About Lake Charles' Margaret Place

Continuing in my Louisiana and Lake Charles Charles Centennial Celebration Seres Let's revisit the 1900's!!

After the great fire of 1910 in Lake Charles, the City rebuilt and one of the new neighborhoods in the heart of Lake Charles as a result of new 1900 period construction was Margaret Place.

In previous blog posts, I shared the 100 year old homes of Margaret Place and also re-visited the history of the Shell Beach Homes.

Today, let's travel back in time once again and preview what it was like living in Margaret Place in the 1900's in this video tour shared by Lake Charles historian Adley Cormier!

The Return of 1900's Street Cars

The South Ryan Streetcar Re-enactment. City of Lake Charles Transit will recreate the route of the historic South Ryan Streetcar line both for citizens using a specially commissioned trolley bus. The route will allow for easy-on-and-off transit and shuttle service from the Civic Center-lakefront area to Margaret Place during the Palm Sunday Tour of Homes of April 1 2012. An onboard docent will tell the story of the streetcar system. The trolly tour is free to the public.

Lake Charles is rich in culture and history. Lake Charles has been my home for 29 years where I have enjoyed living, working and playing throughout the years. I love Lake Charles and enjoy sharing my knowledge of our city with those relocating to Lake Charles or visiting Lake Charles.

To learn more about Lake Charles and Lake Charles Real estate, visit my website. I am passionate about real estate and enjoy "matching people with properties"

Other Historical Blogs of Interest:

Lake Charles Historic Churches

Historic Places in Lake Charles

Re-Visiting The Charleston Hotel

1912 Lake Charles US Post Office/Courthouse

Tainted Love Becomes Bloody Valentine in 1940

Margaret Place

History of Shell Beach Homes

The Return of 1900's Street Cars

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The state of Louisiana kicks off a year-long celebration of 200 years of statehood

LAKE CHARLES CELEBRATES HISTORICAL MARGARET PLACE!

Continuing in my Historical Series of Lake Charles as promised, here is a preview of the Lake Charles Palm Sunday Historical Tour of Homes which will focus on Margaret Place:

Margaret Place is generally considered the oldest recorded subdivision in Calcasieu Parish and will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2012.

According to the Calcasieu Historical Society, the boundaries for the Margaret Place Historical District are the Griffith Coulee, Shell Beach Drive, the Pithon Coulee, and the North side of South Ryan. Margaret Place streets are broken down by individual Streets on the Calcasieu Historical Preservation Society website. There are less than 100 homes within Margaret Place.

MY FAVORITE MARGARET PLACE HOME

One of my favorite Margaret Place homes is located at 330 Wilson and was once owned by my dear friends Mickey and Blair Stoker. Active members of First Presbyterian Church in Lake Charles, the Stokers always hosted the annual Santa party for the kids of First Presbyterian Church. As you will see by the picture below, we had quite a big group back in the 1980′s! This is another photo from my time capsule from 1988! I have pointed myself out my holding my daughter, Melinda and my son, Curtis, is in the front row!

330 Wilson is also known as the “Locke” home for historical purposes. Leon Locke was Mayor of Lake Charles in the 1930′s. Lake Charles also has a park nearby named after Mr. Locke. You can view the charm of this historic home when 330 Wilson will be on the 2012 Palm Sunday Tour of Homes.

Margaret Place Centennial Celebration
March 31-April 1 Margaret Place in Lake Charles will show off it's history!

Saturday March 31- Margaret Place Fan Tour. Beginning at 4 p.m. ticket holders will take a guided walking tour focusing on the porch/garden/patio history of Margaret Place homes. This will be followed by a Celebration Street Party with Margaret Place residents including musical entertainment and a cash bar from 6-8 p.m. This event is already SOLD OUT!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

100th Anniversary Brunch. 121 Artisian Bistro is located right in the heart of Margaret Place. There will be two brunch seatings at 9:30 a.m. and at 10:30 a.m. This is an advanced sale/limited ticket event. $25. Click here for details.


Reflections of Margaret Place and ICCS in Pictures. An exhibition of photographs and images from both the Immaculate Conception Cathedral School and Margaret Place residents, regional artists and archives. Free. Click here for details.

Palm Sunday Tour of Homes. This is an event not to be missed! Ticket holders will have the opportunity to view the exteriors and interiors of nine fabulous private residences in this historic area. One of these homes is the Shell Beach Drive Residence of Former Louisiana Senator Willie Mount. Tickets may be purchased at Margaret Place entrance gateways the day of the tour for $25. Click here for details.


Sue Zimmerman, recipient of the Mayor's Award as the 2010 Artist of the Year, has created watercolor Images of Margaret Place, which will be on display in the Palm Sunday Tour of Homes program. The paintings feature architectural accents and images of the homes on the tour. Click here to view the images and learn more about how to purchase the artwork.

There is currently one Margaret Place property for sale which is a townhome on Dr. Michael Debakey Drive for $149,900.

The Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau along with the Arts and Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana, have been busy with many other plans to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Louisiana statehood.

Stay tuned, in my next Historical Celebration Series I will continue to share fun facts and historical information about Lake Charles LA

Lake Charles is rich in culture and history. Lake Charles has been my home for 29 years where I have enjoyed living, working and playing throughout the years. I love Lake Charles and enjoy sharing my knowledge of our city with those relocating to Lake Charles or visiting Lake Charles.

To learn more about Lake Charles and Lake Charles Real estate, visit my website. I am passionate about real estate and enjoy "matching people with properties"

Other Historical Blogs of Interest:

Lake Charles Historic Churches

Historic Places in Lake Charles

Re-Visiting The Charleston Hotel

1912 Lake Charles US Post Office/Courthouse

Margaret Place Historical District Townhome

Townhomes in the popular Margaret Place Historical District are a rarity!

Located at 210 Dr. Michael DeBakey Drive, this townhome offers 2 bedrooms, 2 ½ baths and 1,698 square feet of living area.

Features include an open floor plan, new kitchen cabinets, granite, paint, oak staircase, proximity to Christus St. Patrick's Hospital and more!

What a great time to buy in Margaret Place! Generally considered to be the oldest recorded subdivision in Lake Charles, Margaret Place will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2012. Come join the celebration!

Additional features include a wood burning fireplace and a privacy fenced patio on a lot measuring 29.57 x 45.79.

Directions: From Ryan Street, go west on Dr. Michael DeBakey Drive. Townhomes are behind Moffett Realty.

Schools: Barbe Elementary, Reynaud Middle, Washington High School

Those living in The Margaret Place Historical District can easily realize a healthy walk within the confines of the district, inclusive of a stroll along Shell Beach Drive.

More aggressive walkers generally find themselves going East on Shell Beach to the Bord du Lac Park and Civic Center area or West along Shell Beach to the Port.

This is a photo taken last night just minutes from Margaret Place as 3 of us walked along the new Bord du Lac Promenade. The new Marina facilities are to the left.

We walked to Veteran's Park, then to Ryan Street with a stop for a salad at the Pujo Street Cafe and a leisurely walk back to our homes in Margaret Place. Great way to end the day.

Life is great in Lake Charles and extra special in Margaret Place!