A Renovation Renaissance

From historical preservation projects to revamping underutilized public spaces, Minden’s being made anew

by

As many times as I have driven along the I-20 corridor, I’ve rarely allowed myself to take in all there is to love about Northeast Louisiana. Recently, as I drove into Minden, I couldn’t help but smile at a place that feels frozen in time in all the best ways. Small businesses, cobblestone walkways, and an impeccable variety of architecture begged to be explored and appreciated. Fortunately, I had the privilege to not only visit Minden in passing, but to talk with a few people who embody an adoration for the place they call home through their restoration efforts and passions.

Huffman Manor

From the moment you walk through the doors of Huffman Manor, your senses in their entirety are welcomed and at ease—soft, jazzy music entices you from the back door into the ambient main foyer, where I was greeted by the owners, Jim and Kimberly Huffman.

The Huffmans found each of their callings, and each other, through the hospitality industry. With a combined experience of almost seventy years, the Huffmans have been able to make their way across America, learning from various hotel conversions, renovations, and alterations—and ultimately cultivating a cutting-edge vision for their personal endeavors. Now, settled in the heart of Minden’s Historic District, they are sure that they “have found a place to call home”.

Beginning with their first bed and breakfast, Huffman House, in 2015 this couple’s long-term dream of fostering boutique accommodations in Minden continues to evolve with their latest endeavor down the street: Huffman Manor. Originally built by the Rathbun family in 1910, this decadent estate shines anew under the Huffmans’ touch—which includes just over seven weeks of restorations. They were putting the finishing touches on each room when I arrived.

The Huffmans wanted to fully understand the memories that their new estate held, so they reached out directly to the former owners, eventually making a connection with Charles Rathbun. Rathbun not only highlighted the unique aspects of the manor, like the handcrafted banisters on the stairs and imported South African wood throughout the home, but he regaled them with stories about the love and laughter that had filled the home for a century. This extra step allowed Jim and Kimberly to intentionally approach their restoration with the home’s history in mind.

[Read about Managing Editor Jordan LaHaye Fontenot's twenty-four hours experiencing the soul of Minden through its food, here.]

The original cream and floral blush and burgundy accented wallpaper dances across the walls throughout the home, and while it comes with some imperfections, the Huffmans couldn’t bear to let such an antique and one-of-a-kind detail go to waste. They also proudly utilized the original light fixtures and sconces, as well as original stained glass windows—which came in colors I’d rarely seen in antique homes: deep purples, lime green, and soft pinks filtering light in nearly every room of the house. The dining room alone is a testament to both the Manor’s past and the Huffmans’ goals to curate community: dark-wood antique tables and chairs, each set with its own unique adornments in cherry, creams, and forest greens, are arranged closely together and surrounded by history with photographs of the Rahbun family, delicate china sets on display, and a coffee urn Jim found in the attic that has been buffed to perfection.

Inspired by their own craving to feel a part of a community when traveling, the Huffmans dressed their grand front porch with several seating options, including a more modern cushioned and wood outdoor couch set that offers the perfect view of the lush front yard and flowered medians—prompting a friendly smile and wave from the sidewalk passersby and allowing you to feel like a local yourself.

Despite its enduring beauty, the manor still required some real elbow grease to rebuild walls and repaint several areas of the home. The kitchen’s walls, set above the original beige and merlot patterned tile flooring, are painted nearly the exact original shade of sweet periwinkle, a swatch of which was discovered in a top far cabinet in the kitchen. As for their long-term plans, the couple hopes to reimagine what used to be a gentlemen’s library, which includes a balcony, in need of restoration, that overlooks the backyard. They also plan to renovate their carriage house in the fall of next year.

Wandering the Manor, visitors should be on the lookout for special details, tiny discoveries like the sunflower detailing on the door knobs and the rare arched transom, spider-web-esque window pane that decorates the front door.

To learn more and book your stay, visit huffmanmanorinn.com, and don’t forget to ask Jim what it means to stomp the gizzard!

Miller Quarters

By the time this story reaches newsstands, many will have already seen the incredible transformation that underwent the area now known as Miller Quarters when it was featured on the May 29 airing of HGTV’s Home Town Kickstart. I caught up with Serena Gray, Executive Director of the Webster Parish Convention and Visitors Commission, who helped me understand the mindful journey of bringing life back into this historical part of Minden.

This eleven-acre green space was originally owned by the Miller/Inabnet family, who recognized a need during the housing decline in the 1950s, primarily for the town’s underserved African American population. In response, the patriarch of the family, Joe Miller built sixty affordable homes in the area that gave way to a thriving, close-knit neighborhood. When approached by Gray and her creative team, the children who grew up in Miller Quarters, now in their fifties and sixties, fondly recounted the pick-up football games and Sunday potlucks. “People felt like they had a chance at life because they lived here,” said Gray. Unfortunately, as time passed and families moved on, the neighborhood was slowly abandoned, and was, until recently, an underutilized area in Minden.

“There are a lot of people who love this town, [who] want to see events stay here, and want to see something like this added to our downtown,” said Gray.

In re-imagining the property as a community gathering place, Gray and her team wanted to ensure that the name itself would honor those who had previously lived there, and former residents unanimously agreed that keeping the name Miller Quarters would best encapsulate the spirit of the camaraderie fostered in the neighborhood. Keeping that in mind, as visitors walk through the stainless steel entryway arch, they’ll immediately notice a circle of wooden swings surrounding a fire pit, as well as numerous picnic tables all shaded by the enchanting pine and oak trees that still remain. The team has made efforts to keep as many of these trees as possible, while also implementing public restrooms, walking paths, dog parks, and other features to create a green, family gathering space near the heart of their town.

While only two to three acres have been cleared for Phase One of this build, Gray and her team are working closely with the Tourism Board of Directors to implement the long-term goals, keeping their local festivals and vendors in mind. Eventually, they hope to add another electric pole as well as running water to allow food trucks access and ease when catering events in Minden. One of the original homes still resides on the property, and Gray hopes to turn it into a memorial space where others can learn the history and importance of this area. If you meander towards the edge of what’s currently built out, you’ll find wooden benches already waiting on the other side of the hill. The team’s goal is to eventually build a platform stage for future live music events in the community.

As a “mainstreet town,” most of Minden’s public events are currently featured on Main Street. A good problem to have, but some of their events—including their annual Grillin’ on Main, local concerts, and food truck festivals—have outgrown the strip, and need space to expand. “There are a lot of people who love this town, [who] want to see events stay here, and want to see something like this added to our downtown,” said Gray.

Spanish Villas

I rounded out my exploration of Minden with Sara McDaniel of the Simply Southern Cottage blog who has a particularly big heart for the restoration and redevelopment efforts in Minden. A Webster Parish native, McDaniel finds that her love for Minden only deepens with each project she gets to assist or work on, and actively works towards getting Minden and Webster Parish on people’s maps.

McDaniel and her neighbor, Rachel Miller, not only played an integral role in Minden’s winning of a spot on Home Town Kickstart, but also ushered the initial spark for creating Minden’s gorgeous downtown murals last year.

[Read more about Minden's HGTV premiere on Home Town Kickstart here.]

With a wealth of knowledge from her own home renovations, a huge social media presence, and various real estate investments, McDaniel is now busy at work on her newest project: a set of 1931 Spanish Villas, featuring original stucco and Spanish architecture, a rare gem in rural Louisiana, which she plans to turn into the area’s premier short-term rentals.

Because of the scale of the project—which required repairing decades-worth of damage from weather, foliage, and time—earlier this year McDaniel was approached by Cottages & Bungalows Magazine and American Farmhouse Style Magazine to be their 2022 Project House. With their support, these villas, which were covered not only in greenery but also lead paint and asbestos, will soon be given a second life.

As we walked through the first building, which McDaniel hoped would be completed shortly after my visit, she pointed out the beautifully-rounded archways and original fireplaces that she is working to preserve. Because of the damage, some of the original tiling and walls surrounding the bathtubs had to be completely ripped out, but McDaniel is preserving as much of it as she can, and utilizing what she must remove in other parts of the home.

“I want to see our community prosper. If I can do one project at a time to get our town some attention, I’ll do it,” —Sara McDaniel

McDaniel is also partnering with brands such as Laura Ashley which will offer wallpaper, bedding, and decor specially curated for each unit. Her goal is to have each interior showcase a different aesthetic; one unit might be decked out in mid-century modern furniture, the next might incorporate elements of the American West, allowing visitors to pick the exact “vibe” they are looking for.

I got the chance to see just how far the project has come as we walked through building two, which had not yet started its interior renovation. Many of the spaces were caved in, weeds sprouted in the corners, and general dilapidation disguised the building’s original beauty. Here, McDaniel shared a bit about her passion for abandoned places and for her town. “I want to see our community prosper. If I can do one project at a time to get our town some attention, I’ll do it,” she said. “We want others to raise up alongside us [in these efforts], and do their own projects—we want people to pick up that torch.”

There’s something to be said about a place that can look into itself, identify its own intrinsic value, and know that there’s work that needs to be done. Work that cannot be done without the foundations, memories, and experiences already set forth, but that looks to the future with hope, endurance, and tenacity. Minden is experiencing such a renaissance, a renewal—and it’s certainly worth a closer look.

Learn more about all that Minden has to offer at visitwebster.net.