Saucier-Bares House

Saucier-Bares House was built for Dr. Merrick Saucier, one of the founders of the Lafayette Sanitarium, which was the forerunner to Oschner Lafayette General Medical Center. When the Saucier-Bares House was built, it was located near the outskirts of town, and close to the gateway for UL Lafayette’s original campus. It was constructed of solid cypress and contains a fully-enclosed basement. In 1982, the house was purchased from Dr. Saucier’s daughter by Wendell Bares, who has since restored the home to its original condition. Bares’ maternal grandmother, Josephine Oxford, was a collateral descendant of Martha Washington. As such, the house now has the honored distinction of being listed as an historic property by the Reverend Obadiah Holmes Chapter of the National Society of Colonial Dames 17th (NSCD XVII) Century. NSCD XVII Century is an organization of women who are lineal descendants of an ancestor who lived and served prior to 1701 in one of the original colonies of the present United States of America. They are devoted to preserving the memory of those who settled in the United States of America prior to 1701.