The “Dover House” is located in Florien, Louisiana, off of Ellie Blvd. close to Village Square. It is an old home which was donated to the Village of Florien to operate, and the interior and all its furniture and effects are much as they were when the home was occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Joe Dover.
The first photograph is of the exterior of the home which was once considered quite a mansion in the area. The remaining photos are ones I took inside of the home, and all give neat little bits of insight into an era in of the past. The Joe and Elizabeth Dover family home was built soon after the World War I armistice was signed on November 18, 1917. The family moved into the home during the spring of 1920.
The house is built entirely of “hearty” lumber that was purchased from the Peavy- Wilson Lumber Company located near Peason, Louisiana. Many of the other materials had to be shipped to Florien pursuant to special orders. These included the outside columns, the beveled oval glass doors, kitchen sink, electric light fixtures and bathroom fixtures.
The house contains three bedrooms, one bath, living room, dining room, kitchen and pantry.
Exterior features that were unique to Florien in 1920 remain intact today. These include the columns across the front, brick flower planters located on either side of the front steps, a covered car port at the side entrance, porches around three sides and a woodshed containing a workbench and covered clotheslines. There was also an outdoor privy, chicken coop and a large hen house. There was, at one time, a frame house adjoining the “back” pasture that was built for Willie Ed Porter, a handyman employed by the Dovers. Porter was a colorful individual and was every entertaining with his “jig” dances and other antics. Porter remained with the Dovers from 1920 till his death in 1950.
The house was originally heated with a wood stove which was also the cook stove but in 1940 this was replaced by the second gas system to be installed in the village of Florien (the first was installed next door in the home of Marguerite Dover Dupree).
Originally, the plans for the family home included a provision for adding a second floor to the one story building. To accommodate these plans there is a high beamed ceiling and completely floored attic. Today the Joe and Elizabeth Dover home remains in its original state. Family members have kept the home intact however, in the fall of 1997 family members donated the Dover house to the Village of Florien and the Sabine Freestate.