Loreauville, Louisiana - Historic Businesses, Buildings and Structures

Historic Businesses, Buildings and Structures

Main street in Loreauville has evolved over the years since the establishment of the village. The progression description that follows begins at the North end of the village and terminates at the South end with the Loreauville hospital. Notable businesses and structures that appeared along main street are:

• (Nick) Borel's Grocery, situated in the present day building on Main and Braquet Street on the North end of the village. Borel's grocery was in operation from the late 1940s until the mid-1970s when it was sold. Several businesses have subsequently occupied the building.
• Homer's Texaco Service Station, located at the North East corner of the intersection of Louisiana Highway 86 and Lake Dauterive Road (Louisiana Highway 3242) the family-owned business was in continuous operation from 1946 until the late 1990s. The existing large metal frame of the building was constructed by Roy Breaux Sr. and the welders of Breaux's Bay Craft in 1961.
• W.W. Vaughn General Merchandise (General Store), located at the South East corner of the intersection of Louisiana Highway 86 and Lake Dauterive Road (Louisiana Highway 3242) the family-owned business was located in a 19th century brick and wood frame structure that operated from the early 1900s until the early 1970s. The store originally opened as the "Edgar J. Vaughn General Merchandise" store prior to World War I. As was common in those early days, the Edgar Vaughn store issued its own tin coinage as local currency in various denominations (mainly 1C, 5C, & 10C denominations) when dealing in barter transactions as a way to equalize transactions. Few of the coins exist today, but a few were donated to the Acadian Village museum by family members. The building was eradicated in the early 21st century and the site is now an empty lot.
• The OJ Oubre Lumber Company. So named for Oscar J. Oubre, the Loreauville branch of the OJ Oubre lumber company operated from the present location of the Judice Building Supplies store. The Loreauville branch of the OJ Oubre lumber company was a separate store owned and operated by the OJ Oubre lumber company of New Iberia Louisiana.
• The State National Bank Building, located at the intersection of main street and Ed Broussard Road, this masonry facility was constructed in the early 1960s and served as the only financial institution in Loreauville for many years. Ownership and identity of the facility has changed many times over the years but many residents still refer to the facility as the "State National Bank Building". A large analog clock was a prominent feature of the original bank and served the local residents and teenagers in the 1960s and '70s.
• Aunt Tee's Restaurant, located on the West side of main street at Ed Broussard road, this family business operated from the late 1950s until the early 1970s serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner to many of the local residents and workers. The "Plate Lunch" (from the French "Plat Du Jour") was a popular menu item for many of the hard workers of the area.
• Gonsoulin Insurance Agency, located on main street between Ed Broussard Road and Gonsoulin street, this 1970s architectural style building was the home of the family-owned Gonsoulin Insurance Agency which operated from the late 1960s until the mid-1980s.
• The Western Auto Store, located on main street directly across from the original U.S. Post Office, now occupied by Dollar General. This building operated as a Western Auto Parts affiliate from the late 1960s until the early 1980s.
• Harold's Barber Shop, located on Main street across from the old U.S. Post Office. Harold Melancon operated a small barbershop at this location from the late 1960s until the late 1970s.
• Original U.S. Postal Mail facility. Located on main street, this small brick building served as the official post office for zip code 70552 until the early 1990s when it was replaced by a larger more modern facility located on the Northern edge of the village. The original post office structure remains and has been the site of several business in the intervening years.
• Loreauville Substation of the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Department, located on main street adjacent to the Meat Market, this small wood framed structure served as a police sub-station and radio dispatch terminal for a short period during the 1970s. A temporary holding facility was constructed but rarely used. The office was staffed by one part-time employee and served to take offense reports, answer routine inquiries, and coordinate local law enforcement presence in the village. The sub-station was closed in the mid-1970s.
• Lloyd's Meat Market, located on main street between Railroad avenue and Bourgeois street in a wood and brick framed structure, this meat market offered locally produced fresh seafood and meat from the 1960s until the early 1980s.
• The Patio Restaurant building, located on main street, north of Bridge street, is a masonry facility that was the original location of LeLeux's Pharmacy (circa 1980). The Patio restaurant is a family-owned and -operated business that operated out of this location for many years until the 21st century when it relocated nearer to New Iberia on Loreauville Road (Louisiana Highway 86) near the intersection of Sugar Oaks Road. The current business operating in this location is a family-owned restaurant, Teche Cafe.
• The Brown Derby, located on Main Street just North of Railroad avenue, this facility served adult refreshment from the mid 1960s until the mid 1970s. Several business operating in the same service have occupied the site since the original Brown Derby.
• Mestayer's Grocery Store, located on the Northwest corner of Main and Bridge streets, the family-owned grocery store operated from the 1950s until the early 1980s. The building remains and is has hosted a number of businesses in the intervening years.
• Tan Vaughn's Barber Shop, an extremely small (less than 200 square feet) wooden structure that was located at the intersection of Main street and Railroad Avenue (South East corner). Tan's barbershop was in operation from the late 1940s until the early 1990s and contained a single barber chair, and two or three waiting chairs for customers. The structure was demolished in the 1990s and in its location is the Loreauville Town Hall.
• From the 1940s until it was removed in the mid 1980s, Loreauville had a Tin Man style water tower which was located adjacent to the existing Loreauville Volunteer Fire Department Fire Station on Bridge Street. The tower was located between the Fire Station and the bridge and held approximately 50,000 U.S. gallons of water. Its architectural style was reminiscent of the character Tin Man in the movie The Wizard of Oz (1939 film). Tin Man water towers continue to dot the increasingly urbanized landscape in America, but are rapidly disappearing as more modern and larger capacity water towers are constructed as their replacement. With the construction of the new water tower on the North end of the village in the early 1980s, the original Tin Man water tower was declared obsolete and torn down.
• Loreauville Movie Theater, this wood framed structure was located on Main Street South of Bridge Street adjacent to Ed Broussard Marine Services. The 1930s era structure is fondly remembered by many residents as providing entertainment during the late 1920s until after World War II. The movie theater transitioned from silent films through modern films with local residents providing the musical accompaniment during the silent film era. The structure was demolished and removed in the 1970s.
• Masso's Cafe, a small cafe located in a wooden structure between the Ed Broussard Marine Service company and Bridge Street. Masso's was a small family-owned cafe operated by a local family. The cafe seated between 10 & 20 customers with a small lunch counter that accommodated four to five customers. Masso's Cafe was in operation from the mid 1950s until the late 1970s. The structure was demolished and removed during the late 1980s.
• Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, located on Daigere Street. The present church building was erected in the 1970s to replace the original wooden church (later destroyed by fire in 1992) erected to serve the African-American community during the days of segregation
• St. Joseph's Catholic Church Hall, located on main street immediately adjacent to St. Joseph's Catholic Church, this facility has been used by area residents for weddings, wakes, celebrations, and meetings since its construction in the early 1960s. From the 1960s until the late 1980s small school rooms in the rear of this facility were used to teach catechism to local residents. Near the entrance to the hall is a bronze plaque commemorating the services and life of Father Thomas Connors, a bi-lingual French/English priest from the Our Lady of La Salette Order Missionaries of La Salette, who was assigned to St. Joseph's parish in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Father Connors perished in a rectory fire (central Louisiana) and the parish hall was posthumously dedicated to him. A separate memorial to the vision of La Salette Our Lady of La Salette is in bronze in the front courtyard of St. Joseph's church. The St. Joseph's Church hall remains in active use and serves as a frequent gathering place for many local residents.
• St. Joseph's Catholic Church, located on Main Street in the center of the village, the current facility was constructed in the early 1950s and modernized over the years as its congregation grew and improvements were required. Memorial bronze plaques recognizing Loreauville residents who were killed in World War I, World War II, The Korean War, and the Vietnam War adorn the four sided concrete base of the flag pole immediately in front of St. Joseph's Church.
• Gondron's Garage, was a family-owned service station offering fuel services and comprehensive auto repair. The facility is located at the intersection of Main and Daigre streets.
• Loreauville Hospital, part of the rural network of hospitals in Louisiana, the facility is located at the Southern end of the village along the East side of Main Street (Louisiana Highway 86). The facility opened in the early 1960s and operated until its closure in the 1980s. The site has had intermittent use as a health clinic in the intervening years. The original Loreauville clinic was located in a wood framed structure in what is now the St. Joseph's Catholic Church parking lot. This facility operated in the post World War II period until its closure in 1963.