Never had a desire to own any part of Patterson’s Main Street commerce. In fact, we pass these buildings several times a day and wondered if something would ever be done with the deplorable white building. It even got to where I started saying to myself---one day I’m buying a gallon of paint and volunteering to just paint it! We purchased a few rental properties recently that just happen to be on
Main Street. With a passion for landscaping and a little paint, these buildings have become an asset to our city once again. At one point the historic Citizen’s State Bank came up for sell. We toyed with the idea of purchasing and restoring this beautiful old building. After looking at it closer we were very apprehensive! With a price of only $35,000.00 we jumped in, later to be told that the sale was promised to a friend. We were very encouraged by the next owner’s restoration of that building. For several years, there was “city talk” that several people were interested in buying the vacant property on Main Street to open restaurants, etc. There was even talk about the boy scouts relocating their hut to part of the vacant property. None of these ideas materialized. Our slow (not knowing where it would lead us) journey began. Our first action and ONLY interest was to ask the owner of the vacant lot to consider donating a small part of the vacant property to the Boy Scouts to relocate the hut. Didn’t happen! We were then told the vacant property was part of a package which included four other pieces of property on Main Street. Ahhh, possibly the main reason why no one has purchased-- all of it in extreme disrepair! Out of curiosity, we asked the price of the package. Hummmm, ridiculous! Next step (mostly out of curiosity) taking a brief tour of the main building. As expected, finding lots and lots and lots of work needed, but basically the bones were there and the history. We heard about Cooper Street Coffee House in Jeanerette and began visiting. Totally awesome place! After talking with the owners, we found out this place was very much like the opera property situation. The couple themselves have meticulously rebuilt the historic building into a beautiful venue. Well, the idea came! If this couple could do this……. a possibility was born!!! After months of on again off again deciding and numerous back and forth bargaining with the owner….. we decided it might be possible to save these historic buildings and make something good out of them. Before we knew it, we owned them! (August 17, 2015). Hummm, now what??? We possess little carpenter skills or knowledge of restoring something so old and historic. So began the tedious research.
