St. Paul Catholic Church seeking offers to remove historic Mansura home

If you’re looking for a “do-it-yourselfer” or can use an ample supply of cypress and pecan lumber for those special woodworking projects, St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Mansura may have just what you need.

Rev. Irion St. Romain said the house next to the church needs to be moved -- either in whole or in pieces -- and the church is seeking bids/offers from interested individuals.

The church bought the house and three acres in 2017 with the intent of making the front portion of the property a paved parking lot and using the back portion for outdoor church events and a park area.

St. Romain said he wants someone to “tear down the house for salvage or move the house and restore it.”

The “Mayeux Home” on Leglise Street in Mansura is 2,100 sq. ft. There is also a two-story building with a storage shed on the bottom and an apartment on top.

HISTORY OF HOUSE

Joseph Mayeux built his home next door to the St. Paul Catholic Church rectory around 1885. It was one of the grand old homes that lined Mansura’s main drag.

The house is a mixture of Georgian and Victorian architecture. It has a wide central hall with rooms on each side. The dining room and kitchen extend to the rear of the house, bordered on the east side by a full-length porch.

The house had five fireplaces. The original mantles still remain.

The ceilings are 14-feet high.

Mayeux owned and operated a grocery store adjacent to his house and also farmed in the area.

Mayeux and his wife Arielien Scallan Mayeux, raised five daughters and four sons -- including one son they adopted from the “Orphan Train” in 1907. Mansura was a main stop on the Orphan Train route, which brought urban orphans from New York and other Northern big cities to be adopted by families in Louisiana.

The Mayeux heirs sold the home to Mr. and Mrs. Milton De La Houyssaye in 1979.

The house was most recently the home of the late Clarence Frappier, who brought his abundant Christmas spirit to the community with extensive decorations and playing Santa Claus in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

As with many older buildings, asbestos was used in its construction. However, Father St. Romain assures, all asbestos has been professionally removed from the structure so that it can be either safely demolished or inhabited. The building is a treasure trove of cypress, bead board, pecan and longleaf pine lumber.

TREASURE TROVE

St. Romain said he has had several people look at the house and it is still structurally sound. In fact, the older part of the house is in better condition than a later addition.

Unfortunately, for the church’s purposes the house needs to be moved -- one way or another.

Anyone interested in helping to make that happen can call the church at 318-597-2231.