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Places of Worship
As some of you may know, I have a degree in Religious Studies, not that it matters and not that it commands much respect. For better or worse, we live in a country in which people can essentially label themselves as Reverends or gurus or spiritual teachers without having any formal education in the discourse of religion, let alone a bachelor’s degree in the subject. And to me, that is okay. Regardless of your faith, religion is usually considered to be something one can only gain and appreciate through ritual and personal experience, something that one can only truly comprehend…
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Adaptive Reuse of Shiloh Baptist Church
At nearly 106 years old, Shiloh Baptist Church, located on the corner of Washington and 10th Street in Downtown Alexandria, is one of the oldest structures in the city. Remember, of course, Alexandria was burned to the ground during the Civil War, and ever since then, as our local historic preservationists like to say, we’ve suffered from a “Tear It Down” mentality. According to one study of Downtown properties, at one point, Alexandria had lost nearly 90% of her historic buildings, due, in no small part, to the construction of Interstate 49. And as Dale Genius at the Louisiana History…
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Adaptive Reuse of the Dairy Barn
Without a doubt, the old Dairy Barn on the campus of Central State Hospital in Pineville is one of the most stunning and unique structures in all of Central Louisiana. Kudos to Ben Pierce of Ben Pierce Photography for this incredible photo: And yet, like so many of our historic buildings, the Dairy Barn is shuttered and hasn’t been in commerce for years. Simple question: In the event that it is restored (it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places over twenty years ago), what should it or could it become?
CenLamar | Est. 2006
