ON THE BOOKS: Sans Souci

The historic Sans Souci building is perhaps the oldest commercial building in downtown Lafayette, dating back to somewhere between 1840-1880. Designated as a contributing building within the Lafayette Central Business District on the National Register of Historic Places, the building holds a special place in the community. Built by early business leader Richard Chargois, the building at 219 East Vermilion first welcomed guests to town as the Lafayette Inn and later served as Lafayette’s first post office. Over the years it was used for several different purposes, including a restaurant, a carpenter’s store, a grocery market, a tinsmith shop, a cobbler, and a newspaper.

In 1940 the property was sold to Mrs. Frederick Nehrbass, who saved it from demolition and rehabilitated the building into an antiques store. Shortly after, Mrs. Nehrbass and Ms. Edith Garland Dupre opened the Sans Souci Bookstore, which operated for several decades. As downtown suffered from disinvestment and lack of activity in later years, the bookstore eventually suffered deterioration. In 2001, it was rehabilitated again to be used as an art gallery for Lafayette’s local crafts guild. The building was home to the Sans Souci Fine Crafts Gallerie from 2001-2023.

The Crafts Gallerie moved out in early 2023 so that the building could once again be rehabilitated. Over the years, structural repairs and maintenance have been done, but additional repairs and maintenance are necessary before a new business tenant moves in. The new tenants for the historic space will be determined by One Acadiana’s Small Business Challenge.

Parish Architecture is currently working with the Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority (LPTFA) to assess and rehabilitate the 1,200 sq ft structure. The scope of the project also includes the addition of a deck with outdoor seating, with the intent of creating a stronger connection between the historic building and the parc surrounding it.

With historic projects, it is important that the integrity of the building is maintained, and any additions are minimal and unobstructive. With the Sans Souci building, we are striving to be as minimal as possible with the deck addition, while still creating an inviting place for the community to gather, especially when events and festivals are happening in Parc Sans Souci. Our firm is excited to be working on this project and preserving the history of our downtown area.

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