St. James Episcopal Church, built 1895

208 North Fourth Street

The charter of St. James was founded in 1844, this building was built circa 1895. One source has it that Margaret Taylor, wife of 12th President Zachary Taylor, was one of the founders of the church.

I love the red brick, so rich in color, it give such character to this Gothic Revival style church. The red clay uses in making the brick may have come from Mississippi or parts of Louisiana where it is found.

St. James Altar photo from 1960's

 St. James stands on an old antebellum home site, 
which home was built about 1855.

The Plaque reads: This building stands on the site of the above pictured antebellum home built about 1855. Saint James Church purchased the property in 1922. Mary Fisher Maxwell, daughter of a former owner, donated her home on the adjacent property to Saint James in 1949. Yielding to the needs of a changing era. Both houses were replaced by the present structure in 1967. This plaque is given to the Glory of God and in Loving memory of Mary Fisher Maxwell.

Plaque reads:
ST. JAMES EPISCOPAL CHURCH - The congregation first organized 1819, received their charter as St. James Church in 1844. The second church, of Gothic Revival style, was completed in 1895 Mrs. Zachary Taylor was an early member. ~end~

Zachary Taylor settled his wife in Baton Rouge when he went off to Mexico to fight in the Mexican-American war.  They moved into the commandant's house of the U.S. Garrison in Baton Rouge.
There is a good bio on Zachary Taylor here. He when on to become the twelfth U.S. President 1869-1877.

Image of all the President's here.

Baptismal Font

The font was given to St. James by the family of General Thomas Williams commanding officer of the occupying Union forces of Baton Rouge in appreciation for their (or Baton Rouge's) kind treatment of Williams when he was mortally wounded and later in his death. General Williams attended St. James during his time in Baton Rouge.

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The Third Street Coca Cola Sign

Thanks to a visitor to the blog I was reminded that Willis-Liggett Drugstore was under that sign and had a soda fountain and that it operated as recently as 1981. 

A visitor to this blog writes that she has the old grill from the soda fountain in her home, her dad bought it in 1981 when it closed.

There was a Coca-Cola sign, almost exactly like the one downtown in Hollywood, California, on Hollywood Blvd., but is long gone. 

Back when all the neon tubing used to work (still photo)

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Bates & Thigpen, men clothier, since 1924

Bates and Thigpen Men's Clothier
335 Third Street
Next to the Romaine building.
Since 1924,
operated today by third generation Bates since founding.

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Lingering Signs From the Past

 Signs painted on buildings, etc.

 "Kodak photography • framing • gallery"

I really love this sign, I hope that it is never 
painted over, it speaks of a by gone era.

[Note: this sign is now painted over]

FROST - BARBER INC.
OFFICE EQUIPMENT AND STATIONARY
CONTACT INTERIOR DESIGNER - Ph. xxx-xxxx (unreadable)

[Frost Barber Inc. is still going strong today, serving the community for over 50 years.]

Goudchaux Department store

This sign is still in place for Goudchaux, it appears to be made of little tiles.

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Florence Coffee House - 1850

 130 Main Street between Lafayette and River Road

The Florence Coffee House was built in 1850 by Johan and Lucas Florence to replace an earlier building which had been destroyed by fire ref. On July 24, 1850, the Florence brothers signed a contract with Nelson Potts for the building's construction. The cost was $1,225. In 1852 the property was sold to Matteo Dorice for $2,500 and since then there has been a long succession of owners. Until the Civil War the building remained in use as a coffee house. Since the war it has served a variety of uses, being at different times a grocery, a cobbler shop, a boardinghouse, and a private residence. The owners before the present one restored the building in 1971.

National Register Application Description

Those arched window frames could be extremely old
perhaps early 20th century.

Both above and below photos are of the
end of the drive-thru  seen in front.

Louisiana State Capitol, Baton Rouge

Louisiana State Capitol

A special session of the legislature was called to vote on the amendment that would provide the funding for construction. The first vote fell four votes short of the two-thirds majority that was needed. The Speaker of the House ordered a rollcall vote and, while the list of names was read, Governor Long, standing in the back of the chamber, had time to encourage a few legislators to vote in favor of his building. The vote passed and the funding was approved. The source is a very interesting read, visit http://www.crt.state.la.us/tourism/capitol/

State Tourism Site
Photo Gallery (an emporis.com page)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_State_Capitol

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Water Company Standpipe, 1888

131 Lafayette Street

The Standpipe, which is 121 years old, stand 100 feet in height and is 15 feet in diameter; liquid capacity is 145, 750 gallons. Built in 1888 the Standpipe was placed on the National Register of Historical Places December 4, 1973. 

Architect, builder, or engineer: John H. Wood, E. Smedley.

This is the best picture of the standpipe that you will see on the Web, the whole pipe at such an elevated angle, with the Mississippi and barge's in the background. 

Nat. Register Application Description

Old Photo of Standpipe

Top Crown

Base

Map

AWARD READS:

AN AMERICAN WATER COMPANY LANDMARK

SIGNIFICANT IN THE HISTORY OF PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY

DESIGNATED BY

AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION

The Standpipe received an award from the "American Water Works Association" for significance in the history of public water supply, date of the award is unknown to me.

Last time I was at the standpipe I looked for the award and didn't find it, it has been removed, which I assume  it was because of the last paint job. A lot of people today hold nothing dear of historical nature.

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