Keller’s Bakery

The Kellers were bakers and vintners in the Alsace region of France before they arrived in the United States. Mr. Victor Keller opened the first Keller’s Bakery in Abbeville in 1884, and his son, Florian, operated the bakery after him. It was located on the west side of State Street in Abbeville across from the Masonic Hall. In 1899, Florian’s son, Felician, moved to Crowley to operate Keller’s Bakery with his cousin, Louis Keller. In 1929, another son, Fenwick Keller, opened Keller’s bakery in Lafayette with his young wife, Eleanor Dyer Keller. The bakery was first located on Jefferson Street near East Main Street, and in 1948 they relocated to this newly-constructed building at 1012 Jefferson Street. As was the norm for most bakers, the family lived above the bakery. The 1948 Keller’s Bakery building was built consistent with Moderne building styles of the 1940s featuring elements such as the round window and the continuous ribbon of rectangular windows turning the corner on the second floor, the multiple-level roofline, window frames set flush with the exterior building skin, and a building form that follows the building’s function, instead of a form dictated by a particular style. Fenwick’s children helped with the bakery when they were very young, and by the early 1970s, his son, Kenneth Keller began managing the business, becoming sole owner in 2004. For over 90 years, visiting Keller’s Bakery has been a beloved family tradition for many Lafayette residents.