Alexandre Latiolais House

The Alexandre Latiolais House is one of the oldest buildings still in use in Lafayette Parish today, and is one of the most significant properties on the historic register. Very few structures from this time period remain in their original residential use. The Latiolais House is a well-preserved example of the French Creole Cottage that was commonly built in South Louisiana during the 1700s. The house features the wall construction technique using colombage framing with bousillage infill. A description of this construction type can be found at the beginning of this book. Cypress wood was used for the framing. Posts, sills, beams and joists were connected with mortise and pegs, and wall frames were constructed on the ground and lifted into place. Bousillage was then used to fill the spaces between posts. The Alexandre Latiolais House features a floor plan that includes fireplaces on the interior of the structure. Later French Creole building adaptations feature fireplaces located on exterior walls, which allows heat to more easily escape to the exterior during the warmer daylight hours.