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Calcasieu Historical Preservation Society

Promotional Poster Distribution Begins

Leslie Knox places one of the first Palm Sunday Promotional PostersWhen you start seeing our beautiful Palm Sunday Tour of Homes posters downtown, chances are they were arranged by local attorney Leslie Knox!  Here, she is shown placing a KMI created poster on her office door in downtown Lake Charles.

Leslie is a resident of the Margaret Place Historical District (MPHD) and serves on the MPHD Board of Directors as well as the Joint Committee that is working to deliver the varied activiites for Palm Sunday Weekend, 2012.

In addition to her work with the MPHD and the Joint Committee, Leslie has agreed to place her Landmark Home, The H.D. White Home, on the Sunday Tour of Homes.

Read more …Promotional Poster Distribution Begins

Vintage Cars to be on display Palm Sunday!

Example of vintage car that will be on display throughout Margaret Place on Palm Sunday

Just as five decades of homes from 1912 - 1953 will be on the tour during the Palm Sunday Tour of Homes on April 1st, cars from that time period and the 60's will be on display on the streets of Margaret Place. 

The goal is to have only age appropriate cars visible during the tour.

This is one of 4 events on Palm Sunday. Learn more!

Read more …Vintage Cars to be on display Palm Sunday!

Trolley Route for Palm Sunday Announced

Lake Charles TrolleyCostandza Thomas with the Transit Department of the City of Lake Charles has announced the route that the Lake Charles Transit system’s Bus/Trolley will follow to provide transportation for those attending Palm Sunday activities on April 1, 2012, including  hours of operation and drop off/pick up locations.

This streetcar re-enactment is one of several expanded activities that make up Palm Sunday. An on-board docent will provide insights during the short trip to ICCS in Margaret Place.

The hours of operation are from 9:45 – 5:30. The Trolley will run a continual loop with the initial starting point at the “South 9” section of the Lake Charles Civic Center. Clearly marked, this section is mid-way between Lakeshore Drive and the Amphitheatre. The Trolley will proceed to the front door of Immaculate Conception Catholic School (ICCS) via Kirby and Ryan Street.

The complete route, pick up/drop off locations, and ticket purchase locations are as follows:

  • On Ryan:
    • Front of Home Furniture (across from OB’s*)
    • Front of ICCS
  • Dr. Michael DeBakey Dr. at:
    • Harrison in front of 121 Artisan’s Bistro* T
    • Watkins in front of Lifeshare Blood Center*
    • Alvin in front of The Urology Clinic*
    • Drew Park near entrance to park*
  • Proceed to Foster, then Shell Beach Drive
  • Shell Beach Drive:
    • Near 205 Shell Beach Drive, one of the homes on the tour* T
    • Park Avenue*
  • Return to “South 9” section at Civic Center*  T

* denotes drop off/pickup locations.

T denotes ticket sales location.

Read more …Trolley Route for Palm Sunday Announced

Sponsor Deadline Update

Palm Sunday Weekend Sponsor Update:

Read more …Sponsor Deadline Update

Palm Sunday Weekend dedicated to the memory of Ben Mount

lsuphoto

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.

Read more …Palm Sunday Weekend dedicated to the memory of Ben Mount

2011 Award Recipients

Photos of the award recipients for the 2011 Landmark and Calca Awards.

CALCA:

  • Par Development Group, LLC, Chris Khoury and Robert Authemont, Residential Infill Construction
  • Charlotte and Alvin Touchet, Residential Infill Construction
  • Empire of the Seed, Donna and Rick Richard, Commercial Infill Construction
  • Rhino Renovators, Samantha and Randy LeJeune, Relocated and renovated residence
  • Phyllis and Billy Loftin, Residential Renovation

LANDMARK:

  • Samantha and Randy LeJeune, 903 Broad Street, The Chester Brown House c. 1904
  • Tammy and Billy Edwards, 905 Kirby Street, The George Samuel Kreeger House c. 1905 (photo pending)
  • Mike Clooney, 112 Grove Street The Thomas J. Clooney House c. 1913 (photo pending)

    Read more …2011 Award Recipients

Images of Margaret Place by Sue Zimmerman

Margaret Place Architectural Accent by Sue Zimmerman Sue Zimmerman's, "Images of Margaret Place"  will be prominent in the souvenier program that will be distributed Palm Sunday Weekend! 

At the CHPS annual meeting, we introduced note-cards which are ideal for framing and will serve as a small fund-raiser for CHPS/MPHD. 

Read more …Images of Margaret Place by Sue Zimmerman

Re-enactment of Streetcar Line on Palm Sunday

The Lake Charles Trolley will help us recreate the historic streetcar lineWe are pleased to announce that the City of Lake Charles has partnered with CHPS/MPHD to temporarily conduct a "re-enactment of  the Historic South Ryan Streetcar Line" as a part of the 37th Annual Palm Sunday Tour of Homes.

From 1894 to 1926, as many as four steel-rail streetcar lines served the City, providing, at one time, 24-hour transit service to residents. Three of the lines operated as a city utility and one line (known as the "Dummy line" along Broad Street) was operated by the Watkins and Missouri Pacific Railroad. The three city lines served the densely developed downtown and ran south from Railroad Avenue on Ryan Street, two lines then going east on Kirby Street and with one line proceeding north on Kirkman to Goosport.

Read more …Re-enactment of Streetcar Line on Palm Sunday

Sue Zimmerman's Margaret Place Artwork

Gate to the Gardens that will be featured during Saturday's Fan TourThanks to a special donation by The Empire of The Seed, Historic Properties, these Margaret Place images are splintered throughout the CHPS website and will be featured in the full color program for Palm Sunday Weekend.

Special thanks to Margaret Place resident, Cissy Guidry, for taking photographs to aid in this project and to Knight Media for the conversion of Sue Zimmerman’s images for use on this website.

Each image is the property of Sue Zimmerman and may not be copied. For information regarding the purchase of certain originals or prints, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Read more …Sue Zimmerman's Margaret Place Artwork