1304 Saint John Street House

This well-preserved Craftsman Bungalow features a fully-shingled porch enclosure. It is the only one of this type that exists in Lafayette. The house was built by Samuel J. Leblanc and Gabrielle Guchereaux Leblanc around 1911 on property that was purchased from George T. Hedges, the developer of historic Elmhurst Park Subdivision. The Shingle style is a distinctly American development in Victorian architecture. Since the cost of shingle siding is slightly above the means of the average homeowner, the style quickly became noted as a high-fashion style and has remained relatively rare. It is now a highly-prized architectural attribute. The Shingle Craftsman style was first made popular in New England, mostly at seaside resorts. Architects, McKim, Mead and White, and Architects, Peabody and Stearns were the two notable firms during the late 1800s that helped to popularize the Shingle Craftsman style. They received large-scale commissions for “seaside cottages” from wealthy clients in such places as Newport, Rhode Island and in the village of East Hampton at Long Island. Shingle-style residences have become beloved and well-protected historic assets across the United States.