Sycamore Hall Burns

What got me interested in researching today’s post and next week’s two posts was thumbing through the Genealogy Department’s copy of Sycamore Hall by Sylvester Breard on Wednesday. I am pretty nosey by nature and in the past I have researched this building. When I don’t find anything on a particular topic, sometimes months or even years later I will think of it again and go back to try again. New databases are added to the internet all the time. In the past, I have tried to find when Sycamore Hall burned using newspapers, but had no luck. Most sources (including Mr. Breard’s book) state 1930. I decided to give it another shot.

Mr. Breard states the home was built in 1868. I am starting to think that isn’t right. Judge Ludeling bought the land from Col. Stubbs in 1855. Why would he wait thirteen years to start building on it? The earliest reference I can find to what I think is Sycamore Hall is in the Monroe Register of June 14, 1860. The Police Jury would assign land owners the task of keeping up the roads in front of their property and “Jno. T. Ludeling’s place,” along with the Breard, Upper Pargoud and Stubbs properties were assigned work. They would send their “hands” (slave labor) to maintain the road. All of those properties were along Front Street, which is now Riverside Drive.

I found many social columns describing lavish parties and weddings held at the plantation. The interior would have been jaw-dropping in it’s day!

When did Sycamore Hall burn? Mr. Breard states in 1930. Actually, it burned in 1929. I always thought it completely burned, but I found that isn’t true either. I found a report of the fire in the November 23, 1929 Monroe Morning World. According to the article, at 1:25 p.m. on November 22nd (96 years ago tomorrow!), a “servant” was heating a can of floor wax in preparation to wax the floors. It exploded, catching the kitchen on fire in the back of the house. Two fire companies were called to help put it out. The kitchen, dining room and two bedrooms were destroyed before it was put out. It did about $5000 worth of damage to the building and contents. The article also states “The original part of the house was built prior to the Civil War.” There is another mark against it being built in 1868.

The next year, several months after the fire, there is another Morning World article titled “Old Landmark On River Front Makes Adieux” (March 4, 1930). It starts out, “An ante-bellum landmark, which has stood majestically aloof from the turmoil of progress these 75 years, or more, has finally bowed its head to the inevitable.” Another clue! 75 years before 1930 is 1855, which is the year the property was bought by Ludeling! I digress.

The article states Ludeling expanded the home in the early 1880’s into what it became. He sold the home to F.G. Hudson, Sr., whose widow then held the property. An interesting tidbit related in the article states when the home was being repaired around 1900, a sword bearing the coat-of-arms of Louisiana was found in a wall by workmen. Mrs. D.G. Matteson (Dorothy Gertrude Hudson Matteson, F.G.’s daughter) had it at the time of the article. I wonder who originally owned it? Most likely it was Judge Ludeling, but why did he hide it in the wall? I wonder where it is today?

Going on in the article, it states, “Following the fire Mrs. Hudson decided to tear down the old structure and erect a new cottage which will be her residence on its completion.” She salvaged the walnut, hickory and cypress that was left of Sycamore Hall to build it.

There you have it. Sycamore Hall didn’t completely burn. Only the back part of the home did. Mrs. Hudson tore down what was left and made a cottage on the site. I REALLY wish she had repaired what was left! I guess it was too much. According to Mr. Breard’s book, Mrs. Hudson ended up HATING the cottage! She called it a chicken coop! I would think so after having lived in a mansion for so many years! What a loss to history!