Village – Lafayette, Louisiana
Enter the world of 19th century Louisiana when you visit Acadian Village. The village is a showcase of authentic homes along a winding bayou with the architecture of the era. The homes were restored on site and are full of period antiques. This 10 acre area is filled with gardens and woodlands to make your visit beautiful as well as interesting. Seven of the eleven homes in the area are authentic homes of the 19th century.
The homes show the wonderful construction practices of the past with their wooden pegs, mud walls, hand-hewn cypress timbers, and high-peaked roofs.
Visit Doctor Salles’ home. He was the first resident dentist in Lafayette. He also had the “Doctor’s Museum” which still stands next door to his house in Acadian Village. The house and museum are form the circa 1890. The home is the site of the Art Gallery, which houses some of the finest examples of Southwest Louisiana landscape paints, stills, and floral. If you find something you just love you can purchase it from the artists that are working in the area. Along with the Gallery the Acadian Village administrative offices are also located in the house.
The oldest structure in the Village is the Bernard House with half of the house built in 1800 and the addition was built circa 1840. The oldest area of the house contains an exhibit on Cajun music and in this home is the best example of the type of insulation used to insulate the homes. It is called “bousillage entre poteaux” which means mud between posts.
Dating from the Civil War era the Billeaud House is used as the spinning and weaving cottage. One of the looms used is original, it is 150 years old. Homespun blankets and clothes were woven from white cotton, native to Louisiana, and brown cotton which was introduced from Mexico to the area.
The Blacksmith Shop is a replica which was built on site with weather beaten aged cypress boards. The anville, forge and bellows are much like those that were used by the original blacksmiths. There is a resident blacksmith that can be found in the shop during special events such as concerts, cook-offs and other events.
The Castille House was built for Dorsene Castille around 1860 in Breaux Bridge and was moved to the present location to be part of the Village. During the Civil War the house was pillaged by Yankee soldiers, but somehow survived and is here for you to see.
The cypress mantels in the house have carved emblems in the front. The outside figure looks like a Christian fish and symbolizes a long and happy life. The center emblem looks like a rosette and is called progression which signifies a large and prosperous family.
The LeBlanc House was built between 1821 and 1856 near Youngsville and was the birthplace for Acadian Senator Dudley J. LeBlanc. The house was moved to the Village to be seen by those interested in preserving history.
The house now holds the exhibit showcasing the life and times of “Couzan Dud.”
The New Hope Chapel is a replica of an 1850 chapel. The ceiling is built of cypress and held together by pegs. The floor is made of Louisiana long leaf pine that is nearly 200 years old.
There is only one original pew and it is 150 years old. The rest are copies. The Stations of the Cross were hand carved with a chisel, knife and hammer by a local sculptor, Mr. Lester Duhon.
The main alter is the type used before Vatican Council II. Truly something to see.
The St. John House was built of salvaged cypress timbers from another building. It is currently being displayed as a schoolhouse.
Visit the Thibodeaux House which was constructed of cypress which is considered the “wood eternal” because it is rot and insect resistant. Each pre-cut beam and post is marked with Roman numerals for easy assembly. The house dates to 1820.
T-Paul’s House has a story too. Paul Duhon was a fixture at Acadian Village for 30 years. He was born on September 18, 1917, to a family that can trace their heritage back to the 1600′s in France. He also has a branch of the family tree that came to Louisiana with the original Acadien settlers from Nova Scotia in the 18th century. T-Paul, as he was known, didn’t have any children of his own, but he loved to entertain the school children who would visit the village. He played the spoons for them and delighted them with his tunes on his Cajun washboard (which learned to play by ear).
T-Paul was 90 years old when he passed away in 2007. With T-Pauls’ savings, his brother, Willie Duhon, built a house in his memory. The T-Paul house is built with old cypress from Lafayette and Abbeville and houses a sample of his knife collection and some of his wood carvings.
Location:
200 Greenleaf Drive
Lafayette, LA 70506
Phone: 337-981-2364
Fax: 337-988-4554
Toll Free: 1-800-962-9133
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