Lake Charles Photos

I recently took a trip to my hometown of Lake Charles in June 2006, Lousiana and took several photos of homes located in the Charpentier District. My grandmother owned a home on Pujo Street and I have many memories of her home and Lake Charles. The area is called the Charpentier (French for carpenter) because the homes reflect individual styles of the carpenters and builders, as supposedly there were no architects at the time in Lake Charles. The entire district was admitted to the National Historic Register in 1990. I took the photos with a fixed lens digital camera, so I was very constrained on the quality of the photos. I hope to get back with a better camera. Downtown Lake Charles has definitely seen better days, with many buildings largely deserted, even before Hurricane Rita hit earlier this year. There are a few signs of life, including an ongoing renovation of Mullers Department Store with plans to convert the building to a mix of housing (lofts) and retail.