Laureate House

Location - 225 Poete Street

Brief History

The title to the property itself has been traced to a Spanish land grant made to Louis Lambre sometime between 1791 and 1797; the house was built probably about 1840 for Antonio Balzaretti by Trizzini and Soldini.

From 1840 to 1860, the house was held by a succession of owners. In 1860, however, it was purchased by Chichester Chaplin, Jr., who kept it for the next forty years; and its former name, the Chaplin House, was derived from the name of this early owner. After 1900, the Albert Voiers and the W.T. Cunningham families owned the building.

The brick house, painted a soft gray, has six square brick columns ivy-entwined; the dark green wooden shutters flanking the windows give privacy to the front rooms on the sidewalk porch.

Laureate House has been called a typical town house of the period with accommodating entrances for each room. The furnishings, color schemes, and faithfulness to the style of the traditional pattern reflect the culture of Natchitoches with its French, Spanish, and Colonial overtones.