Venus House
National Register of Historic Places

Venus House

Opelousas, St. Landry County, Louisiana
Listed
April 21, 1991
Type
Building
Period
Pre Contact
Ref No.
91000419

About this property

The Venus House is a historic house located in Opelousas, Louisiana in the United States. The house is named after its former owner and occupant, Marie François Venus, a free Creole woman of color. It is one of the oldest houses of its kind in the Lower Mississippi Valley. Today, the house serves as the centerpiece of Le Vieux Village. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 22, 1991. Built circa 1791, the house is the former home of Marie François Venus, a free Creole woman of color. Originally located in the small community of Grand Prairie, the house features bousillage construction, a natural insulation once common in Cajun and Creole dwellings. Typically made by mixing mud with spanish moss or animal hair, it was held in place by wooden bars (barreaux) set between the posts, forming the walls. Originally built using mortise and tenon joinery, it showcases traditional construction techniques. National Register of Historic Places listings in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana

Location

Opelousas, St. Landry County, Louisiana
30.53143, -92.07490

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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.

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Everything a full report reveals about Venus House

This page lists Venus House. 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:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Wier House
Industrial
0.4 mi
Old Federal Building
Early Republic
0.5 mi
Opelousas Historic District
Listed
0.5 mi
Opelousas City Hall
Industrial
0.6 mi
Dubuisson, Edward Benjamin, House
Industrial
0.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Venus House listed on the National Register?

Venus House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 21, 1991.

What type of historic resource is Venus House?

Venus House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Venus House?

The period of significance for Venus House is recorded as the pre_contact era.

Can I research the history near Venus House?

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 Venus House will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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