Maurice Heymann House

The Maurice Heymann House was designed in 1936 by master architect, A. Hays Town, during the influence of the American Revivalism Period of architecture, prevalent in the United States between 1880 and 1940. The American Revivalism style, also called the Eclectic Movement in American architecture, was influenced heavily by the country estate homes of rural areas like Provence and Normandy, France, after World War I. The Heymann house was specifically designed to reflect the French provincial architecture of the region of France where Mrs. Germaine Rosenthal Heymann was born. The significance of this building is not only architectural, but also because of the association of its original owner. Maurice Heymann is well-known for his generosity and compassion for the people of Lafayette who struggled financially. He offered food on credit to many during the decades following the Great Depression. He donated property to both the City of Lafayette and the University during his lifetime. Heymann’s most lasting impact on Lafayette was his development of the Heymann Oil Center in 1952.