A part of Lafayette’s history was discovered when an old house was torn down.
The Queen Anne Courts building was constructed around a home that dates back to the 1860s. The city tore down the long-vacant structure to make way for something new.
Economic Development Director Dennis Carson says crews found an old tunnel in the process.
“That went from the original house to what was a brewery next door. The owner of the house had a brewery - very interesting from a historic standpoint. It was made from stone, it had an arch. When they did the demolition, you could see the tunnel and how it was constructed.”
He says the lot at the corner of 4th and Alabama streets is being seeded now.
Carson hopes a future developer comes forward with a proposal that’s a mix of commercial and residential units.
“We have no commitments at this time, but now that the building is down, people can see the potential there.”
The demolition of the former Midwest Rentals property in downtown Lafayette is off to a slow start.
Carson says the work was scheduled to be underway, but there’s been a small delay.
“There was some environmental concern with some asbestos that needed to be removed. That’s being done now. As soon as that’s done, they’ll start on the demolition.”
He says part of the smaller building at the corner of 5th and Brown streets have come down. Specifically, there was a wall that dates back to the old Catholic church that once stood there.
Carson nearly three-pallets of the bricks have been saved. One of the partners on the project hopes to re-use those for a small memorial.
