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The Alliance for Historic Landscape Preservation: Conserving Cultural Landscapes met for its 2022 Annual Conference in Natchitoches, Louisiana from May 19-21, 2022. The theme of the conference was “Natchitoches in the Red River Valley: A Confluence of Cultures.”
The assembled!
Wednesday started with a board meeting in the NCPTT conference room. Once business was completed, we gathered with attendees at the Mariner Restaurant overlooking Sibley Lake. It was great to reconnect with members after a two-year conference hiatus due to Covid.
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Enjoying a pleasant (although very hot!) evening by the lake.
Say cheese!
A Sampling of Louisiana cuisine
The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) office, Lee Nelson Hall on the campus of Northwestern State University of Louisiana, was conference headquarters. Built in 1923, the building served as a gymnasium on the campus of Northwestern State University of Louisiana for over 50 years and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Jeff Girard, former Louisiana State archeologist, opened the conference with his presentation “Historic Cultures and Landscapes of the Red River Valley, Northwest Louisiana.” His presentation provided an overview for the landscapes we would experience during our field sessions. Additional morning presentations included:
Women’s Old Gymnasium on the campus of Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Conference in session in the former gymnasium
Thursday afternoon we toured the Texas and Pacific Railroad Station in downtown Natchitoches. We with met Dusty Fuqua and Barbara Justice from Cane River Creole National Historical Park and Rebecca Blankenbaker from Cane River National Heritage Area to learn how the station, which had sat vacant since 1970, was being renovated to serve as the park office and visitor center.
Rebecca Blankenbaker sharing renovation plans for the exterior of the railroad station
Barbara Justice showing attendees the exterior of the Natchitoches railroad station
We also toured Cane River Creole National Historical Park’s new Curatorial Facility. Dusty Fuqua told us about the facility and shared with us items made and used at the park’s two historic plantations, as well as Natchitoches Parish items donated to the park.
Dusty Fuqua showing items from the Natchitoches Native American basket collection
Dusty showing items from the park's agricultural collection
That evening, we were guests at Cherokee Plantation. The home was built between 1825-1849 and owned by the Murphy family since 1891.
Enjoying mint juleps on the front porch at Cherokee
View of the live oak allée from the Cherokee porch
On our way to the plantation's gin barn
Dusty Fuqua explaining the process of cleaning and baling cotton on the plantation
En route to the quarters; the former homes of the plantation’s enslaved workers and later tenant farmers
Taking a break outside the plantation store
Nancy Brown ringing up a sale at the plantation store
Visiting the overseer's house, which also served as a hospital for the plantations enslaved workers
Having a laugh at the Mule Barn!
A peak at the big house, which is still in privately held by the family who established the plantation
Our next stop was St. Augustine Church, which is the cultural center of Cane River’s Créoles of color community. St. Augustine Church was also the location of Shelby’s (Julia Roberts) wedding in the film Steel Magnolias. Before touring the church and cemetery, we ate a delicious meal prepared by the ladies of the church and heard about the history of the Natchitoches Creoles of color.
Enjoying lunch in the St. Augustine church hall
Elimarie ready to try Natchitoches meat pie!
Carrie and Lori in front of St. Augustine Church
Next up was a visit to Melrose Plantation, National Historic landmark owned and operated by the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches. Our guide was Tommy Whitehead, who is very familiar with the plantation history and its most famous resident, self-taught folk artist Clementine Hunter.
Enjoying the shade while Tommy Whitehead tells us about the plantation
Tommy speaking about the large murals in the African House, painted by Clementine Hunter. Her paintings depict life along the Cane River in the early-mid 1900s.
At 3:00, we took a break at the Cane River Commissary from the unusual Natchitoches spring heatwave. The Commissary is a former schoolhouse that is now run as a restaurant by a local Creole family. We enjoyed a cold drinks and a delicious dessert.
Jonathan enjoying a cold drink at the Cane River Commissary
Waiting to load the bus outside the Cane River Commissary
Our last stop on our downriver field session was Oakland Plantation, which is also a unit of the Cane River Creole National Historical Park. Barbara Justice met us at the bus and led us to the plantation grounds.
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Walking (and taking photos!) towards the big house
A lucky few caught a ride with Barbara Justice
Elvin Shields sharing his experience growing up on Oakland plantation as the child of a sharecropper.The family lived in this cabin, which Elvin helped to restore.
Randy Harelson resting in the shade
Walking through the bottle garden at the big house
Saturday began with a morning of presentations featuring landscapes across the US and Canada. Following the presentations, the Board shared updates with members and gave a preview of AHLP 2023 in Richmond, Virginia.
Following the presentations, we gathered at the Legacy Cafe for Lunch. The cafe is a culinary training program for local youth. Many of the vegetables served at the café are grown onsite in their own garden next to the café.
Enjoying lunch at the Legacy Cafe
Walking through the Legacy Cafe garden
After lunch we met at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Natchitoches, and church docent Adelle Scott shared the history of the church, which was founded as a catholic church in 1728 and elevated to a minor basilica in 2010.
Inside the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
Our next stop in town was the Lemee House, owned and operated by the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches (AHPN). Our host was AHPN President Vicki Parish. She shared with us the legend of a tunnel running under the house to the river, a favorite story told to touring elementary students every year. The Lemee house also served as the home of Ouiser (Shirley McClain) in the film Steel Magnolias.
Discussing preservation issues in the garden of the Lemee House with Vicki Parish
Is there a tunnel to the river? We investigate the steps leading to the cellar
For our closing banquet we returned to the Cane River Commissary for an evening of Louisiana cuisine and dancing. The LaCour Trio kept us on our feet all night!
The banquet “room”
Dancing!
Dinner - more Natchitoches meat pies!
A conversation with Elvin and Betty Shields, our guests at the banquet
Keeping cool with cold drinks
Good food...good friends!
Photo bombed by Katrice LaCour!
More dancing!
After three very warm days…we parted ways until we see each other next year in Richmond!
