Adventures in Preservation (aka, AiP!) is a charity that takes teams of volunteers around the world to help restore historic buildings and aid communities!

Every week a new adventure from around the world for you to enjoy. This week, we are in Shreveport, Louisiana in the Bottoms District, a historic zone that AiP and partners are working to restore to beauty and vitality, by refurbishing and saving a block of traditional shotgun houses about to be demolished.

-----

When Kelly and her fiancé stumbled across a row of boarded-up shotgun houses in Shreveport, LA, they were horrified to hear the block was scheduled for demolition just the next month. Forming the NORLA Preservation Project, they moved heaven and earth to stay the demo order and find a future for these unique buildings in a historic Louisiana district.

Researching the houses and their history uncovered a wealth of jazz heritage, and the revelation that The Bottoms, once even a red-light district, was a bustling, happening cultural centre in times gone by.

Shreveport, Louisiana is located in the northwest corner of the state, founded in the 1830s. There’s a rich history associated with the neighbourhood of these unassuming little houses. The neighbourhood emerged just on the outside edge of what we now consider downtown Shreveport, and began to be referred to as “The Bottoms.” In the early part of the 1900s, the area was identified as a red light district. In the 1980s there was a push to clean up the image of the Bottoms, and it was renamed Ledbetter Heights, in honour of Huddie “Leadbelly” Ledbetter, a legendary jazz and folk musician who had gotten his start playing in the area.

The houses in this district are called “Shotgun” homes. But what does that term actually mean, and where does it come from? Colloquially, the name comes from the design of the house and the layout of the rooms. The house is only one room wide, and the rooms are laid longways one after another, so that in theory, if you opened all the doors, you could fire a shotgun clear through the house from the front to the back and not hit any walls.

Doris Wilson, who grew up in The Bottoms, recalls the “rough but good” upbringing, and the strong spirit of community by which everyone looked out for each other. “It made you strong. It made you appreciate things.”

Kelly shares a shocking statistic about the vulnerability of the quickly vanishing heritage: Twenty years ago downtown Shreveport had around 500 shotgun houses. Now there are only three blocks and a few dozen left. This highlights clearly how fragile this “humble heritage” can be, and why efforts like the NORLA Preservation Project, and AiP’s role in it, is vital in preserving the character and beauty of these old pieces of Louisiana culture.

With an extraordinary plan to relocate and refurbish six of these gems, Kelly’s NORLA project is revitalising the area and the buildings by creating retail and recreation space, and restaurants, to draw business and enhance the area for locals, giving the houses a new life. Adventures in Preservation partners with NORLA Preservation Project by sending teams of jammer volunteers on a Louisiana adventure, to enjoy the sights and sounds of Shreveport and to play a role In restoring the awesome shotgun houses!

Find out about all the amazing places we're travelling to by visiting our WEBSITE: www.adventuresinpreservation.org

Treat yourself to the gorgeous photos of the places we've taken our volunteer teams on our INSTAGRAM: @AdventuresInPreservation and   / adventuresinpreservation  

Hang out with us live and join our active community on FACEBOOK:   / adventuresinpreservation  

Read about historic preservation and travel topics in our in-depth BLOG:   / adventures-in  

And keep in touch instantly with us on TWITTER: @handsonhistory and www.twitter.com/handsonhistory