Culture

Historical Society

 

EXPERIENCE THE CHARM OF THE SAINT JAMES CULTURE AND HERITAGE CENTER

St. James Historical Society Building	Pictured here: Laurie Bourgeois

One of the best ways to Experience The Charm in St. James Parish is to go to the St. James Culture and Heritage Center and meet Laurie Bourgeois. Laurie has been the on-site Administrator of the Center, which opened in 1984, for the past seven years. When you arrive at this delightful repose of St. James history, Laurie not only opens you up to the vast and immensely interesting history and artifacts of the parish, she also opens her heart to you.

This wonderful exhibit can be found easily at the corner of River Road and Highway 3193 in Lutcher (look for the white picketfence). The idea for this center is a result of the vision of Joseph Samrow and Jerry Haas who founded the St.James Historical Society, whose members have worked tirelessly to build and maintain this wonderful site for parishioners as well as tourists to enjoy. As you approach you are greeted by the site of a one hundred year old locomotive in the yard, which sits next to an enormous cypress log which came from the Blind River. The story goes that Lutcher and the log is believed to have been cut by the Moore Cypress Company somewhere between 1891 and 1930, which makes the log train is a plantation about 800 years old. The locomotive engine which was formerly used to transport sugarcane to the mill. Also in the front yard is a small building with a plaque which says "Lutcher eyes. On the wall is a Train Station". This delightful little building houses a virtual feast for the breathtaking mural of the early sawmill days on the Blind River showing the process of getting the cypress cut and to the mill. Underneath the mural is a diorama of St.James parish which was built by Poche's talents in building the Raymond Poche. Mr. plantations, homes, Lutcher and Moore Cypress schools and parish buildings as Company, Colonial Sugar Mill, churches and they must have been at were dotted along the River Road the turn of the century are amazing. He shows plantations that once and have since been lost to flood or the ravages of war. He expertly shows us the growth of the parish from the 1891 until the 1940's, including the thriving times of Lutcher, Gramercy, Paulina (Grand Convent. He even shows the Perique Pointe) and Tobacco fields. One could spend a long time just scene which Mr.Poche also painted enjoying every detail of this miniature with skills that are a true encounter a turn of the century pleasure to partake in. Outside the "Lutcher Train Station" you "Velocipede", a two man rail car which sits of course on railroad tracks. You can even ride it to experience what it was like when velocipedes were used as a way to get in and out of the swamps.

Next you come to the main building with a front porch full of antiques (like a Spanish Moss press). Inside is where visitors meet the smiling face of Laurie, and walls and shelves and display after display of memorabilia about St.James life. One wall is full of old black and white photographs showing churches and schools and people as they were in days gone by. There is a plaque on another wall from St.Joseph's original church above an old pot bellied stove. The main building, once the College Point Pharmacy, of course has an intriguing display of items that were once a part of the pharmacy. There is also another cypress log inside, with a magnifying glass so that you can really see the rings and tell how old the log is. Many people have donated items to the museum, many are specific to St.James Parish and many will remind you of things that were probably in anyone's grandparents homes in years past. You can enjoy a miniature of the Olive Jeanette Patrol Boat which used to haul hunters on the Blind River, and also a photo album showing the history of the boat. There is also a miniature of a Cajun cabin. The history of Lutcher and Moore Cypress Company ,which is how the town of Lutcher got it's name, can also be discovered through displays and hundreds of photographs and documents and even old receipts! One could spend hours- even days-inside this quaint building and still not discover all the treasures and history that abounds there.

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL! In the backyard , you will find the Paulina Post Office Building, (the original!) which is 80 years old and was still in use in the 1980"s. It is amazing that this one room post office served the upriver community of Paulina for so long. Imagine the history that passed through it's doors in letter form. Next to the Post Office is a Blacksmith Shop built by members of the Historical Society. It houses an extensive display of blacksmith tools, many antique. During the year demonstrations are given - it is actually a working shop!

The next building you encounter (also built by members) is a Perique Tobacco Shed with extremely well done displays of the methodology of processing and curing this tobacco (which is unique to St.James parish) as done by the Indians 200 years ago. Their methods were passed on to the early white settlers and the process (still employed today) is well documented and displayed in the shed, including actual tobacco hanging overhead.

Volunteers like Charlie Duhe, Don Faucheaux, Percy "Pep" Detillier, Bill Stevens, Alvy "Dee" Jenkins, Raymond Poche, Joe Samrow and more are also working on another building which will house a Spanish Moss Display. These devoted members of the society work a couple days of each week building and maintaining this virtual treasure chest of the history and people of St. James Parish.

If you haven't been yet, this Historical and Cultural Center is a must see! You can visit Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you plan on taking a tour group or a classroom group for a tour call Laurie ahead of time at 504 869 9752. If you live outside the parish, you will still thoroughly enjoy this experience.

Thanks for stopping by.

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