The 1897 Logan Mansion.
Want to own an amazing piece of Shreveport history? This is it- the 4,965 SF Logan Mansion, a 4 bedroom bed-and-breakfast/Airbnb/personal residence whose walls will most definitely tell you some tales.
What a history it has.
In 1897, 53-year old Lafayette Robert Logan showed Shreveport that he had finally ‘made it.’ Lafayette Robert, more commonly known as ‘L.R.’, was by then a top executive of Shreveport Ice and Brewery Co., and he wanted a distinctive home for his wife Lavinia Wilson Seay Logan. L.R. and Libby hired noted architect N.S. Allen to design a 5,000 SF Victorian palace on then- Christian Street (now Austin Place or Austen Place, both spellings are used), near the heart of downtown.
One of the parlors.
The wooden Victorian Logan Mansion featured tall ceilings, ample windows, a tall porte-cochere entrance to the carriageway, and a wide porch for enjoying the evening breeze. Historian Eric Brock says a hallmark of Allen homes was the ‘exceptional millwork, lovely staircases and fine fireplaces’, all of which are found in the Logan residence.
Interior of the Logan Mansion. This is the original newel post on the stairwell. It is also remarkable that the amazing woodwork is unpainted and original.
N.S. Allen designed more than 300 Shreveport buildings, but the Logan Mansion is one of just a handful to have survived to present day.
L.R. and Libby lived in the home until his death at age 75 in 1919. Their were no heirs, and the Logan Mansion was sold to KCS Railroad executive Wade Hampton. Hampton and his family called the home theirs longer than did the Logans, but the Logans never really lost ‘sight’ of their beloved home… they are buried just across the street at Oakland Cemetery, with a ‘view’ of the mansion.
Hampton and his family spent 36 hopefully happy years at the mansion. After they sold it in 1955, there was a series of owners from radio stations to a local non-profit. None put a lot of money into rehabbing the Victorian beauty until it was purchased by Vicki and Billy LeBrun who spent years rehabbing the mansion before selling it several years ago.
Since then, the mansion has been used to host weary travelers as an Airbnb, to share ghostly tours and tales, to be the scene of murder mystery dinners and vintage birthday gatherings.
This beautiful home with a rich history has been witness to remarkable changes in technology and society. With continued love and care, it will be around for much more!
