Kidd Davis Home

On December 8, 1975, one of the oldest and most attractive houses in Ruston was donated to the Lincoln Parish Museum and Historical Society. The stately building has been a Ruston showplace from the earliest years of the town. The donors, Mrs Mary Olive Davis Green and Mrs Charlotte Davis Parrott wanted to share with their hometown the mansion that was identified with their family for over a half a century.

The history of the Kidd-Davis house dates back to 1885, one year after the founding of Ruston. In that year, Leroy Madison Kidd, a merchant from the neighboring town of Vernon in Jackson Parish, moved his business to the recently established railroad town of Ruston. He bought a 300-foot square block from Robert E. Russ, city founder and namesake of Ruston. Kidd then sold the property to Charles H. Harris, who started construction of a house in 1886. Either during construction or soon after, Harris sold the property and new house to Captain Milton B. Kidd, brother and business partner of the original owner of the lot.

The Kidd family occupaied the house from 1886 until 1921. As the family grew, more rooms were added to the original structure, creating the rather unusual pattern of room locations. The house was the first residence in Ruston to have indoor plumbing. The large backyard contained a garden, several outbuildings and a grass tennis court, reputed to have been the first in town.

In 1921 Captain E. L. Kidd sold the house to the Robert Wesley Davis family. Mr Davis, along with his older brothers James, John and Virgil, founded the Davis Brother Lumber Comapny, one of the largest such enterprises in north Louisiana. R. W. Davis was married to the former Charlotte Arabella Long of Winnfield, sister of two of Louisiana's most famous govenjors, Huey and Earl Long. Both political leaders visited the house on several occasions.

Over the years many additions and changes have been made by the occuapants. The last major remolding was done by the Davis Family in 1938. Under the direction of architect William King Stubbs, the square columns were replace and the Chippendale top railings were added. Part of the spacious front porch was enclosed, thereby enlarging the front rooms. At its final addition, the house contained some 9,900 square feet under a roof that contained eight gables.

The Kidd-Davis house has provided gracious living to several generations of Ruston families, from the beginnings of the city to the present. It is fitting that the house now serves the public. In 1984 the property was entered in the National Register of Historic Places under the name "Kidd-Davis House." It is open to the public.

Tuesday - Friday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday (By appointment)
609 North Vienna Street
Ruston, LA 71270
Telephone: (318) 251-0018

This page was transcriped from a pamphlet given to Lincoln Parish museum visitors. One of the Museum curators was kind enough to mail me the pamphlet. She also said the home was filled with turn of the century furniture.

 

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