The dilapidated remains of the stately old home on Hennigan Street in downtown Merryville. The house was torn down in the mid-1990’s.
The Old House at the End of Hennigan Street
Not much is known today about the stately old colonial-style house that once stood on the east-end of Hennigan Street in downtown Merryville. This old house stood quietly for years, watching the comings and goings of this little sawmill town, from the peak of it’s timber boom in the 1920’s to the gaiety of the 1950’s and ‘60’s. One can only assume the home was one of the grandest in Merryville and was built about the turn of the 20th century; however, it’s builder is unknown. What we do know is that it was a large two-story home with four large windows across the front first floor and five large windows across the front second floor. The front door had two wide sidelights and there was a rear porch off the kitchen, located toward the back right of the home. Upon entering the house from the street, you would move through a reception hall that ran the width of the front facade. You would then move past the large stairwell and into a parlor, dining room, kitchen and several other rooms on the first level. The second floor boasted at least four large bedrooms. A double front porch with six tall pillars spanning the front - along with banisters on the 2nd floor porch. Multiple local sources have mentioned that the colonial mansion was once a hotel or boarding house. Rumors also have circulated over the years that the house served as a “house of ill repute”, along with the old Strickland Hotel down the street on Main. At one time, the old house was said to have been home to the Riggs family of Merryville. It was also noted that two elderly sisters lived in the house for many years - they were most likely Edie Dailey Duckworth and Rhoda E. Dailey Duckworth who are buried in Merryville Cemetery. Some remembered that it was once a photography studio, as well. The property and the old house was eventually owned by Catherine “Granny Cat” Stark, then to her grandson Pard Stark who sold it to Hardy Myers. It sat vacant and dilapidated for many years before it was torn down in the mid-1990’s due to it’s poor condition. At one time, Merryville was a quaint town with a number of beautiful old Victorian-style homes throughout the downtown area. Many of these are gone now, lost to the ages, including this old house at the end of Hennigan Street. _________________________________________________ Sources: Lake Charles American Press, Beauregard Museum, Findagrave, Elaine Winn, Jordan Myers Lukens and Avon Hennigan Knowlton By Joe Williamson Apr. 5, 2020
A rough sketch of the layout/floor plan of the old Hennigan street mansion in a Merryville. Note: This sketch is not to scale and is not 100% accurate.