Judge Porter House - Natchitoches, LA - Bed and Breakfast on Waymarking.com

Generally ranked high, and sometimes highest, among Natchitoches Bed and Breakfasts, the Judge Porter features four private rooms with their own baths -- two with whirlpool tubs -- along with a guest house. Each has wifi, TV with cable and DVD player, and phone, and breakfast is served every morning in the dining room at 8:30 AM.

Their website provides some history, and each room has a copy of the short version: (visit link)

Built in 1912 by "Judge" Thomas Fitzgerald Porter and his wife Wilhelmina, the home was located on property that once stretched from Second Street to Bayou Amulet. The Blunt Lodge Hall, an existing building already located on the property, was carefully dismantled piece by piece so that materials could be used for the construction of the house which took only 3 months to build at a total cost of $1,500.

Judge Porter died in 1928 leaving the house to his wife, Wilhelmina, who died in 1935. She passed the house on to her daughter Louisa Elizabeth "Betty" Porter, who lived here until her death in 1962. Betty's two brothers and a sister sold the house the following year to the Charles E. Kirsh family. It remained in that family for two generations before it was purchased in 1987 by the Rachals. In 1987, Mark and Sharon Rachal began a monumental restoration project on the house and in 1994 the current owner totally redecorated the interior and landscaped the grounds. In 1995 the house was opened to the public for the first time on the Natchitoches Historic Foundation's annual Fall Pilgrimage.

In June of 1996 the house was opened as the "Judge" Porter House Bed and Breakfast. The Bed and Breakfast features four bedrooms with two parlors and a Guest House.

The architectural style of the house is eclectic, using styles common for the Turn of the Century. The two story gallery which wraps around two sides of the house suggests a Queen Anne influence, while the colossal columns Judge Porter House as it appears today resting on brick pillars suggest Colonial Revival.

Located in the heart of the National Historic District, the house is embraced with lofty live oak trees planted by the original owner, Judge Porter.

Just over 3,000 square feet, there are 33 windows in this house with 15 over 8 feet in height. These windows were commonly used as passageways onto the gallery. The ceilings are 11.5 feet and there are 5 fire places. The floors, which are all original to the house, are heart pine.

Name: The Judge Porter House Address: 321 Second Street Natchitoches, LA USA 71457 Phone Number: 1-800-441-8343 Web Site URL: [Web Link] Proprietor/Owner: Natchitoches Bed and Breakfast Dates/Seasons Open: All Year Number of Rooms: Four rooms and a guest house Geographical Setting: Small Town/Village Special Features: Combination of Queen Anne and Colonial Revival Menu Specialties: Breakfast Languages Spoken: English Area Attractions: Established in 1714, Natchitoches -- pronounced "NA-kuh-tish" - attracts over one million tourists a year. Featured in "Steel Magnolias", there are is a Landmark Historic District to explore, with shopping, dining, and attractions including historic fort sites, museums, and year around cultural events and festivals. Rating:

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Date Logged Log User Rating   03/27/2011 WalksfarTX visited it