This week, Downtown Shreveport welcomed preservationists, students, and local community members alike for the Louisiana Trust for Historic Trust Preservation Conference’s opening night event. Attendees had a unique opportunity to experience a rare downtown gem, the historic 1885 Bridges-McKellar-Alford Mansion, for a one-of-a-kind tour and collaborative visioning experience.
The event, held at 1324 Oakland Street, featured a series of four guided tours highlighting historic sites in downtown Shreveport, including the Municipal Auditorium, the Oakland Cemetery, the B’nai Zion Temple, and the centerpiece of the evening, the Bridges-McKellar-Alford Mansion, the last remaining downtown mansion beyond the Historic Austen Place area. When seeing other homes in the area being demolished the home was rescued by Floyd Alford, whose daughter, Deleso Alford, now carries the torch for the preservation.
The Bridges-McKellar-Alford Mansion stands as one of Shreveport’s last architectural testaments to the grandeur of the 19th century. Designed by Perry Bridges and constructed in 1885 for Reuben Neil McKellar, a former Shreveport mayor, the Queen Anne-style home was affectionately known as “Theodosia,” in honor of McKellar’s wife. Once part of a prestigious stretch known as “Mansion Row” on Oakland Street, the home now stands alone after the last neighboring mansions were lost.
“The Bridges-McKellar-Alford House is more than just a relic of the past, it’s a symbol of the leadership that helped shape Shreveport as the third largest city in Louisiana,” said Cedric B. Glover, Executive Director of the Shreveport DDA. “ McKellar was not only a previous mayor, he was also the city’s Parks and Streets Director and was the first to hard pave Shreveport’s streets. Preserving and reimagining spaces like this isn’t only about honoring heritage, it’s about sparking reinvestment, fostering creativity, and reconnecting our communities to the legacies and stories that shaped them. Events like this are how we turn potential preservation into progress.”
Attendees ranged from conference attendees, preservationists, local residents, students, and enthusiasts from all over Louisiana who brought energy and passion into the space. Their shared enthusiasm filled the air, as many explored the ornate details, high ceilings, and aging but elegant features of the mansion.
“It’s one thing to talk about preservation—but it’s another thing entirely to walk into a place like this,” said Michelle Kendall of Downtown Hammond. “You immediately feel its history, its soul. These walls carry heart. Just being here changes your perspective.”
The property, which is listed on Louisiana’s Most Endangered Places, has the potential to serve as a powerful case study in adaptive reuse. More than a simple tour, the gathering served as a synergistic gathering of ideas and potential strategies. Guests were invited to step through hallways and grand archways, and use their imagination to propose ideas for how the mansion could be preserved and repurposed for the future.
“This place gives retreat energy,” noted Ashley Tarleton of Downtown Hammond. “It’s a respite in the city, designed for leisure with smart, sustainable features like the old cistern. You realize how much we’ve lost in modern construction, and how much we stand to gain by bringing spaces like this back.”
As the sun set on the historic grounds, ideas for the future lingered in the air. Whether through preservation, education, or innovation, one thing was certain: this mansion still has a story to tell, and a community ready to help write its next chapter.
