Opelousas Downtown National Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989, has boundaries which encompass the courthouse square, buildings on two sides of the square, and an adjacent row of party wall buildings immediately to the east, in Opelousas, Louisiana. Most of the contributing elements are historic commercial buildings and the two oldest are known to have been used as law offices. The eighteen contributing historic buildings range in date from c. 1840 to 1939. Located in the heart of the community, the National Historic District is only a small portion of what is regarded as the historic downtown and is distinguished by the range of styles represented and the landmark quality of the building. Styles range from Green Revival, Romanesque Revival, Italianate, neo-classical, and Art Deco.
Architecture and significance
The Opelousas National Historic District is locally significant in the area of architecture because it is easily the best preserved historic central business district in St. Landry Parish in Louisiana. The following are the eighteen contributing elements to the district:
1. Old Opelousas City Hall: Individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this was originally an 1888 Victorian marketplace, but completely remodeled in 1932 in the neo-classical style for use as the City Hall. It is located on Courthouse Square.
2. St. Landry Parish Courthouse: Build in 1939, this three-story limestone faced Art Deco building has an above-ground basement and a sleek brushed aluminum spiral staircase on the interior. Union Bank and Trust: Built around 1910, this grand one story stucco and terra cotta neo-classical building has some outstanding architectural features, including engaged fluted ionic columns flanked by wide pilasters and a pediment outlined with heavy dentils and accented with a bas relief pelican at the center. The building is located on the corner of Court and Bellevue streets.
3. 122 Court Street Building: Built around 1930, this one story commercial vernacular building has a fixed awning, a brick cornice ad thin bands of contrasting decorative tile framing the storefront.
4. New Drug Store Building: Located on Court Street and built around 1905, this two story building has fairly elaborate brickwork and some of the original shop front.
5. Old Federal Building: Individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this building was constructed in 1890 and remodeled in 1932. The large two and three story Romanesque Revival building was originally a combination U.S. Courthouse/Post Office.
6. Dietlein/Savoy Building: Located at 133 East Landry Street, this one story brick building, built in 1894, features decorative bands of cast Fleur-de-lis. The building, used as Savoy’s Barber Shop for many years, was originally Dietlein Jewelry Store. See story below from the St. Landry Clarion
"Our popular young fellow-townsman, Mr. Frank J. Dietlein, has opened a neat and well-appointed watch and jewelry store and repair establishment in the new building on Landry Street, recently erected for him, where he will be pleased to serve the public in his line. Mr. Dietlein is a skilled workman, having learned his business in some of the best establishments of the great West, spending a number of years acquiring a through knowledge of the most complicated details of the jeweler’s and watch repairer’s trade. We can commend him to the public as a reliable, competent and conscientious workman."
"Mr. Frank Dietlein has an elegant cabinet in his jewelry store, equal in every respect to the fine factory made furniture of the north. It is the handwork of our townsman Mr. T. G. Chachere, and reflects credit upon his ingenuity and ability as an artisan."
7. 129 East Landry Street: Built in 1905, this one story brick building has ornamental pressed metal cornice topped by two short decorative projections.
8. 123 East Landry Street: Built in 1930, this building features decorative parapet with a pediment shaped central portion.
9. & 10. Jacobs’ Building - 113-115 East Landry Street: Both of these one-story brick buildings were built in 1916-17 by Aaron Jacobs. One of the buildings was used as Jacobs News Depot, the other was rented by Mr. Jacobs for various other businesses through the years. During the 1950s the buildings housed the Singer Sewing Center and Ladco Drugs. They both have relatively elaborate detailing and retain their historic fixed awnings. The following story from the front page of the St. Landry Clarion on Saturday, July 15, 1916 tells the story of these two buildings:
"NEW BRICK BUILDING TO GRACE LANDRY ST. News Plans Erection of Modern Up-to-Date Home TURSTON McKINNEY SECURES CONTRACT FOR NEWEST STORE Building Between Shute’s Drug Store and Veazie Building to Cost Upwards of $6,000. A new modern up-to-date brick building will soon grace Landry Street, the principal city thoroughfare. Jacobs News Depot Company recently let out a contract to Thurston McKinney, local contractor, for the erection of a single story brick building on its lots between Shute’s Drug store and the Veazie Building. Work on the building, which will cost upwards of $6,000 will be started just as soon as material arrives. The Nolan Arcade and the building occupied by White, The Tailor, will be demolished right away."
"Aaron Jacobs, progressive and thrifty manager of the Jacobs News Depot Company, for sometime past has been figuring on erecting a building on the valuable lot owned by his company and was fully decided to keep abreast of the times. The new building on Landry Street will make the, south side of East Landry more citified than ever; there will be only three old buildings on the block and it is expected that those will in the near future be torn down to be replaced with modern and up-to-date buildings."
"Jacobs announced during the week that he would divide his building into two stores, one portion will be occupied by the company and the other has already been leased for the next five years to parties, whose identity Mr. Jacobs would not reveal."
11. Shute’s Building: Built in 1924, this two story brick building located on the corner of Court and Landry streets, has cast cement trim accenting the windows. This building replaced an earlier drug store building that stood on that same lot for many years during the late 1800s to early 1900s.
12. Parish Bank & Trust Company/Casanova Building: Built c.1920 as the Parish Bank and Trust Company, this two story tapestry brick building, located at 101 W. Landry Street, has a bas relief eagle, two panels with stylized fretwork, and diamond patterns over two of the windows. At one time, this building was the Office of the Sheriff and Tax Collector of St. Landry Parish as well as Owen’s Office Supply. Later it housed the office for Casanova Insurance. Today (2014) it is Java Square Café.
13. Sandoz Building: Built during the 1890s, this large two story Italianate stucco over brick building has segmentally arched windows on the side and upper story of the façade. The building was used for various purposed through they years. At one time it served as a hotel. At the turn of the twentieth century this was Landau’s Store, in 1906 it housed Jacobs News Depot and Lemelle’s Restaurant. During the 1950s, this building was Seiler’s Western Store. In the 1990s this became the office for Sandoz, Sandoz and Schiff Law Firm. Today (2014) it is the office of William Simmons Sandoz, Attorney-at-Law.
14. Stander Building: Built about 1930, this one story commercial vernacular building is located at 139/141 West Landry Street.
15. Greco Building: This 1930 one story brick commercial vernacular building is located at 145 West Landry Street. Formerly the Greco Shoe Shop, it is now Back In Time, an old time diner, coffee and gift shop.
16. 19th Century Law Office: 153 West Landry Street, this Greek Revival law office was built around 1845.
17. Homer Mouton Law Office: Built around 1840, this one story brick law office is located at 163 West Landry Street. It is the oldest building in the Opelousas National Historic District.