Landmarks By Year
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.
Grove
101 Grove
101 Grove, The John A. Texada house (Circa 1914)
This home was designated a historical landmark during the 1991 evaluation procedure by the Calcasieu Historical Preservation Society.
In a "Local Landmarks" article in Jan of 1992, the home was termed "a big 'raised cottage style' structure." At that time, the owners were Mercedes Plauche and James R. Nieset. The home has since had other owners, including long-time preservationist, Virginia and Patrick Webb who sold to the current owner, Jean Marie Rasbeary.
Records indicate that the home was built by lumber yard operator, John Texada in about 1914. He lived in the home until 1924 when he sold it to the Branch Moses family, who lived in the home 50 years until the Niesets bought it in 1974.
The house is located on Lots 1 and 2 of Block 5 of Margaret Place. Research by then-owner and attorney James Nieset indicates that "individual private owership of Lot 1, following creation of the subdivision known as Margaret place was first obtained by John A. Texada, Jr., by purhcase on July 24, 1913. The abstract of title contains neither a mortgage at purchase nor a subsequent mortgage to Mr. Texada toconfirm construction of the residence. "
The 1914 Sanborn Map shows the original house located on Lot 1. The records suggest that the house was built sometime between July, 1913 and the end of 1914.
106 Grove
106 Grove, The Stevens House
Seven decades after the John R. Stevens House was built at 106 Grove in Margaret Place, current owners Dr. and Mrs. Bruce (Barbara) Wyman won a national award for their renovation of the classic bungalow.
Built by the Stevens in about 1920, the one-story bungalow was an extremely popular and fashionable smaller-type home to build shortly after the turn of the century through the 20’s.
Inspired by native dwellings of Bengal (Bangladesh) and favored by the British for their country homes the style was adapted for the United States by two California architects who were pioneers in the Arts and Crafts movement.
The Wymans, who bought the place in 1989, fastidiously followed Craftman guidelines in their extensive renovation project, which received one of 12 national awards among 8,621 entries in the 1990 Better Homes and Gardens Improvement Contest.
Identifying Craftsman features are a low-pitched gabled roof with a wide, unenclosed eaves overhang; spacious porch; exposed roof rafters; decorative false beams with triangular braces under the gables; square upper columns resting on more massive piers which continue to ground level without a break at the porch floor; exposed rafter tails; multi-pane transomed windows in a line of three or more; and small high windows on each side of the chimney.