Lake Charles Landmark Buildings That No Longer Exist

Southwest Louisiana is loaded with history. Visiting Lake Charles and the social media sites like Calcasieu Historical Preservation Society and Facebook pages such as Lake Charles Historic Neighborhoods are great resources to learn all about. Especially for checking out old Lake Charles photos!

Special thanks to everyone who shares content and pictures from Lake Charles's past. It is so cool to see what the city looked like then and now. Plus, learn about the buildings, schools, stores, and beautiful homes that no longer exist.

A big shout-out to local historian and author Adley Cormier. He knows everything about Lake Charles, especially its past! He even wrote a book, "Lost Lake Charles," which I bought, with tons of old photos and interesting facts about the city's historical sites. Cormier was also featured on KPLC to discuss his book, and the Lost Landmarks of Lake Charles.

After watching this video, I went on Facebook and found the photos, the stories he talked about, plus a few more. Below are some of the cool Lake Charles images I found. Take a look and see if any bring back some memories. Enjoy!

BONANZA STEAKHOUSE

Who can forget the rolls at Bonanza Steak House? Good Lord! I wish they were still open, and I'm sure I am not the only one. It was at the corner of Prien Lake Rd and Lake, where Wendy’s is now. They had some good food like the Teriyaki or extra large chicken fried steaks, to their special seasoning. I know a lot of people that used to work there too.

LAGRANGE SCHOOL

The original LaGrange School was built on 1 acre of land donated by Mesard LaGrange in 1903. It was located near the Coyote Blues Restaurant on Ryan Street. Mr. LaGrange donated an acre for a one-room schoolhouse. Ten years later, he donated nine more acres to build a newer, bigger school. A decade later, he donated nine more acres to expand the school.

A new LaGrange campus opened in 1929 and served children of all grades in Calcasieu Parish until around 1954. After that, LaGrange High School was built where it is today on Louisiana Ave., and the old campus on Ryan St. served as a Junior High School until it fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1983.

THE MAJESTIC HOTEL

The Majestic Hotel in 1906, on the corner of Pujo and Bilbo Street. It was one of the few buildings in Lake Charles to survive the 1910 fire. How? It had its own water system. Big Hollywood stars to American presidents stayed at the hotel. Guests included President John and Jackie Kennedy, President Dwight, and Mrs. Eisenhower, Houdini, and more. The elite hotel was central to everything. Socialites to political candidates rubbed elbows at the once popular Southwest Louisiana hotel.

Only some of the old hotel remains today. Past hurricanes destroyed some of the upper floors, and a portion of the building was demolished and is now used for a parking lot space.

BALL'S AUDITORIUM

Ball's Auditorium is a landmark building built by local pioneer, restaurant owner, and local businessman Reginald McWilliams Ball, Sr. The auditorium was situated one block from its Historical Marker on St. John Street. in North Lake Charles. It was a treasure to the Black and a place to socialize. A was a place for African-Americans in the community to see live entertainment in a segregated South back then.

The artists performing at Ball's were considered at the time to be on the "Chitlin Circuit." Yet these were some of the world's greatest entertainers from 1945 to 1995 Otis Redding, Ruth Brown, Fats Domino, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, and James Brown. In the 50s, the iconic building was used as a trade school to help African- American soldiers returning from World War II find work through training.

PLEASURE PIER

Pleasure Pier was erected at the same site as the former Barbe Pier, which the Barbe family built for public recreation. It operated as a fishing pier, beach, and casino until it was destroyed in the 1918 storm.  Pleasure Pier was built shortly after and used for many of the same things, but the decking was extended to allow for theatrical performances and a dance pavilion, skating, bathhouse, and more.

GOLD BAND STUDIO

Eddie Shuler opened Gold Band Records in 1945 to record songs with his band.  The studio was relocated to the corner of Ryan and Church Streets. It was one of the Lake Area’s most significant places for music in Louisiana, as it is widely regarded as being the place where Swamp Pop was born.

Dolly Parton was said to have recorded her debut album at the studio along with other music sessions by Freddie Fender and Mickey Gilley. By 2017, the iconic building hadn't been used for years and was ultimately torn down.