Shreveport, LA – This week, Downtown Shreveport will welcome attendees of the annual Louisiana Historic Trust Preservation Conference. This year’s opening night event invites guests to step into history with an exclusive tour of one of the city’s rare surviving 19th-century residences, the Bridges-McKellar-Alford Mansion.
Located at 1324 Oakland Street, the home is the last remaining downtown mansion outside the Historic Austen Place. This home stands as a striking reminder of the city’s architectural and cultural past. Designed in 1885 by noted architect Perry Bridges and built by Reuben Neil McKellar, who would later serve as Shreveport’s mayor, the mansion bears witness to the city’s changing landscape. The structure was preserved from demolition by Floyd Alford, who admired it from childhood when it had transitioned into a boarding house during the 1950’s and 60’s.
The tour will take place on Thursday, April 24, from 5:00 to 6:15 PM, and is free to the attendees. Preservation professionals, history enthusiasts, and curious community members are invited to explore the home and engage in a special discussion on its adaptive reuse potential. This guided experience also highlights the property’s inclusion on Louisiana’s Most Endangered Places list.
Shreveport DDA Executive Director Cedric B. Glover, a longtime advocate for preservation and revitalization, emphasized the significance of the event, “The Bridges-McKellar-Alford House is more than just an architectural artifact, it’s a reflection of Shreveport’s layered and resilient identity. Preserving and reimagining spaces like this is key to reconnecting communities with their history while charting a sustainable path forward. This tour is not simply about looking back, it’s about envisioning what’s possible going forward.”
Guests are asked to meet at the mansion site, and all participants will be required to sign a waiver prior to the tour. The home’s remnants offer a view of what once was, surrounded by stairways to nowhere of previous homes that once filled the street.
This event is part of a broader effort to offer experiences in place-based storytelling and preservation advocacy.
Event Details
What: Guided Tour of the Bridges-McKellar-Alford Mansion
When: Thursday, April 24 | 5:00 – 6:15 PM
Where: 1324 Oakland Street, Shreveport, LA
Note: Waiver required on-site
