DeRidder Commercial Historic District facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
DeRidder Commercial Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
First National Bank building (1920)
Location in Louisiana
Location	Roughly bounded by Washington Street, West 2nd Street, Stewart Street, and West Port Street, DeRidder, Louisiana
Area	8 acres (3.2 ha)
Built	1900 to 1933
NRHP reference No.	83000491
Added to NRHP	August 9, 1983

The DeRidder Commercial Historic District is a special area in DeRidder, Louisiana. It has many old buildings that were important for business. These buildings were constructed between 1900 and 1933. The district covers about 8 acres (3.2 hectares) and includes three city blocks. You can find it near Washington Street, West 2nd Street, Stewart Street, and West Port Street.

The oldest buildings, from around 1905, are mostly one-story brick buildings. Later buildings are one or two stories tall. This historic district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. This means it is recognized as a place important to history. Other nearby buildings, like the Beauregard Parish Courthouse and Beauregard Parish Jail, are not part of this district. This is because they were not directly related to the town's business history.

History of the DeRidder District

The DeRidder Commercial Historic District has been the main place for trading in the area since about 1905. Many important buildings were built here between 1918 and 1920. One of these was the First National Bank.

A big change happened around 1925 when the "lumber boom" ended. This means the time when cutting and selling wood was a huge business was over. Many towns that relied on lumber became ghost towns (empty towns). But DeRidder's business district was strong enough to survive. Most of the buildings were made of brick. This helped them stay in good shape, even after several fires over the years.

Mullers Building in 2009

Two buildings at 101 and 103 North Washington. Harper's historic building is on the right.

Side of the historic building at 115 South Washington Street

Harper's, Bradley's, Daniel's Jewelers, Old Lumberman's Bank, and other buildings

Important Old Buildings

The historic district has 27 buildings that are considered "contributing properties." This means they add to the historical importance of the district. These buildings were built between about 1905 and 1930. Some of them include:

• Mullers, located at 121 South Washington Street, built around 1915.
• Hicks Clothing Store, at 119 South Washington Street, also built around 1915.
• The Old City Savings Bank, found at 101-103 South Washington Street, built around 1915.
• The First National Bank, at 131 North Washington Street, built in 1920.
• The Old Lumberman's Bank, at 117 North Washington Street, built in 1913.
• The Railroad Depot, which is now the Beauregard Museum, built in 1926.

Some of these old buildings have changed over time. For example, the Delia's Coin Shop building was partly taken down and is now Serenity Park. The Dilk's Furniture building was also demolished, but some parts of its walls are still standing. Other buildings, like Castle Mall and Beauregard News/Reliance Press, are no longer there.