About this property
St. Paul's Bottoms was a section of Shreveport, Louisiana established by African Americans. It had hotels for blacks in what was a segregated city as well as offices and saloons. Known as a redlight district there was prostitution in the area. The Castle Hotel on Sprague Street was part of the district. The area was renamed Ledbetter Heights in honor of blues singer Huddie Ledbetter. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1999 the historic districts boundary was expanded. St. Paul's Bottoms was established in a low lying area west of downtown Shreveport. Contributing properties include the Antioch Baptist Church built in 1901 and the Calanthean Temple built in 1923 by an Order of Calanthe women's group. Most of the district is residential. The Calanthean Temple was designed by Shreveport based architect Edward F. Neild. The building's rooftop garden hosted concerts including by renowned African American musicians. The rest of the building included offices of black physicians, lawyers, and other professionals as well as the Freeman & Harris Café that operated for more than 70 years and had a renowned stuffed shrimp dish. Cora Murdock Allen was a member. The Castle Hotel opened in the 1920s under Cora Snowden's leadership. It was originally built as her home. It hosted Martin Luther King Jr. In the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s a series of fires and crimes including robberies hit it hard. It was eventually demolished. The Sprague Street Hotel was also in the area. Residents lived in "shotgun" houses. Many of the buildings in the area have been torn down.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about St. Paul's Bottoms (Boundary Increase)
This page lists St. Paul's Bottoms (Boundary Increase). A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was St. Paul's Bottoms (Boundary Increase) listed on the National Register?
St. Paul's Bottoms (Boundary Increase) was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 8, 1999.
What type of historic resource is St. Paul's Bottoms (Boundary Increase)?
St. Paul's Bottoms (Boundary Increase) is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for St. Paul's Bottoms (Boundary Increase)?
The period of significance for St. Paul's Bottoms (Boundary Increase) is recorded as the listed era.
Can I research the history near St. Paul's Bottoms (Boundary Increase)?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near St. Paul's Bottoms (Boundary Increase) will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Caddo County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Caddo County.
Explore CaddoCounty ›More historic places in Louisiana
Browse all historic places in Louisiana.
View Louisianahistoric sites ›Louisiana history
Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.
Louisianahistory ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near St. Paul's Bottoms (Boundary Increase) will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.