Step into history, and into waterfront living, with this amazing home and grounds on Bayou Lacombe. This house was built in 1926 by Herbert Benson, a noted New Orleans architect who, among other things, designed Tulane Stadium! Mr. Benson used this place as his peaceful getaway, a place to relax and spend time with family. The care he put into this special home, and the history associated with it, is evident all around. The interior of the house exhibits a quality of construction and attention to detail seldom seen today. Rich woods, beadboard ceilings, and stone floors are only a few examples. Many original fixtures remain in place! A large masonry fireplace is the central feature of the home’s huge living room. Above the mantel, a beautiful coat of arms is part of the masonry. Lower down, another masonry artwork depicts a peaceful bayou scene. Almost the entire back of the house is composed of floor to ceiling windows. This gives a spectacular view of the grounds, from the spacious sunroom on the first floor as well as from the 2 upstairs bedrooms. A truly rare feature of this home is a small hidden room (not counted in living area) which is made of solid concrete and lies underground! It is accessed via a trap door under the stairs, and could be used as a wine cellar, storage room, tornado shelter, or panic room. This incredible home, so proudly standing as a reminder of a bygone era, lies on beautiful grounds which match it in history and visual appeal. Behind the main house you’ll find an elegant concrete fish pond, stately iron lights which came from the French Quarter, and much more. A small outbuilding, known as the Studio, is composed of heavy timbers, and has sloped walls. Its strength and design was necessary to support a large water cistern it once held. Now it has its own bath, and a back porch with an amazing view. This could serve as a guest house, office, or almost anything else! Attached to the Studio is a workshop/laundry room, along with a large shelter which accommodates a boat or RV. Across the yard lies a small shed which houses the well pump and tank. Not far away is one of the most beautiful and touching places on the entire property. It is a paved gazebo, named the Token Shelter, and was added to the property in 1938. The name comes from the many tax tokens with which Mr. Benson decorated the structure. They are embedded in the concrete floor as well as the central concrete table. He also embedded old bottles, colorful tile, horseshoes, bricks, and other artistic pieces to give the Shelter an eclectic and cheerful style all its own. Elsewhere in the Shelter, two sections of concrete bear the initials of Mr. Benson, along with the names of his family members. You can easily imagine them enjoying this special place, and laughing as they made their marks in the wet concrete on an August day over 3/4 of a century ago. Past the Studio and the Token Shelter, the land slopes down a gentle hill. In the middle is a path, paved with steps. Through an original wrought iron fence you enter a central causeway which separates 2 ponds, which are sometime inhabited by beavers. In the middle of the causeway a pair of concrete benches provides a great place to stop and enjoy the scenery. At the causeway’s far end you come to Bayou Lacombe itself. There, beneath the overhanging trees, lies yet another bench, perfectly placed to offer the very best view of the water. Tall cypresses line the banks, and wildlife is abundant. Directly across the bayou is nothing but unspoiled wilderness, which will remain that way since it’s part of the Big Branch National Wildlife Refuge! See link for full description. http://goo.gl/0YQPYt For more information text "Agent509475" to 27126.
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