By Jessica Gorman
Minden’s Historic Residential District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. The district encompasses portions of Broadway, Elm Street, Lewisville Road, Fort Avenue, East & West, and Kirby Place. It is considered historically significant due to the number of residences that contribute to its historic nature, the various time periods represented, and the variation of architectural styles.
Originally, the district included seventy-one structures. Since that time, there have been changes within the district. Two structures no longer exist. These are a residence on Elm Street and the Boy Scout Hut once located behind the Presbyterian Church. In addition, two other homes were moved outside the district to allow for construction of the current Webster Parish Library on East & West.
With such a large number of properties, this article does not allow for a history of each. Instead, a general overview of the district will be provided and the district will be the subject of a future museum publication, a project that requires a significant amount of work.
While the Historic Residential District as a whole is listed on the National Register, only three properties within the district are listed individually. They are the Felix Drake Home at 1202 Broadway, the Ferguson Home at 521 East & West, and the McDonald House at 328 Lewisville Road. The McDonald House is more commonly known as the Monk House and the Ferguson Home now serves as the Stewart Center of the Webster Parish Library. Many of us remember when that building alone served as the Minden branch of the library.
Within the district, fifteen properties are considered to be non-contributing. A non-contributing element is one that does not contribute to the overall distinction of the district due to a number of factors which can include age and alterations. In the case of the Historic Residential District, two churches are located in the district and are considered non-contributing simply because they are not residences. Despite this, the Minden Presbyterian Church, built in 1924, is noted as “one of the most elaborate and striking Gothic Revival churches in the region” making it a candidate to be listed individually on the National Register. While St. John’s Episcopal Church was not built until 1950, its architecture not only blends well with the surrounding structures, but also contributes to the overall appearance of the district. One residence that is considered non-contributing was constructed by Dr. Luther Longino in the early 1900s. This structure, at the corner of Broadway and Kirby Place, was later heavily renovated, eliminating its original architecture, and making it ineligible for consideration as a contributing element.
Residences in the district considered to be contributing elements were constructed over the course of about 100 years. The oldest residence in the district is thought to have been built in the early 1840s by Col. William Bates who died in 1844. Many others weren’t built until after 1900. Along one side of Broadway, with the exception of 1200 Broadway, the residences stretching from 1110 to 1302 Broadway were all home to members of the Drake family, one of Minden’s founding families.
Other elements within the district are Stewart Park, which occupies the corner across from the library, named for Edmund L. Stewart. There is also an empty lot at the corner of Broadway and Kirby Place. A 1923 Sanborn fire insurance map indicates a two-story structure once stood at that location. This residence does not appear on the 1927 map. It has not yet been determined who lived there or what happened to it. Academy Park borders the district but is not included within its official boundaries.
Historically, Minden was seen as a center of commerce and culture. This is reflected in the historic residences that still stand in the Historic Residential District. Sadly, many other historic residences that once stood in other areas of town no longer exist.
(Jessica Gorman is Executive Director of the Dorcheat Historical Association Museum, Webster Parish Historian, and an avid genealogist.)