Homes Along Shell Beach Drive in Lake Charles Have a History

Lake Charles, Louisiana has it's share of Fine Homes & Estates. I usually preview the subdivisions South of town, but don't want to forget one of the most memorable landmarks of our City which is Shell Beach Drive.

Shell Beach drive is one of the streets that make up the boundaries for Margaret Place Historical District.

Located on the Southeast side of the Lake, Shell Beach Drive runs from Clarence Street all the way to the Port of Lake Charles.

The stretch of Shell Beach that borders the lake is also lined with beautiful 100 year oak trees. One estate in particular along Shell Beach is home to a famous 170 year old Oak tree known as the “Calcasieu Manor Tree”. This oak tree is registered with the Live Oak Society of the Louisiana Garden Club Federation .The "Calcasieu Manor" tree also has a caretaker and seedlings are harvested from the tree and sent to the coastline to be used in conservation preservation. There are three more old established oak trees located in the front of the property that were planted as seedlings from this 170+ year old tree!

There are many styles of homes along Shell Beach from Georgian Manors, Louisiana Acadian, Floridian Stucco to English Tudor. Each fine estate home is unique in more ways than one and most are historic landmarks dating to the early 19th Century, although there are some newly constructed homes.

The homes of Shell Beach Drive in Lake Charles LA are grand southern homes and many have been occupied by generations of the same family. Some of the features of these million dollar homes include guest house, carriage house, private wharf, pool, butler pantry's and silver closets!

One of these southern family estates was the home of famous country western star, Lynne Anderson when she married Louisiana oilman, Harold Stream III and lived in Lake Charles.

Shell Beach Drive has always been in Lake Charles history and there are many stories and little known facts about some of these estate homes.

There are also many tales of the famous Pirate Jean Lafitte who is said to have docked in Lake Charles. One story that includes Jean Lafitte has to do with the oldest house in Lake Charles which is the Sallier-Barbe house located on Shell Beach Drive. Charles Sallier and his wife Catherine were quite good friends with Jean Lafitte, but Sallier had become jealous of his wife and Lafitte — As legend tells it, one day Charles Sallier thought that Catherine was having an affair with Jean Laffite. In his rage, he picked up his pistol and shot Catherine. When Catherine fell to the ground, he thought he had killed her, so he jumped on his horse and fled, never to be heard from again. However, Catherine survived the shot by a simple piece of jewelry – her brooch! When the pistol was fired the bullet lodged in the large brooch Catherine was wearing. This brooch is a family heirloom that the Barbe family still treasures.

Whether you are looking for an estate or a cottage home in Lake Charles LA I would love to give you a tour of homes available in the Lake Charles area. Call or Email me today, MARILYN BOUDREAUX, 337 499 9592, marilyn.boudreaux@century21.com.