The Kate Chopin House, also known as the Bayou Folk Museum or Alexis Cloutier House, was a house in Cloutierville, Louisiana. It was the home of Kate Chopin, author of The Awakening, after her marriage.
The house was located on Main Street (Louisiana Highway 1) in Cloutierville, in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. The home was built by the town's founder, Alexis Cloutier[3] and was constructed using a combination of handmade brick, hand-hewn cypress boards, and bousillage.[4] Its construction, done through the use of slave labor, dated to between 1806 and 1813.[5]
Kate Chopin moved here with her husband Oscar and their five children in 1879. Her sixth child, a daughter named Lélia, was born here shortly after the family's arrival.[6] Oscar set up a general store and ran the business end of the family plantation. Shortly after their arrival in Cloutierville, he inherited a quarter of the family property.[7]
Chopin would later describe the neighborhood in her 1891 short story "For Marse Chouchoute" as "two long rows of very old frame houses, facing each other closely across a dusty roadway".[8] Neighbors, mostly of French-Creole descent, did not approve of Chopin's fashion and tendency to smoke cigarettes, play cards, and go for walks alone.[3] Local gossip also suggested that Chopin lifted her skirt higher than necessary when walking, showing her ankles.[7]
Kate Chopin only lived here for about four years when her husband died.[9] Oscar Chopin had suffered from malaria and overdosed on quinine, leading to his wife Kate to take over the business.[7] However, she soon left the home and relocated to St. Louis, Missouri by mid-1884 to be with her mother. She left her sons with the family of her husband in Cloutierville.[10]
Chopin used some of her experience in the town for inspiration for several of her writings, including Bayou Folk, A Night in Acadie, and The Awakening.[6]
Modern historyedit
Ruins of the house after the 2008 fire
The house was opened as a museum in 1979.[3] It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1993 for its association with Kate Chopin's life and her use of area happenings as source for bayou life covered in much of her writings.[2][11] Though the building was restored, the wainscoting was original, as were many of the glass panes. A collection of Chopin artifacts was displayed in one of the basement rooms.[4] The museum, known as the Bayou Folk Museum (in part because of Chopin's book of the same name), was run by the Association for Preservation of Historic Natchitoches.[5]
The house was destroyed in a fire on October 1, 2008.[12][13] Though the cause of the fire was not determined, the home's destruction inspired the use of preventative measures at other historic structures in Louisiana.[14] Its National Historic Landmark designation and National Register of Historic Places listing were withdrawn in December 2015.
^ abLeeper, Clare D'Artois. Louisiana Place Names: Popular, Unusual, and Forgotten Stories of Towns, Cities, Plantations, Bayous, and Even Some Cemeteries. Louisiana State University Press, 2012: 69. ISBN978-0-8071-4738-2
^Jill S. Mesirow and Page Putnam Miller (June 24, 1992), National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Kate Chopin House(pdf), National Park Service and Accompanying 10 photos, exterior and interior, from 1992.(948 KB)
^"200-Year-Old Kate Chopin House in La. Burns Down". New York Times. Associated Press. Retrieved October 1, 2008. [dead link]
^Millhollo, Michelle. "", The Advocate. January 20, 2014.
Sourcesedit
Baldwin, Jack and Winnie. Baldwin's Guide to Museums of Louisiana. Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican Publishing, 1999. ISBN9781455600557
Schmidt, Shannon McKenna and Joni Rendon. Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen's Bath to Ernest Hemingway's Key West. National Geographic Society, 2008. ISBN978-1-4262-0454-8
Toth, Emily. Unveiling Kate Chopin. University Press of Mississippi, 1999. ISBN1-57806-101-6
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kate Chopin House.
Cane River National Heritage Area, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary
January 01, 1970
kate, chopin, house, cloutierville, louisiana, kate, chopin, house, also, known, bayou, folk, museum, alexis, cloutier, house, house, cloutierville, louisiana, home, kate, chopin, author, awakening, after, marriage, kate, chopin, houseformerly, listed, nationa. The Kate Chopin House also known as the Bayou Folk Museum or Alexis Cloutier House was a house in Cloutierville Louisiana It was the home of Kate Chopin author of The Awakening after her marriage Kate Chopin HouseFormerly listed on the U S National Register of Historic PlacesFormer U S National Historic LandmarkHistoric American Buildings Survey photo of the houseShow map of LouisianaShow map of the United StatesLocationMain St LA 1 Cloutierville LouisianaCoordinates31 32 26 04 N 92 55 1 53 W 31 5405667 N 92 9170917 W 31 5405667 92 9170917NRHP reference No 93001601Significant datesAdded to NRHPApril 19 1993 1 Designated NHLApril 19 1993 2 Removed from NRHPDecember 28 2015Delisted NHLDecember 28 2015 Contents 1 Overview 2 Modern history 3 See also 4 References 5 Sources 6 External linksOverview editThe house was located on Main Street Louisiana Highway 1 in Cloutierville in Natchitoches Parish Louisiana The home was built by the town s founder Alexis Cloutier 3 and was constructed using a combination of handmade brick hand hewn cypress boards and bousillage 4 Its construction done through the use of slave labor dated to between 1806 and 1813 5 Kate Chopin moved here with her husband Oscar and their five children in 1879 Her sixth child a daughter named Lelia was born here shortly after the family s arrival 6 Oscar set up a general store and ran the business end of the family plantation Shortly after their arrival in Cloutierville he inherited a quarter of the family property 7 Chopin would later describe the neighborhood in her 1891 short story For Marse Chouchoute as two long rows of very old frame houses facing each other closely across a dusty roadway 8 Neighbors mostly of French Creole descent did not approve of Chopin s fashion and tendency to smoke cigarettes play cards and go for walks alone 3 Local gossip also suggested that Chopin lifted her skirt higher than necessary when walking showing her ankles 7 Kate Chopin only lived here for about four years when her husband died 9 Oscar Chopin had suffered from malaria and overdosed on quinine leading to his wife Kate to take over the business 7 However she soon left the home and relocated to St Louis Missouri by mid 1884 to be with her mother She left her sons with the family of her husband in Cloutierville 10 Chopin used some of her experience in the town for inspiration for several of her writings including Bayou Folk A Night in Acadie and The Awakening 6 Modern history edit nbsp Ruins of the house after the 2008 fire The house was opened as a museum in 1979 3 It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1993 for its association with Kate Chopin s life and her use of area happenings as source for bayou life covered in much of her writings 2 11 Though the building was restored the wainscoting was original as were many of the glass panes A collection of Chopin artifacts was displayed in one of the basement rooms 4 The museum known as the Bayou Folk Museum in part because of Chopin s book of the same name was run by the Association for Preservation of Historic Natchitoches 5 The house was destroyed in a fire on October 1 2008 12 13 Though the cause of the fire was not determined the home s destruction inspired the use of preventative measures at other historic structures in Louisiana 14 Its National Historic Landmark designation and National Register of Historic Places listing were withdrawn in December 2015 See also editKate Chopin House St Louis Missouri another one of Chopin s residences List of National Historic Landmarks in Louisiana National Register of Historic Places listings in Natchitoches Parish LouisianaReferences edit National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service January 23 2007 a b Kate Chopin House National Historic Landmark summary listing National Park Service Archived from the original on January 14 2009 Retrieved January 27 2008 a b c Schmidt and Rendon p 34 a b Baldwin p 66 a b Baldwin p 64 a b Leeper Clare D Artois Louisiana Place Names Popular Unusual and Forgotten Stories of Towns Cities Plantations Bayous and Even Some Cemeteries Louisiana State University Press 2012 69 ISBN 978 0 8071 4738 2 a b c Baldwin p 65 Toth p 82 Schmidt and Rendon p 35 Toth p 100 Jill S Mesirow and Page Putnam Miller June 24 1992 National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Kate Chopin House pdf National Park Service and Accompanying 10 photos exterior and interior from 1992 948 KB 200 Year Old Kate Chopin House in La Burns Down New York Times Associated Press Retrieved October 1 2008 dead link Historic Cloutierville landmark burns The Times Shreveport October 2 2008 p 9 Retrieved July 5 2022 via Newspapers com Millhollo Michelle Training for flames The Advocate January 20 2014 Sources editBaldwin Jack and Winnie Baldwin s Guide to Museums of Louisiana Gretna Louisiana Pelican Publishing 1999 ISBN 9781455600557 Schmidt Shannon McKenna and Joni Rendon Novel Destinations Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen s Bath to Ernest Hemingway s Key West National Geographic Society 2008 ISBN 978 1 4262 0454 8 Toth Emily Unveiling Kate Chopin University Press of Mississippi 1999 ISBN 1 57806 101 6External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kate Chopin House Cane River National Heritage Area a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kate Chopin House Cloutierville Louisiana amp oldid 1219943924, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
