Palm Sunday Weekend dedicated to the memory of Ben Mount

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The 2012 Palm Sunday Tour of Homes and related events will be dedicated to the memory of the late Ben Mount, longtime preservationist and Margaret Place resident.

The announcement was made at the Annual Meeting of the Calcasieu Historical Preservation Society (CHPS) with a backdrop of photos of Mr. Mount, fondly remembered as "the Mayor of Margaret Place." The meeting began with a moment of silence for Mount, who died in his Landmark Margaret Place home after a valiant fight with lung cancer. The moment of silence was especially poignant as the host home for the meeting, 101 Pithon, was the Mount’s first Margaret Place residence.

Speaking for the CHPS Board, Adley Cormier commented that Ben Mount had been active in area preservation issues for decades and was a leader in the preservation and reuse of Central School, as well as the survey and establishment of Margaret Place Historic District. The Mounts made a formidable team and were champions of the preservation movement in Southwest Louisiana. At the time of his death, Ben Mount was the President of the Margaret Place Historical District.

Margaret Place Column He was one of the early homeowners to agree to place their current home at 205 Shell Beach Drive on this year's Palm Sunday tour. Ever the educator, Ben had wanted to self-docent their home, which has only had two owners: Stockwell and Mount. Both were attorneys, both graduated from LSU Law School, and both served as President of the LSU Board of Supervisors.

Friend and fellow MPHD board member Mary Kay Hopkins said after the meeting: "It is well known that, despite cancer, Ben did not skip a beat insofar as his work ethic. His commitment to Margaret Place was yet another example of Ben moving forward despite the difficulties of the disease. Those of us who had the honor and privilege of working with Ben, especially this past September, will never pass by the columns at Harrison and Dr. Michael DeBakey Drive without remembering his commitment to, and love for, Margaret Place."

Outgoing CHPS President Donna Richard stated, "In the six years since I returned to Lake Charles, I have learned how important Ben Mount has been to the preservation efforts in our historic districts. He and Willie began the successful campaign to save historic Central School from demolition, and up to last year, he was continuing to fight to save the historical character of his beloved Margaret Place district."