Lake Charles' Live Oaks and Front Porches

We begin this third day of our tour of Lake Charles (LA) with a stop at the Sallier Oak, the 375-year-old Live Oak on the winter home site of Charles Sallier, the early settler for whom the town is named.

“Majestic” and “impressive” seem to fall short in describing this tree’s presence. The tree is a testament to the desire to survive. After the Hurricane of 1918, the tree began to split down the middle and was chained back together with heavy iron chains. These have now grown into the tree and can still be seen hanging out of the bark of the tree.

The sign at the base of the tree is about 20 inches and gives some indication of the tree’s diameter.

The homes below are located in the Germantown neighborhood section of Lake Charles. In the 1840s and ‘50s, one of the largest groups to settle in the city came from the north German coast, led here by the Goos family, who settled in upper Lake Charles, later known as Goosport. The Germans were experienced lumbermen and shipbuilders and left a tradition of excellent wood craft.

The E.H. Green House, c. 1905

Three fluted columns are uniquely set on the porches of this unusual Greek Revival house, with smaller columns supporting the second floor gallery.

I was struck by the porches on some of the homes below. The front porches of a neighborhood used to be the social center of the block and represented the original "neighborhood watch" location. With the move from the front porch to the back yard a great deal of the community feel of a neighborhood was diminished. Seeing these large porches brought back some strong memories of days gone by.

The Flanders House, c. 1900

This grand raised house was built for Catherine Goos and Willie Flanders and is an outstanding example of intricate workmanship. A masterful mix of Flemish, Gothis, and American Shingle style. The wide curved porches have double columns supporting the pent roof.

Old St. John’s Lutheran Church, c. 1888

This frame chapel-style building is the oldest standing church in Lake Charles. The open belfry was closed in when the bell was relocated to the new church.

The Charles FItzenreiter House, c. 1901

A Victorian raised cottage with turned columns supporting a front gallery; this is a good example of the millwork, shingles, and lumber produced in the area.

The John David Reid House, c. 1879

Built of pine and cypress, this impressive two-and-a-half story sawmill Victorian has exceptional dentil work at the roof eaves and dormers. The original elaborate porches were destroyed in the 1918 hurricane; however, they have been replaced by simpler wraparound porches.

The Alfred Reid House, c. 1891

The witch’s hat turret is the eye-catching feature of this raised Victorian cottage with half timbering and shingling.

The Walter Goos Cottage, c. 1892

A strangely geometrical roofline with large eaves gives this Victorian cottage a tailored masculine feel.

The Walter Goos House, c. 1903

When finances improved, Walter Goos built this impressive three-story Colonial Revival gem with a grand portico supported by massive Lake Charles columns.

The Captain Simon Jacobson House, c. 1885

This raised Victorian cottage follows the traditional shape of the seafarers cottage common on Galveston Island, but not in Lake Charles.

The Neil Bryan House, c. 1920

This is a good example of the so-called “airplane bungalow” which appears in various forms throughout the District. In airplane bungalows, the projecting dormer is the “cockpit” above the wide “wing,” the porch roof.

Episcopal Church of the God Shepherd, c. 1897

This English Gothic gray sandstone church features elegant stained glass windows and an exceptional hammer-beam ceiling in the sanctuary.

We move on to four homes located on Broad Street.

The Chester Brown House, c. 1904

A sawmill version of a Greek Revival temple, this massive house was built with eleven massive Lake Charles-style columns supporting the “L”-shaped gallery. The balcony is supported by rods from the roof.

c. 1905

An exceptional Colonial Revival with four massive Corinthian columns on the front and a semi-circular double gallery supported by Ionic columns on the west.

The Fred G. Locke House, c. 1910

An impressive Greek Revival house with four fluted modified Doric columns and triangular pediment that makes for a grand entrance.

The George Baillio House, c. 1927

This is a picturesque Hollywood Moorish-style stucco villa with elegant arches and a Spanish tile roof.

As I mentioned in an earlier entry, the Guide to Historic Calcasieu Parish provided an excellent guide to the location and description of the homes and churches noted above.