Nickerson-Parkerson Neighborhood

The period of historic significance for this neighborhood is between the years of 1902 and 1968. It comprises all of 1902 Nickerson Addition and parts of 1903 Parkerson Addition, 1880 McComb Addition, and 1915 Lee Addition subdivisions. It also includes the neighborhood situated between Park Ave, Mudd Avenue, East Simcoe Street and Moss Street which was never formally developed into a subdivision. The boundaries include over 80% historic structures, most of which were built between 1928 and 1940. The neighborhood exemplifies significant periods of Lafayette’s cultural, economic and social heritage, beginning as a middle income neighborhood addressing the needs of working class Whites, as Lafayette grew from an agricultural town to a regional hub for commerce and trade. It also codifies the cultural changes brought about by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Toward the end of this neighborhood’s period of historic significance, integration of schools and new building technologies enticed many White families to move south of downtown. As property values became more affordable, there was a distinct shift in demographics. It is now one of Lafayette’s more racially diverse neighborhoods.