natchitochespreservation

"The Natchitoches Historic Foundation presented awards during its Gala held on November 8." - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"Dr. Jeffrey Anderson, an assistant professor of history at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, will present a lecture about the development and practice of hoodoo in the African-American community of the Southern United States Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 4 p.m. in the Ora G. Williams Television Studio (Room 142) in Kyser Hall. Admission is free and open to the public. The lecture is sponsored by the Louisiana Folklife Center." - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"The new business section of the agenda included multiple signage applications. The commission approved a sign for Colbert Law Firm, LLC on Fourth Street, for Platinum Chic on St. Denis and for Sabine State Bank on Front Street. The bank had previously applied for temporary signage, and the commission's approval made it permanent. The Historic District Commission also approved the bank's application for a new ATM machine and security lighting. Natchitoches resident and candidate for U.S. Senate Bob Lang applied to put up a 3 feet by 6 feet sign on the corner of St. Clair and Williams Avenue. "We've never allowed something that big," Horton said, referring to the sign Lang brought to the meeting. Only 2 by 2 signs are allowed in the historic district, and the commission made no action on Lang's application because he agreed to place only the smaller signs within district." - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"The Natchitoches Historic Foundation will present its annual heritage awards this Sunday during its Fall Gala. One of the projects it will recognize is a beautiful example of what can happen when a community comes together around a preservation project. For decades, the Breda Town's cemetery has been central to the history of the community. But in recent years, lack of funds and manpower led to a deteriorated state in the cemetery. Gravemarkers were being lost to vandalism, lack of funds and the elements. This is changing now. Thanks to strong leadership and partnerships, the cemetery is coming back and inspiring the revitalization of the Breda Town community. Chris Paige is president of the Breda Town Cemetery Committee. He follows in the footsteps of his father, who was president many years ago. Paige, along with past president John Below have worked with a dedicated group of board members to make the cemetery once again a source of community pride. * One way they've accomplished... more... - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"Experience the charm of Louisiana's original French colony during the 54th Annual Fall Pilgrimage on Oct. 9-11. The tour, presented by the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches, showcases national historic homes and plantations; some of these sites are not normally open to the public. The Candlelight Tour is Friday, Oct. 9 from 7-9:30 p.m. featuring the Jefferson Street Townhouse, Steel Magnolia House and Scott House. Guests can visit the homes in any sequence, but make the Steel Magnolia House the last stop for wine, cheese and music. * The Town Tour is Saturday, Oct. 10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and features the Chaplin House, Soldini House, Cunningham Cottage and Secret Garden. A special presentation featuring the Flags of Natchitoches will be displayed at the Soldini House. The Cane River Country Tour is Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 10-11 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This tour includes Melrose Plantation, Oakland Plantation, Cherokee Plantation and Lambre's Gin Plantation... more... - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"Joe Evans cleans a monument in the American Cemetery Oct. 1 as an assignment in Dr. ElizaBeth Guin's preservation methods class." - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"The residents of Isle Brevelle will celebrate the St. Augustine Catholic Church Fair Oct. 9-11. The fair will feature self-guided tours of the church and cemetery, crafts, games, food, turkey shoot and music by local performer Deejay Doc Couty and Deejay RJ. Creole cuisine includes St. Augustine meat pies, chicken gumbo, turkey dinners, hot tamales, homemade cakes, teacakes, pralines and boudin balls in addition to regular fair foods. Weekend activities include, such as bingo and train rides for small children. * The festival is open Friday from 6:30-10 p.m. with seafood dinners and bingo. Saturday's activities run from 8 a.m.-11:30 p.m. There will be a special event from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. featuring approximately 22 high school JROTC drill teams from Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. A turkey shoot will take place at 3 p.m. Saturday on the church grounds. The festival is open Sunday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. ending with the announcement of the raffle winners. Masses will continue through the... more... - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"Cane River Creole NHP's Oakland Plantation saw 22 volunteers put in nearly 70 combined hours in honor of National Public Lands Day Saturday, Sept. 24. The volunteers assisted park staff in landscaping, historic building beautification and gardening. Descendents of the Prudhomme family, original residents of Oakland Plantation cleaned Oakland's famous bottle garden. Visitors and volunteers were viewed presentations by curatorial staff members Lou-Anne Williams, Rodney Meziere and Dean Barnes on the on-going restoration efforts taking place at the park's Oakland and Magnolia Plantation sites. Curatorial staffer Lou-Anne Williams presented on her latest curatorial project." - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"In 83 years, both whites and blacks have rejected it. It has been protested against, relocated and vandalized. It has also transformed from an artistic pariah into one of the most important relics of Louisiana history. The first statue of a black man in America, known as Uncle Jack, has welcomed visitors to the LSU Rural Life Museum since 1974 and has drawn national attention since it was first erected. The statue was ranked No. 46 in a list of the “100 Most Notorious National Monuments” in the 1999 book “Lies Across America.” Since 1999, the Rural Life Museum has changed the layout of its facilities, making the statue a central exhibit. But the museum plans to move the sculpture 60 feet from its current location within a few months. The move will take Uncle Jack from the center of an inaccessible car path into the main complex of buildings." - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"Ten transportation projects from across the country have been selected as finalists in the 2009 America's Transportation Awards competition. Representing the best in innovative management, accountability and timeliness, the projects are now contending for the National Grand Prize, determined by an independent judging panel, and the People's Choice Award, selected through popular on-line voting. Each carries a $10,000 prize. Transportation's Top Ten Projects for 2009 are: * Dial an Engineer: Maryland Department of Transportation, MD 32 at Burntwoods Road Project * Corridor Upated in Half the Time: Delaware Department of Transportation, I-95 Mainline Widening Project * Smart Bridge Technology: Minnesota Department of Transportation, I-35W Minneapolis Bridge Replacement Project * Preserving History: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Front Street Natchitoches Restoration Project * Trimming 30 Minutes from Commute: North Carolina Department of Transportation, Clayton... more... - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"Natchitoches, La. – A Creole Language Forum to explore the endangered status of one of Louisiana’s indigenous languages will be held Friday, Oct. 9 at noon at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church at 901 5th St. in Natchitoches. The forum is the opening event for the 2009 Creole Heritage Celebration and is free and open to the public. A Creole lunch will be available for $10 with a choice of three entrees, crawfish etouffee, baked chicken or Natchitoches Meat Pies. According to Janet Colson, executive director of the Louisiana Creole Center at Northwestern State University, the forum is the first of its kind and is in response to concerns expressed by Creole constituents throughout the country. The forum theme is “We Know What We Speak” in response to the outcry submitted by the Creole people." - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"What good could come out of a burned-out husk of a building? Could a museum's ruins contribute to a culture the same way it did when it was still intact? Few would dispute the significance of ruins found in most of the world's ancient settlements. But easy answers are harder to come by in modern America when a structure is destroyed at merely 200 years old, in a rural location, during a bad economy. Heritage Resources students at NSU took on this challenge during their Heritage Resources Methods II class. Their topic was the Kate Chopin House, which burned nearly a year ago in Cloutierville. The students were charged with the mission to "use skills and knowledge gained in class to help visitors value the importance of this place." The mission was a challenging one. Very little remained to identify the structure as the elegant showcase of Creole-style architecture it once was. Course instructors Julie Ernstein, Susan Dollar and Pete Gregory encouraged the students to find creative... more... - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"Books and beasts is how Jean D'Amato Thomas describes the memorials established to honor her late husband, Fleming Thomas. The words describe two of his passions in life. "Fleming loved books and pushed for all he could so that the book budget for the library be maintained," D'Amato Thomas said. "The most fitting tribute I could think of was a book fund." Together with NSU Acting Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Lisa Abney, she established the Fleming Arden Thomas Library Book Fund through the NSU Foundation. D'Amato Thomas said books purchased through the fund will be appropriate for the academic interests of the NSU community. Memorial donations can also be made to the Natchitoches Animal Shelter. The Thomas' two dogs were former shelter pets. The Fleming Thomas Lecture Series will also serve to keep Thomas legacy alive. The series will bring local and regional faculty to NSU to discuss their research" - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

Preservation in Your Community is a partnership between the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT), Cane River National Heritage Area (CRNHA), and Cane River Creole National Historic Park (CARI). Representatives from each of the partnering organizations will briefly highlight their preservation activities during the event. Those presentations will be followed by a reception during which the public can enjoy light refreshments while viewing project posters and chatting with researchers. CARI will present posters on the topics of floor coverings and window treatments at Oakland Plantation, conservation treatments at the Park's curation facility, and archaeological investigations at Magnolia Plantation's blacksmith shop. - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"Sometimes it's easy to forget what a privilege it is to have a National Park right here in our own backyard. And the Cane River Creole National Historical Park is something to be proud of by any measure. On Aug. 11, Park staff will be on hand to discuss some of their most interesting projects about the cultural heritage of our area during the ninth annual "Preservation in Your Community" event. Dustin Fuqua will present the Park's activities over the last year. In particular, he will talk about coordinating the Bayou Folk Museum salvage and recovery operations after the devastating fire there in October. On a more light-hearted note, he'll relate his recent experience providing technical support for the Travel Channel's "Ghost Adventures," which featured Magnolia Plantation. *" - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"Mobility is even extending to heritage preservation. The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training is developing software to inventory and assess historic landscapes. NCPTT web developer Sean Clifford is working with Joe Evans, an intern in NCPTT's Historic Landscapes program, to create versions of the software for Windows tablet PC and the iPhone. If you want to read more about the technical details of the project, check out Joe's blog at natchitochespreservation.com." - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"The first phase of state construction contracts is the schematic. Second is design development and third is contract document. That includes final design, structural, HV/AC plans, mechanical and similar construction details. The fourth phase authorizes preparation of the bid document. Sharon Gahagan, chairman of the Historic District Commission, said Trahan was in Natchitoches in November with an unacceptable rectangle design. It was commonly referred to an "amoeba." Trahan returned June 10 and was told by Historic District commissioners that the rectangular design was still unacceptable because of the harsh angles. Also of concern is the 200-foot long wall side along Lafayette Street that has no windows or breaks in the design. Trahan said Monday, "We feel we need to find a creative way to deal with that long wall." To date, Trahan has not submitted a design plan of any kind to the Natchitoches Historic District Commission. He has not even submitted an application for approval by... more... - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"In Natchitoches, Louisiana history was made today. The Native American and African American communities were separate communities in the South by design of white oppression. Now, for the first time, they are sharing their histories." - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"This weekend is the Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival. While the event holds a lot of potential for buying and selling, visitors can also plan on several very interesting heritage preservation experiences while in the area. There's no doubting Melrose's historic credentials. The nearly 200-year-old plantation was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974. In 2008, it was included among the first 26 sites on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail." - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"In the 19th century, cemeteries played a central role in many communities. They were used as outdoor parks and it was a common practice for folks to picnic or take an evening stroll there. "And believe it or not, it was a coveted destination for folks on their first date — a place where they could see and be seen," said ElizaBeth Bede Guin, Heritage Resources Program coordinator in Northwestern State University's School of Social Sciences." - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"Northwestern State University's Bachelor of Arts in Heritage Resources program reached a milestone, producing its first graduate this spring. Suzanne Graham of Saline received her bachelor's in heritage resources with a concentration in anthroplogy. Graham completed her undergraduate studies with a 4.0 average." - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"Desselles received a master’s degree in heritage resources at Northwestern State University’s Spring Commencement Exercises Friday and was recognized by commencement speaker U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu. He will soon begin working for the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT), a unit of the U.S. Department of the Interior, which is headquartered on the NSU campus. Desselles, who has a bachelor’s degree in physics, developed a low cost machine to allow the examination of historic artifacts without damaging them while on an internship at NCPTT. He says his eddy currents machine, which he developed for $100, compares favorably to machines costing up to $25,000." - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"Progressive Construction Co. of Alexandria was honored for their rehabilitation work of Front Street in Natchitoches by the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation at the annual Louisiana Preservation Conference's Preservation Honor Awards Luncheon in April." - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"National Park Week, which lasts until April 25 is the perfect time to re-visit or visit for the first time your local National Park. The park's two plantations Oakland and Magnolia are open seven days a week. Magnolia, home of one of the oldest cotton presses in existence is open for self-guided tours during the week, with guided tours provided on the weekends. Oakland is open for guided tours seven days a week. Each plantation is home to numerous original structures which help tell the story of the Creole culture." - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"Web pages recognizing Northwestern State University's 125th anniversary are available for on-line viewing. The university's 125th anniversary website can be viewed at www.nsula.edu/125. The site provides a history of the university, its mission statement and a message from NSU President Dr. Randall J. Webb as well as free ring tones, wallpaper and video downloads." - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"The Cane River Creole National Historic Park and Heritage Area in Natchitoches has been awarded $136,000 in grants to apply a lime wash surface to the interior of the historic Cook's Cabin, install improved heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems in two structures and paint the historic plantation house at Oakland Plantation, according to a news release from U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu." - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"The Commission has also requested input from the selected national park superintendents, Recently Superintendent Laura Gates of the Cane River Creole National Historical Park near Natchitoches was invited to address the commission on national parks as venues for civic learning, as places where cultural groups have the opportunity to tell their history from their perspective, and as places where current research challenges us to expand our interpretation of history." - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"On Saturday, March 28, Northwestern State University Leesville-Fort Polk was the locale for the Louisiana Folklore Society’s annual meeting. Approximately 70 members and guests were on hand to participate in lectures and discussions about topics ranging from the early history and development of the Natchitoches area, the “Westward Expansion Trail” that ran through Rapides and Vernon parishes, Louisiana’s outlaws and bandits, and Tunica-Biloxi story craft. " - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"There is also a vacant corner lot of Cuna Street and Spanish Street which appears to have once been a happening hot spot of its own. Granted, it was a couple hundred years ago. An archaeological dig is underway on the corner lot that has a picket fence wrapped around it. The City of St. Augustine's Archaeologist, Carl Halbirt, leads a team of archaeologists there." - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet

"Graduate students from Northwestern State University's master of heritage resources program hosted a heritage education activity for fifth grade students from L.P. Vaughn Elementary at St. Augustine Catholic Church and the historic Badin-Roque House March 20. Three learning stations at each site were devoted to exploring aspects of Creole culture, such as music, games, archaeology and architecture." - Jeff Guin from Bookmarklet