APHN Collection
Creator Sketch
Eight women organized the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches in 1940. The first charter was produced in 1943, and bore the original name of the organization, The Association of Natchitoches Women for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches. Charter members included Miss Augusta Nelken, Mrs. Mae Ropp, Mrs. Mildred Cunningham, Miss Carmen Breazeale, Mrs. Vernon Cloutier, Mrs. G. F. Thomas, Sr., Mrs. Flora Hooker, Mrs. G. H. Pierson and Mrs. Violet Winslow. The major purpose of the organization is to promote historic preservation in the city of Natchitoches and Natchitoches Parish.
The idea to form the organization came about after members of a Historic Buildings Survey team from Washington, D.C. visited Natchitoches in 1940. This team consisted of an architect, artist and an historian. They were sent out to document through architectural drawings, the many structures of historical significance still remaining throughout the country. After seeing the Lemee House in Natchitoches, the architect on the survey team became interested in the historic home and began inquiring about the possibility of purchasing it. After this, the founding members of APHN went before the City Commission to try and persuade the city of Natchitoches to purchase the house. The city soon purchased the house and allowed the women to begin raising money for the restoration of the house.
Since it's beginning, the organization has been instrumental in the ongoing effort to preserve historic structures in the Natchitoches area. Specifically, they were key in securing state and federal grants beginning in the 1970s for the restoration and preservation of many historically significant structures in Natchitoches and the surrounding parish area. These areas include the historic district of downtown Natchitoches, as well as the Cane River Plantation area in rural Natchitoches Parish. The group also holds an annual tour of homes and an annual arts & crafts festival at Melrose Plantation.
Scope and Content
The Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches Records contain correspondence, reports, legal documents,, minutes, photographs, scrapbooks, clippings and maps. The bulk of this material deals with the organization's fundraising activities and historic preservation work. Specifically, there is much documentation on the preservation of Melrose Plantation through the securing of federal grants beginning in the early 1970s. Of particular interest, is the correspondence contained in the Melrose Plantation Series between Elizabeth Mills, a blooming genealogist and Arthur Watson, local attorney and long supporter of Natchitoches history.
This correspondence documents the research Mills and her husband Gary completed on the origins of the plantation and the area surrounding it. The Maps & Drawings sub series included in this series include many architectural drawings and surveys of various buildings and land related to Melrose Plantation.
Much of the remaining materials document the organization's activities concerning the annual arts and crafts show held at Melrose Plantation and the annual tour of homes. The Photographs and Drawings Series contains photographs of many of the historic structures, as well as some activities and meetings. These include both photographs and drawings related to Melrose Plantation. Additionally, there are two scrapbooks that document the organization's history from 1985-1999 and clippings dating back to the 1950sSeries 1. APHN
Sub series 1. Correspondence
Folder
1 1955-1969
2 1969-1971
3 1972-1979
4 1980-1988
5 1989-1998, undated
Sub series 2. Reports
6 1959-1997, undated
Sub series 3. Financial Reports
7 1960-1983
8 1983-1997
9 1998-2000, undated
Sub series 4. Legal Documents
10 1944-1995, undated
Sub series 5. Minutes
11 1958-1966 (handwritten)
12 1958-1966 (typescript)
13 1967-1977
14 1979-1982
15 1983-1991
16 1992-1996
17 1997-2000, undated
Sub series 6. Rosters
18 1966-1996, undated
Sub series 7. Announcements
19 1967-1997, undated
Sub series 8. History
20 1990, undated
Series 2. Melrose Plantation
Sub series 1. Correspondence
21 1960-1972
22 1972-1973
23 1973-1979
24 1979-1996, undated
Sub series 2. Reports
25 1972-1976
26 1977-1978
27 1979-1983
28 1991
29 1996
30 undated
31 undated
Sub series 3. Financial Reports
32 1972-1987, undated
Sub series 4. Legal Documents
33 1971-1993
Sub series 5. History Files
34 1812-1915 (copies)
35 1970-1973
36 1973-1995
37 undated
Sub series 6. Maps & Drawings
OS 1 Architectural drawings of complex 1940-1995
OS 2 Topographical Survey of complex 1972
OS 5 Loom restoration drawing 1976
OS 6 Land plat map of Melrose Plantation with list of plantations owned
by Marie Therese and children, undated
OS 7 National Archives certified copies of land plats maps of Melrose Plantation
area 1800s
Sub series 7. Announcements
38 1971-1972, undated
Series 3. Historic Tour
Sub series 1. Correspondence
39 1965-1995, undated
Sub series 2. Reports
40 1968-1991, undated
Sub series 3. Financial Reports
41 1956-1992, undated
Sub series 4. Rosters
42 1966-1980, undated
Sub series 5. History Files (Includes tour scripts)
43 1890-1992, undated
Sub series 6. Announcements
44 1956-1999, undated
OS 4 Poster 1990
Sub series 7. Guest Registers
45 1943
46 1955-1956
47 1968-1973
48 1971
49 1972-1973
50 1973-1979
51 1974-1975
52 1976-1978
53 1978-1983
54 1980-1989
55 1989-1991
56 1990-1994
57 2004, undated
Series 4. Arts & Crafts Festival
Sub series 1. Correspondence
58 1978-1996, undated
Sub series 2. Rosters
59 1976-1995, undated
Sub series 3. Forms
60 Judging forms 1990, undated
61 Vendor forms 1988
62 Vendor forms 1990
63 Vendor forms 1990
64 Vendor forms 1990
65 Vendor forms 1991
66 Vendor forms 1992
67 Vendor forms 1993
68 Vendor forms 1994-1995
Sub series 4. Photographs
69 1992, undated
Sub series 5. Maps
70 1990-1993, undated
Sub series 6. Announcements
71 1975-1997, undated
OS 4 Posters 1990-1991
Series 5. Other Historical Sites
Sub series 1. Correspondence
72 1967-1996, undated
Sub series 2. Reports
73 1967-1997
74 undated
Sub series 3. Financial Reports
75 1955-1985, undated
Sub series 4. Announcements
76 1974-1994, undated
Series 6. Photographs & Drawings
Box
OS 1 1952-1992, undated
OS 3 Proof text of APHN plaque 1989
OS 4 Site plan drawings for Cunningham Building undated
Series 7. Scrapbooks
Box
OS 2 1993-1996
OS 4 1985-1999
OS 5 1985-1999
Series 8. Clippings
OS 3 1950s-1990s
