Layton Castle Blog

The other day, I found a blog run by the current owner of Layton castle, which only has a couple of posts. They are very interesting though! The first post is about a former enslaved resident of the castle named Annette. The second post is about a little girl ghost who haunts the castle. You … Continue reading Layton Castle Blog →

Miscellaneous Photos and Documents on Ouachita Parish

And to go along with yesterday's post, Vernon Parish Library also has a collection of miscellaneous photos and documents they have put on Flickr. https://flic.kr/s/aHsiVtCZhU There are some things on here I have never seen before. Photos of Layton castle, the Cooley House, The Jewish Temple...even a copy of the Dedication Program for the Civic … Continue reading Miscellaneous Photos and Documents on Ouachita Parish →

Painting of Isaac Henry Bry

This painting hangs in Layton Castle. It is the only known portrait of Henry. I love it, due to the slight smile he has. According to the book, "Louisiana Portraits" by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Louisiana, (we have the book in the Genealogy Department) it is … Continue reading Painting of Isaac Henry Bry →

Layton Home (Layton Castle)

This next document concerns the "Layton Home", aka Mulberry Grove, aka Layton Castle. https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/oplib-wpa%3A7

Tallyho Riding: Courtship in the Late 1800’s.

Have you ever heard of Tallyho riding? No? Me neither. This little article in a rare copy of the Monroe Morning post, appeared in a 1929 issue. It had been clipped for the Special Collection transportation files several years ago. In the same file was a clipping of a photo from the Monroe Morning World … Continue reading Tallyho Riding: Courtship in the Late 1800’s. →

Women’s Suffrage in Ouachita Parish

I found this article in the February 22, 1907 Winnfield newspaper called The Southern Sentinel. The first part of the article quotes the Monroe News. The News was one of the two forerunners of the modern Monroe News-Star. Unfortunately, no copies exist for this time period. This is a rare glimmer of Monroe’s history once … Continue reading Women’s Suffrage in Ouachita Parish →

The death of Judge Isaac Henry Bry

If you live in or near Monroe, you are familiar with Layton Castle. What you probably don't know, is that Layton Castle is much older than it appears. At it's heart, lies Mulberry Grove Plantation, built in 1814 by Henry Bry. Around 1910, The Layton family built the "castle" around the original plantation and it … Continue reading The death of Judge Isaac Henry Bry →