Alexis LaTour House

Infobox_nrhp | name =Alexis LaTour House
nrhp_type =


caption =
location= Ville Platte, Louisiana
lat_degrees = 30
lat_minutes = 41
lat_seconds = 12.59
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 92
long_minutes = 16
long_seconds = 13.48
long_direction = W
locmapin = Louisiana
area =
built =1835
architect= Alexis LaTour
architecture= Other
added = September 14, 1987
governing_body = Private
refnum=87001492cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

The Alexis LaTour House is a historic house in Ville Platte, Louisiana. The oldest portion of the house was built in 1835 by Alexis LaTour [ [http://www.geocities.com/harrisonlatour/LaTourAlexis1860Census1.jpgAlexis LaTour -- 1860 United States Federal Census] ] . The house was expanded in 1837. The original house was a one and a half story Creole cottage of bousillage construction that was one room wide and two rooms deep and had a front gallery. The 1837 expansion added two rooms and a central hall. Details of the house, including an exterior staircase, bousillage construction, and beaded clapboarding, ceiling beams, and ceiling boards were common in traditional Creole architecture. Both the older and the newer part of the house had unusual mantels. The older mantel featured cove moldings, panels, and a large central lozenge. The other mantels in the house were more traditional but were still unusual.

In 1900 several modifications were made including the addition of Queen Anne style dormer windows and a large rear wing. Over time, other, smaller modifications have been made including the replacement of windows and doors, the replacement of the original gallery columns, and the replacement of front, exterior staircase. Despite the modifications, the house still retains significant integrity, including the basic Creole form of the house, the bousillage construction, the copious beading, and the original mantels. The house is the best detailed and largest surviving early structure in Evangeline Parish. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 for architectural significance.

References

* [http://www.crt.state.la.us/hp/nhl/parish20/scans/20001001.pdf Louisian Department of Culture Recreation and Tourism entry]