[
Recently, we shared a photo of a keen old home in DeSoto Parish. The photo, of a once majestic home in Keachie which is still quite charming in its own way, had been taken earlier this month by Wanda Williams. Williams captured the photo while she was in the area on Super Bowl weekend, shared it with us. I knew the house was special… I had seen it and admired it for, oh, almost 20 years… And I have watched it fall into sad disrepair over the last many years (the states of disrepair of the house becoming progressively worse in rapid motion over the last two or three or four years). But I did not expect the interest this photo of the house would quickly grab
This house is known to locals as the Cathy house, or the Fullilove Schular Cathy house (I am thinking based on a few scattered things I found that Fullilove and Schular and Cathy are each individual surnames… Though there could be relations between any or all of the three). The photo of this house got over 365 local likes (likes on the All Things Sabine Facebook page) and was shared more than 20 times times, ultimately reaching almost 15,000 people.
Because of this interest, on a trip to Shreveport last weekend, we stopped in Keachie to get some more photos and a little video of the old Cathy house.
I found from an online Ancestry message board (forum) that the original house was built by Frank E. Wood in 1857. I haven’t confirmed this information, but this post from 2013 was never contradicted. The message goes on to state that the home was a “four room dogtrot with a detached kitchen and dining.”
It was later updated on this forum that the latest owner of the home passed away in 2013 and left the structure to the Keachie Historical Society.
Vleigh Barry, a history buff and knowledgeable source of information in DeSoto Parish, commented on the photo posted on All Things Sabine that the house is indeed now owned by the Historical Society of Keachie. She further noted that the woman who left this house to the Society also left another historical home she owned to the KHS. Barry said the Society “is sprucing up Keachie as they have funds.”
If anyone knows more details on the home, please feel free to comment. Many people commented that they would love to see the interior of this house, and perhaps that may one day be able to happen.
There may be fundraisers, or ways to donate to the Keachie Historical Society to help preserve the Cathy home and some of the other magnificent structures in this fascinating community full of fascinating architecture. If I learn of any, I will certainly post.
Here is a link to the message board thread I spoke of regarding this house.
[
