By Randy Rogers
Someone once said that you can judge the worth of a society by watching how they treat their elderly. I think the same thing can be said about how they treat their historic landmarks. A case in point is how an historic landmark – like the Fred B. Dubach house on Annie Lee Street in Dubach Louisiana – has being treated over the years.
Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, this stately 8-room two-story mansion with its large white columns was built in 1900 by the town’s namesake and later owned by some notable North Louisiana entrepreneurs like T.L. James, B.H. Rainwater, and George Trammel, Sr.
A retired banker from Ruston now owns it. He’s had it on the market for years and so far no one has been willing to meet his asking price plus come up with the amount of money it’s going to take to restore the property.
And it’s questionable whether the home can now be restored at all. Years of neglect may have taken an unreversible toll. A hole in the roof has let years of rainwater in and caused some of the flooring to collapse. The pier and beam floors are no longer level. Most of the windowpanes are broken. The porches are unsafe to step out on and their railings are broken; and the exterior paint is peeling. Yes, it has become quite an eyesore.
The folks that were living in Dubach – back when the mansion was used for wedding receptions and parties – will tell you they get tears in their eyes when they drive by and see what once was the “Pride of Dubach” and one of the finest homes in this part of the country.
You’re probably wondering about grants and tax credits. Yes, there are tax credits available – as high as 50 percent – that can be applied against the cost of reconstruction. However, there’s a catch: To qualify for tax credits, the property has to be used for for-profit commercial purposes (Airbnb, rooming house, event venue, museum, Bed & Breakfast, etc.) for a period of 5 years before it can be used as a residence again.
I guess it makes sense that these government agencies that issue grants and tax credits don’t want to pay to restore your home. Nor has anyone been willing to shell out money to restore a property that they don’t own.
Dubach is not without some successful historic restoration projects. We restored the 1950’s ballpark, the Dog Trot House, the Autry House, Hamilton Warehouse, and most recently the downtown GEM theater is in the process of being restore. So, if
society is to be our judge – on how we treat our elderly and how we preserve our historic landmarks – with the possible exception of the Fred B. Dubach House – I think we’re in pretty good shape. Afterall, we can only restore things within our control, and we can’t rightly go back in time to convince someone to do what they should have done all along.
But who knows? Maybe one day someone will come along – hopefully before the mansion is too far gone – purchase the property and restore it back to its greatness. Otherwise, there may come a time when all we’re left to do is thank her for all the good times and tell the Old Girl goodbye.
