Nothing like a devastating fire in a century-old structure to raise the alarm on historic preservation.
The fire that gutted the 150-year-old Levy-East House Bed and Breakfast, considered a “pivotal’’ architectural component of the Natchitoches historic district, brings to mind the 2008 destruction of the Kate Chopin House, a 200-year-old Creole-style home about 20 minutes away in Cloutierville.
Four years later, the guardians of the Chopin property and the nearby Melrose Plantation continue to be prodded by that fire, but because of the expense involved, still haven’t implemented a full-blown fire mitigation plan.
“We’re in the process right now of developing a better fire suppression system,’’ said Adam Foreman, executive director of the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches, a group that also manages the Lemee House, a historic house only a short distance from the Levy Bed and Breakfast. Such proximity drives home the message that prevention is only part of the formula. Containment is the other.
In their rural settings, the Chopin property and Melrose are not serviced by a fully staffed professional fire department. Response time relying for a volunteer fire department can be an issue as was the case with the 2008 fire.
A number of the buildings on the Melrose Plantation – the site also dates back to the turn of the 18th century – don’t even have water lines running to them. Fire extinguishers, the least costly measure, have been put in each room. Equipping the plantation with fire hoses is planned, but a sprinkler system remains an unfunded goal. But buildings are only part of the equation.
“Our job is to project the cultural history of the area,’’ said Foreman. Thus the disaster response plan prioritizes artifacts to be saved if possible. Old photographs, Clementine Hunter paintings and a 90-year-old scrapbook compiled by a former owner are among the items on the list. The plan focuses on things that can be carried by one or two people, he adds, thus very little furniture is on the list.
With federal and state dollars increasingly short, preservation groups will continue to rely on self-generated dollars generated by visitors and donations by private individuals or foundation grants. The association’s website (http://www.aphnatchitoches.net) invites membership for $35 annually. Donations can also be sent to the APHN at P.O. Box 2248, Natchitoches, La. 71457