Throughout Louisiana, communities and local citizens are collaborating to help save historic sites which represent our state’s diverse cultural heritage. By developing unique partnerships, the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation (LTHP) provides educational opportunities, advocacy programs, and development tools to increase efforts to save the places that are important to generations of Louisianans.
Each year, LTHP hosts two separate, one-day tours of historic buildings, varying between the north and south parts of the state. The 2024 Fall Ramble will be held on Saturday, October 12 in Ruston and Lincoln Parish. The tour begins with a check-in at 9:30 and welcome at 10, at the First Presbyterian Church, 212 N Bonner Street.
These Ramble tours allow participants to discover and learn about historic communities by providing access to sites that may not usually be open to the public. Attendance at LTHP Rambles continues to grow and attract people from all parts of the region. These and other developing programs are building a network of preservationists and community activists to help restore small towns and big cities across the state.
This year’s Ramble will showcase a century of Lincoln Parish history. Participants will explore the historic buildings of downtown Ruston, enjoy a lunch at Heard’s Freighthouse Food Park, go back in history at the Lincoln Parish Museum, and visit the 1941 Ritchie-Graham House, recently converted into an event space. In the afternoon, sites will include the 1842 Autrey Log Dogtrot and the 1942 Camp Ruston Prisoner of War buildings.
Registration is $50/person, includes lunch and is open until Friday, October 11th. A booklet with photos and history of the sites as well as maps and directions will be provided at check-in. Discounts are available for teachers, students and LTHP members. For information about the sites and to register, visit LTHP.org.
