On the map, we are right off I-49 between Shreveport and Alexandria. Our location and mailing address is at 720 Front Street, Natchitoches, Louisiana 71457. For more about Natchitoches, click here.

A Short History of the Prudhomme Hughes Building
Built Mid-19th Century

The Prudhomme Hughes Building, standing for over a century on Front Street in Natchitoches, is a captivating example of the elegance and grace which is so typical of this eldest town in the Louisiana Purchase.

Familiar to Natchitoches since the 1820's as the Prudhomme Hughes Building, the brick structure became the property of many interesting families. It is said that Gabriel St. Ann Prudhomme, a talented and promising young architect, designed and supervised the casting of the rich iron lace which frosts the long galleries on the front and back of the building.

There is a humorous story about the Hughes and Aaron Saloon and Billiard Hall on the ground floor in the earlier days of this thriving enterprise. It had a particular elegance, comparable to that noted in similar palaces in New Orleans which were frequented by the elite.

It had the nature of a club for young gentlemen, with its elaborate decor, and was considered a meeting place on Sunday nights when lavish candlelight turkey suppers were served by white-coated waiters. (As opposed to the above reasoning for the purpose of the three staircases, others contend that of the straight and spiral cases, one of them would suit the young gentlemen frequenting the restaurant and saloon, depending upon their condition!)

The first story in the north half of the building has always housed commercial enterprise. Parker's Shoe Store occupied that part of the building around 1899. After the 1900 sale of the property, Hughes Dry Goods bought out the shoe store and turned it into a mercantile establishment.

During this time, the old Normal School, now Northwestern State University, had opened its doors, and in accordance with an act of the Louisiana Legislature, the saloon in the building was forced to close its doors (those swinging shuttered frames which and hidden much imagined intrigue and excitement from curious feminine eyes.) Alcoholic beverages could not be sold within five miles of a public institution of higher education, so read the law!

And so the whole first floor came to be utilized by the Hughes store. It was completely renovated for its new purpose, but the beautiful old polished mirror was retained to reflect coquettish faces crowned with hats from the millinery department, and the shuttered doors sheltered the fitting rooms.

In the spring of 1959, the second floor of the Prudhomme Hughes Building was renovated to serve as the home of radio station KNOC. In 1965 Natchitoches Broadcasting Co. put he first FM broadcast station in Natchitoches on the air, KDBH. Both of these stations shared studios and offices on the second floor of the Prudhomme Hughes Building.

During the 1959 renovation the delicate iron railings on the front and rear galleries and the two beautiful staircases on the back were reworked, and their former grace restored. The distinctive hardware, locks and hinges, on the tall doors and windows opening onto either gallery were either redone or exact duplicates were made to replace them.

Through the years, the Prudhomme Hughes Building has stood on Front Street, accommodating numerous types of enterprise, and yet, always remaining a splendid reminder of the unique spirit and intrinsic beauty of Old Natchitoches.