroom was found which is why the half bath was constructed. The Filos wanted to keep the integrity and architectural style of the home while renovating. Most of the interior doors are original as well as the exposed brick wall in the current kitchen. The hardwood floors throughout the front of the house are all original and have been refurbished.

In early 2007, shortly after the birth of their second child John, Tom and Kathryn moved into the house at 211 Wilson Street. The house is now a 4 bedroom and 2 half bath home with approximately 3,900 square feet of living space. Tom and Kathryn live in the "Noble Home" with their two children Sarah (8) and John (5), both attend Immaculate Conception Cathedral School across the street.

Both Miller and Filo owned homes in Margaret Place prior to their current residence.

321 Wilson

     The Ranier house at 321 Wilson Avenue was designed in 1937 by architect Lewis Dunn of Dunn and Quinn, and built by the contractor,  T. Miller and Sons, for oilman Mr. Lee Welch and his wife Valverde. Lee Welch was a business leader and principal in the oil firm of Vincent and Welch. It was one of Mr. Dunn’s first houses, and he went on to design many local schools and houses including one for Mr. Vincent, in a long and distinguished career.

     321 WilsonThe original plans show that the house, a rectangular two storey white painted brick, was designed and built in the Federal style. The front of the house featured a diamond shaped window set in the triangular stucco cornice on the central protruding part that included the front door, hall and curving staircase, and upstairs landing. There were two octagonal shaped windows in the wings on either side of the front door which were later walled over. The rectangular transom is decorated with leaded glass with an undulating oval motif. The front door has a curved pediment embellished with dentil moulding and fluted pilasters on both sides. It also has a waist high door knob in the centre of the door. The house had no front columns.

     The home is distinguished among other things by the attention to detail and the craftsmanship of the woodwork, and rounded architectural features which add interest and charm, such as the curving staircase and the sloping hall wall. Upper casement windows have composition rosette and wood fluted pilasters. The dining room and game room had garden facing doors with glass brick panels on either side which were later walled in. The two car garage was on the north end of the house but was later converted into a den.

     The living and dining rooms have wainscoting and cool plaster walls. The living room fireplace is wood and marble and the bank of windows overlooking the garden is curved. The game room is paneled and shelved and, with its spare wooden fireplace and mantel, it has a Georgian simplicity of form.

212 Wilson

212 Wilson, The Cullen Liskow House (circa 1925)

Built by attorney Cullen Liskow and wife, Katherine Brainard West Liskow, this is in an English Tudor cottage style home was designed by R. S. McCook of the St Louis firm Asmus, Clark and McCook. The contractor was Walter James Patrick.

Exterior features include a slate room and cypress was used for all the wood trim.

In 1974, then owners Shirley and Bain D. Slack re-did the stucco in all the rooms. They had Jude Benoit, architect, design and add a 1,000 square foot family room onto the back of the house in the 1980’s.

The house is one of six properties designated as a Landmark Home by the Preservation Society in 1990. 

The home is now owned by Elizabeth and Darren Matel.

220 Wilson

220 Wilson, The William Henry Managan House

Front of 220 Wilson, The William Henry Managan HouseIn a turnabout from a more conventional sequence of events, the William Henry Managan House at 220 Wilson Street, was “handed-down” from son to father – as a result of a fire. That little footnote to history was revealed in research by the current owners, Mr. and Mrs. Lastie Paul Vincent.

The original cottage was built in 1920 by a young Managan – the bachelor son of a family well established in the lumber business – in Margaret Place, the Lake Areas' first "Streetcar Subdivision."

In the late 1920’s, the Westlake residence of the Managan’s parents was destroyed by fire while they were at their Calcasieu (Big) Lake summer home.

Improvements included a master bedroom and bath complete with dressing areas, a solarium, a library and a covered walk to a double garage with servant’s quarters overhead. Especially significant are wood carvings, depicting the Cascade Mountains of Washington, which frame all four walls of the library.

The home, including the solarium which may be used as a greenhouse, is heated by a still operable steam system. The library, dining, living rooms and master bedroom feature antique ceiling fans dating from the early part of the century. An ornate walkway leads to guest quarters and the utility and garage areas.

An elaborate fish pond in the backyard was covered when the house was purchased by its previous owners in 1981. They felt the pond was hazardous to small children.

The senior Managans occupied the house until their deaths in 1946, at which time their son, the original owner, and his wife returned to the house. He died in 1974 and his wife Frances, well known throughout the area as a musician and piano teacher, remained there until 1981. She died in 1989.

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