Saint Julien-Fournet Law Office

This building was originally a small French Creole building that included tall ceilings and a porch across the front façade. In 1911, Mr. Joseph Gilbert St. Julien (1872-1954) purchased an empty lot from Basil Crow and built the French Creole building. In 1918, Mr. Jean Jacques Fournet (1880-1966) entered into partnership with St. Julien, and the two practiced law from this building for several decades. St. Julien was a descendant of
Louis D’Erneville de St. Julien, the younger son of Sir Captain D’Erneville de St. Julien, a loyalist in France in the 16th century. Captain D’Erneville’s landholdings in Bordeaux were confiscated by Robespierre, and the family was executed. Louis and his older brother were the only family members to escape France, and they did so by disguising themselves as sailors. Almost 100 years later, in 1904, Louis’ great-grandson, Joseph Gilbert St. Julien, was elected to the State legislature. In 1908 he was elected clerk of court for Lafayette Parish, and he was elected mayor of Lafayette in 1927. Jacques Fournet and family were well known for their 75 acre farm, Morning Glory Dairy Farm, which operated between 1927 and early 1940s at the NE corner of Johnston Street and South College Road.