Lingering in Lake Charles

We succeeded in scratching the surface of Lake Charles, LA, during the tours of the city from our RV park in Sulphur.

Regarding the city, the "scratching" revealed artistry in this mural

and in one of the most unlikely of places—this manhole cover.

But one of the forms that the artistry has taken was a bit puzzling. On this piece of artillery stationed outside the Calcasieu County Courthouse there was a string of colorful cloth.

Other pieces, which appeared similar to stockings, could be found on street lamps.

We read about the Ryan Street Streetscape Project, but we could not determine if these items were part of that Project.

However, the decorative paving on the sidewalks and at one intersection seemed to fit the description of the Project’s goals.

The Ryan Street Streetscape Project “will concentrate on the enhancement of the streetscape by providing improvements consisting of special paving, overhead lighting by decorative lamp posts, banner and hanging plant baskets, street furniture, way finding signage, landscaping, watering system and potential underground electrical service.”

Originally Gordon’s Drugstore (built in 1898), the Pujo Street Café (below) was one of the few buildings that escaped the Great Fire of 1910.

We left the downtown area and passed these homes on our way out of Lake Charles. The care of the homes by homeowners of Lake Charles duplicates the artistry of that the city fathers have shown in the restoration of the downtown public buildings.

I could not locate this home on the guide to historic homes, but I thought it was a handsome home.

The George Rock House, c. 1900

This decorative Eastlake-style house features three gabled windows, but they’re hidden by the branches.

The William Peters House, c. 1908

This foursquare uses Lake Charles-style columns and a Palladian-style dormer.

The Arthur Hollins House, c. 1905

The odd-numbered columns is a common characteristic of Lake Charles architecture. Wide brick steps lead to double glass French doors with sidelights.

We ended the brief stay near Lake Charles certain that we wanted to return for a beyond-the-surface experience with the city.