Prudhomme, Michel, House - Opelousas, LA
N 30° 32.667 W 092° 04.592
15R E 588577 N 3379480
Also known as the Ringrose Plantation, local tradition says that this
is the oldest domestic structure in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana.
Waymark Code: WMF67X
Location: Louisiana, United States
Date Posted: 08/29/2012
Views: 3
Fine building. It is located on the grounds of the Opelousas General Health systems grounds, and is fenced off. No admittance. It is, though, easy to see and photograph from the fence line. Appeared to be in fine condition, considering it is 200+ years old. There was also a pigeonnier. Amazingly, there is not much information that I could find on the home in online searches. I did find some good information from the Louisiana National Register application page, located
here, which states"
The Michel Prudhomme Home is locally significant because of its architecture. It is an
excellent example of 18th century French-influenced building tradition as it began to be affected by
the classicism of the first half of the 19th century. While this type of house was fairly typical of the
late 18th/early 19th centuries in this part of Louisiana, remaining examples are rapidly diminishing
in number. Outbuildings such as those present here - especially the pigeonnier - are also becoming
quite rare. Although the exact construction date of this house is not known, local tradition says that it
is the oldest domestic structure in St. Landry Parish.
During the 1770's, Michel Prudhomme received several parcels of land in this vicinity by
Spanish land grant and by purchase. In 1796 Prudhomme, who was a native of the Strasbourg area
of France, donated some of the property to what is now the St. Landry Catholic Church, enabling
that church to be moved from the Washington area to Opelousas in 1798.
Family tradition states that Michel Prudhomme built the house in the 1770's. A report in the
American State Papers of 1816 claims that in 1812 this property had already been inhabited and
cultivated for twenty-two consecutive years prior to, that date. Thus, there are strong suggestions
(these along with the form, plan, structural elements and some stylistic details of the house) which
indicate that it could have been built in the late 18th century. On the other hand, the physical traits
used in this house were quite often in evidence during the early 19th century, and certain other
details, such as the scored stucco facade and the nature of the window treatment, indicate that the
house may not have been built until around 1820, unless it was built earlier and underwent some
changes in the early 19th century. However, regardless of the actual date of construction whether
late 18th or early 19th century - this house is representative of a type which is becoming increasingly
rare in Louisiana, and as such should be recognized and preserved.
The house received one of its common names - Ringrose - from the family of the same
name who owned and occupied it in later years.