Natchitoches Parish

 The oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase territory, Natchitoches (Nack-a-tish) is a vibrant community dedicated to preserving its incredibly rich and diverse heritage. Located in north-central Louisiana, just east of Interstate 49, Natchitoches was Louisiana’s original French Colony.  It was established in 1714 on the historic El Camino Real de los Tejas, which was designated a national historic trail in 2004.
Chances are, the thing you’ll love most about Natchitoches (aside from the famous meat pies) is the charming 33-block Landmark district – a shopper’s paradise and a bed & breakfast lover’s dream.  
Natchitoches, well known for the filming of Steel Magnolias, is also known as the “City of Lights” from mid-November though the New Year.  The world-famous Natchitoches Christmas Festival is always held on the first Saturday in December.  Throughout the year we celebrate our music, food and culture with events and festivals.

 

photo by Scarlett Hendrick

Featured ELDER:  Genevia LeMelle

“We rode in wagons. The winter rides were cold, hard seats with lots of rain and snow. The summers were hot and the spring brought rides with lots of dust, rain, and showering bugs throughout the ride. But we did not always have to walk and that made me happy because we were a long way from everyone and everything. Sometimes when it rained, we had to leave by boat and go to higher ground. My sister was real little and she fell out of theboat and came close to drowning. That was a horrible day. I was afraid of the snakes in the high water and I think I saw alligators.”

 

 ARCHITECTURE INFORMATION:

Natchitoches Parish-Marathaville. 

Gymnasium and Classroom Building (two projects), Marthaville High School, 10800 Hwy 20 (now Marthaville Elementary and Junior High School).

Architect: Edward F. Neild, Jr.

Completed: 1939.  Cost: $54,167 (two projects).

Historian’s Note:  Discovered school blueprint without a date. 

Sources:  Sam Weiner Collection, LSU-S archives (083/AD153/blueprint).

1930s Images:  0

 

 

Natchitoches Parish-City of Natchitoches. 

Courthouse/jail, Natchitoches Parish. 

Architect: J. W. Smith and Associates.

Completed: 1940.  Cost: $261,110

Historian’s Note: 

Sources: 

1930s Images:  0

 

Natchitoches Parish-City of Natchitoches. 

Louisiana State Normal School/College (now Northwestern State University).

Historian’s Note:  Today’s Northwestern State University of Louisiana traces its founding to 1884 when the Louisiana State Normal School was established. “Normal” denotes the norms or standards applied to the teaching profession and the Normal School movement spread throughout the United States beginning in 1839 based on the ecoles normale institutions of teaching founded in France after the French Revolution.  In other words a graduate from a Normal School was a college trained teacher at elementary and secondary-level schools or became school administrators.  It was the practice at the time in the late 19^th Century to locate teacher schools in rural settings away from populous metropolitan areas.  The Normal School at Natchitoches was the only one of its kind established by the State of Louisiana.  By 1934 the name had been changed to the Louisiana State Normal College when Albert A. Fredericks became the seventh President of the College on August 1, 1934.  Almost immediate President Fredericks instituted a massive building program and campus improvement campaign funded by federal, state and parish means.  The State of Louisiana provided $285,000 initially.  Actual building of structures for the new program began in March 1936 including the structures listed below.  Other structures were also built on the campus during the 1930s but were torn down in the succeeding decades.  The larger structures of President Fredericks’ building program replaces smaller ones built out of wood.  In addition to the increase of physical plant on the campus, President Fredericks obtained funds to renovate existing brick buildings receiving $37,000 from the Works Progress Administration for this purpose and to rebuild campus sidewalks, landscaping and drainage, and to connect the College’s sewage system to the City of Natchitoches. In October 1937, the College received over one million dollars to construct dormitories, a men’s gymnasium, and auditorium and fine arts complex, a football stadium and refrigeration plant.  Before the end of 1938, the College had received an additional 1.9 million dollars for its 1939 construction efforts.  These included an expanded football stadium; Caspari Hall (athletic dormitory); Varnado Hall (women’s dormitory); a new infirmary; a fine arts building, natatorium, a student center, power plant and men’s gymnasium.  Two additional buildings located on the College campus, the Natchitoches High and Trade Schools were financed by the Natchitoches Parish School Board with a 99-year lease of the ten acres they occupied provided to the Normal School.  When students arrived for classes beginning fall of 1940, they saw the completion of an effort began in 1934 by President Fredericks to rebuild the physical plant of the Normal College.  For example, the fine arts complex housed a 750-seat auditorium, a 300-seat Little Theater, administrative offices, and classrooms replacing a two-storied wooden building.  This massive new auditorium and fine arts complex was named in honor of President Fredericks. And it should be noted the physical size of the campus was enlarged during this time with the acquisition of just over 124 additional acres.  Between 1934 and 1940, the physical plant investment of the campus totaled $3.7 million from a variety of sources including:  State of Louisiana, Parish of Natchitoches, and the Federal Government specifically from the Public Works Administration, Civil Works Administration, Works Progress Administration, Emergency Relief Administration, and National Youth Administration. This is an impressive achievement when compared with the expenditures by Louisiana and Natchitoches Parish for the campus during the previous 50 years totaled just $1.1 million.  Due to the growth of the physical plant and curricula offerings at the Louisiana State Normal College, it was renamed as Northwestern State College in November 1944.  On June 18, 1970 the name was changed once again this time to it current name Northwestern State University.

 

Sources:  Cammie G. Henry Research Center, Northwestern State University for most pictures and general information; “Summary Report of the Administration of Albert A. Fredericks, President, August 1 1934-April 1, 1941” (at Henry Research Center); and “Northwestern State University of Louisiana 1884-1984, A History” by Dr. Marietta M. LeBreton.

 

Casperi Hall, Louisiana State Normal School (Northwestern State University).

Architect:  Edward F. Neild, Jr.

Completed: 1939.  Cost $72,018.

1930s Images:  1 pic

 

Louisiana State Normal School (Northwestern State University).

Architect:  Weiss, Dreyfous and Seiferth; Neild, Somdal, and Neild.

Completed: 1939.  Cost $563,498 (three projects; did not select Natchitoches Training School).

¨      Natchitoches Trade School (now Northwestern State University); 1 pic

¨      Natchitoches High School (now Louisiana School for Math, Science, & the Arts); 1 pic

 

Louisiana State Normal School (Northwestern State University).

Architect:  Edward F. Neild, Jr.

Completed: all in 1940.  Cost $1,802,549 (originally seven projects, student center torn down).

¨      Natatorium; 2 pics (exterior and interior)

¨      Men’s gym; 2 pics (construction and exterior)

¨      Fine Arts Center (later called Fredericks Auditorium); 5 pics (1 construction, 3 exterior, 1 interior)

¨      Infirmary addition;  1 pic

¨      Varnado Hall; 1 pic

¨      Power plant addition;  1 pic

1930s Images:  In additional to the 1930s pics listed above for the Louisiana State Normal School / College:  1 drawing of new campus by Neild, 2 1930s campus views of newly constructed buildings, 1 pic of Normal School signage.

 

For more information contact: Latisha McDaniel, Media/Public Relations Director, at media@natchitoches.net or call (800) 259-1714 or (318) 352-8072.