Eloi Girard House

In 1935, Michael Eloi Girard, III built this house on a portion of his family’s land. Michael was the nephew of Crow Girard, who was the son of Michel Eloi Girard, Jr. and Maxime Crow Girard. Crow Girard and his mother, Maxime, donated in 1889, the first 25 acres of land for the University. The land was bequeathed to Michael and Maxime by her parents, Basil Catryll Crow and Maximilian Brashear. Both the Crow and Brashear families can trace their ancestries to Maryland’s Benjamin Brashear, a Huguenot refugee from France circa 1637. Brashear is considered to be the same name as Brasseuir, Brassieur and Brasseur. The design of Eloi Girard House belongs to the Revivalism Era which was popular during the early 20th century. It was built to resemble an English Tudor cottage, it was designed by architect, Frederick Nehrbass and completed shortly after the Girard family donated the land for Girard Park. The charm of the house is augmented by the uneven exterior brick courses, a feature specifically asked for by Mr. Eloi Girard. The uneven bricks come from “clinkers”, bricks that were rejected at the old Mike Baker Brick beehive kilns. Clinkers are bricks that have been baked too close to the heat, and thus have become misshapen but also exceedingly durable. The house is presently home to local painter and sculptor, Francis Xavier Pavy.