Heard, J. W., House
605 Cherry St., Bernice, LAThe J. W. Heard House is of local significance in the area of architecture because it is one of a limited number of landmark structures in Union Parish.
Union is a piney woods parish that has been largely characterized by Upland South settlement and relatively small-scale agriculture. There was also some lumber-related development in the early twentieth century. All of this has left the parish with a comparatively modest architectural patrimony, as is shown in the Comprehensive Historic Structures Survey. This survey has identified some 371 50+ year-old buildings in the parish, most of which are bungalows, double pen houses, extremely conservative Queen Anne Revival cottages, or ordinary commercial buildings. Less than a dozen structures can be said to be landmarks either because of their age or architectural styling. With its Queen Anne massing and boldly articulated Colonial Revival gable and gallery treatment, the J. W. Heard House is one of these rare landmarks.
Historical Note
The J. W. Heard House was constructed in 1904, only five years after the founding of Bernice in 1899. Builder Jacob T. Crews constructed the structure along with many of the town's other early homes. First owner Joseph Heard moved his business from Shiloh, four miles east of Bernice, as did many others when Bernice was born as a result of the railroad and a fire that destroyed much of Shiloh. Heard established J. W. Heard and Brother general merchandise store, as well as a store in Junction City. He was also a brother of Louisiana Governor William Wright Heard, who served from 1900-1904. The house remained in Heard's family's hands until 1967. It then had three other owners before being purchased by the Patton family in 1991. Local significance of the building: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.