Gigantic fireplace in the home of the late A.

Gigantic fireplace in the home of the late A. J. Hodges and his beloved wife, Nona Triggs Hodges. The home is situated on an island at Hodges Gardens State Park. Hodges Gardens was a project spearheaded by the Hodges in the 1950s. It quickly became a national tourist attraction. The Hodges Foundation donated about 700 acres of the park (the main park area) several years ago to the State of Louisiana, which operates the park under its Department of Tourism, Office of State Parks. I took this photo just before the State took ownership of the park. The house remains, though is in poor condition. The State did fund some roof repairs to the house some time ago, with plans of possibly refurbishing the house and making it a tourist attraction for the park. It would have been a fantastic project but unfortunately I guess got lost in the shuffle due to budget cuts and shortfalls (I’ll blame it on Piyash Jindal). #hodgeshouse