Garland House
701 Cherry St., Bernice, LAThe Garland House is locally significant in the area of architecture because it is an important example of the Queen Anne Revival style within the context of north-central Louisiana. (This includes the parishes of Lincoln, Union, Claiborne, Webster, Bienville, Jackson, and Ouachita.)
North-central Louisiana, a distinctive area sometimes known as the "Hill Parishes," is mainly characterized by the Upland South culture. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the Queen Anne Revival was a decidedly urban influence in the region. But the several hundred examples found there today are fairly humble. Most are cottages with a two or three-bay gallery across half the front and perhaps a single projecting polygonal bay under a gable.
The Garland House is important within this group because of its superior architectural styling. In addition to its important Queen Anne characteristics (described in part 7), it features Eastlake and Stick Style details. However, it is the use of a turret that makes the Garland House outstanding because turrets distinguish grand Queen Anne style houses from the lesser examples. A turret contributes much to the elaborateness of a house's massing, something which is very much a part of the Queen Anne Revival aesthetic. Secondly, because a turret contributes very little extra floor space at a considerable cost, it is certainly a luxury item. The Garland House is one of only six Queen Anne Revival residences in the region to feature the use of a turret.
Bernice, Louisiana was founded in 1899. The Garland House was constructed three years later (1902) as a family home for the town's doctor, D. B. Garland. It was built by Jacob T. Crews, who built many of the town's early homes. The house remained in the Garland family until 1964 when it was purchased by the Reeder family. It remains in the Reeder's possession.
Bibliography
Staff knowledge of Queen Anne style architecture in Lincoln, Union, Claiborne, Webster, Bienville, Jackson and Ouachita parishes, Louisiana.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.