ELLIS DELA HOUSSAYE
. . . 
705 East Third Street
The diverse blend of southern charm and a rich New Orleans flare can be observed in the orchestrated style of the Delahoussaye home, located at 705 E. Third Street. This two-story framed, Queen Anne home was built by a mid-western settler named Herbert Ellis in 1901, and is one of only thirteen homes in Crowley to have a basement.
Its current owners, Dr. and Mrs. B.C. Delahoussaye purchased the home in 1970 from the widow of its fourth owner, Mr. James M. Trotter. Shortly after purchasing the property, the Delahoussayes discovered several forgotten fireplaces hidden within the structure of this solid cypress and long leaf pine home. The long term evidence of a shifting foundation led the Delahoussayes to hire contractors to go beneath the home and remove housing jacks that once supported the abandoned fireplaces, and replace them with bell foundations.
Thirty years prior to the Delahoussayes purchase of the home, the Trotters had modernized the residence in preparation for generations of economical growth and development. A fully equipped GE kitchen was installed by New York designers; Lord and Taylor. Designer drapes, carpeting, recessed track lighting and a concealed bar in the residential library were also installed by the well recognized designers.
This home was the first to have a residential air-conditioning unit installed in the city of Crowley. The kitchen ceiling was then lowered to accommodate the duct work needed for this new luxury. The mechanical force of cool air brought sweet relief to the Trotter family during the humid summers of the south.
Today, the upgraded heating and cooling unit is mounted beneath the basement ceiling to avoid flood waters that rise occasionally from elevated geographical water tables, while sump pumps prevent water levels from reaching the unit during storms.
The home is adorned with customized hand blown glass; each window within the home measures uniquely in length and width. Diffused lead glass window panes purchased in earlier years by the Trotters elegantly frame the double door front entrance. Shortly after purchasing the property, the Delahoussayes discovered two additional panes stored beneath the homes structure on suspended racks and used them to design French style patio doors in latter years.
This Queen Anne historic beauty with its decorative ceiling molding, arched doorways, folding glass doors, double hard wood floors, and 14 foot ceilings provided a well-insolated, spacious floor plan for a growing family. Its wide front gallery provided a welcoming retreat for early morning coffee or late afternoon tea while watching the years unfold.
This grandeur display of southern charm is intimately bejeweled by an elegance of the rich New Orleans heritage of its occupants, while graced with the antique décor historical ancestry.