Shreveport - Bossier, Louisiana's Other Side

Founded in 1866. Oldest African-American Baptist congregation in Shreveport. Present building completed in 1903. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1839, Shreveport was an unruly river community. Commerce radiated from the riverfront of what is now downtown. The first Episcopal congregation gathered in an unfinished store on the riverfront, and The Rt. Rev. Leonidas Polk, Bishop of Arkansas, Indian Territory, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, celebrated the Eucharist, even as he was threatened by rowdy dock workers who wanted no organized religion invading their town. In the coming years, the parish of St. Mark’s was formed and chartered, with its first place of worship built at the corner of Market and Fannin Streets. The Civil War left the little building in poor repair, and in 1905 the parish of St. Mark’s moved to their new building at the junction of Cotton Street and Texas Avenue. The people of St. Mark’s worshiped in this building almost 50 years before moving to their present location on Fairfield Avenue in 1954.

Believing the Church should continue to have a presence and ministry in the “inner city,” 126 people of St. Mark’s bought the building on Cotton Street and formed The Church of the Holy Cross in 1954.

As the downtown area continued to decline in population and commerce, the Episcopal Church has responded to a call to minister to those people who have made their homes in the neighborhood: homeless people and indigent people with HIV-AIDS. Today our primary ministry is to our homeless neighbors, serving them in Holy Cross’ day shelter, Hope House. Holy Cross is designated a Jubilee Ministry of The Episcopal Church.

We continue to partner with others in our community to serve the poorest of the poor in our community of Shreveport and Bossier City.

Home dates back to 1916. Many of the original furniture and lighting pieces, working oil lamps, working transoms, push button lights, and pocket doors. By appointment only.

See how people at the turn of the century lived. Tour the old Hughes House, school house, log cabin and much more. Tours are by appointment only. 

1914 landmark. Last surviving Waddell vertical-lift bridge in Louisiana. Listed on National Register of Historic Places.

Oldest church in Shreveport. Romanesque revival design with main altar of Italian marble gives feeling of European cathedrals. More than 60 stained glass windows. National Register of Historic Places.

Huddie Ledbetter, better known to the music world as “Lead Belly” was born January 20, 1889, in Mooringsport, La. just outside of Shreveport. He first tried his hand at playing music when he was only two years old. In addition to guitar, he learned to play the accordion, mandolin and piano. After the 8th grade, he quit school and, by the time he was 14 years old, he was a popular musician and singer in the weekend “sukey jumps” and “juke joints.” He later became known as the king of the twelve-string guitar and with “Stella,” as he affectionately called his guitar, he traveled the southwest playing his guitar and working as a laborer when he had to.

Lead Belly enjoyed national recognition as a blues and folk musician and singer. He felt his music and talent were gifts from God. His songs could not be put into one category. He wrote children’s songs, field songs, ballads, square dance songs, prison songs, folk songs, and blues.

He died on December 6, 1949, and never got to fully enjoy the fruits of his music. His song catalog consisted of well over 500 songs. The most famous were Good Night, Irene, Midnight Special, Cotton Fields, Boll Weevil, Kisses Sweeter than Wine, and Rock Island Line, among others.

After Lead Belly’s death, the Weavers, a folk quartet sent “Good Night, Irene” to #1 on the charts, which became the most famous song in his repertoire. That song sold a million copies and was recorded also six months later by Pete Seeger. His music still has a great influence on some of the greatest artists both black and white. Artists like The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, and Little Richard, have all expressed their admiration for Lead Belly’s music.

The statue, dedicated in 1993, is the work of Jesse Pitts, a Shreveport native who attended Shreveport's B. T. Washington High School. It depicts Lead Belly pointing to Ledbetter Heights, an area of Shreveport formerly known as St. Paul Bottoms, which was renamed in his honor.

For directions to Lead Belly's grave, visit www.deltablues.net/lead.html

The Logan Mansion, a magnificent 1897 Queen Anne Victorian home, offers a narrated tour complete with ghost stories. $10 per person. Tours by appointment only. Special holiday tours on Halloween and Christmas.

The venue is well-known for its superior acoustics. It features seating for more than 3,000, a 6,300-square-foot arena, 54-foot proscenium arch, catering/concession areas, and box office services.

Oakland Cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The earliest tombstone dates back to 1842. At least 16 Shreveport mayors and 1,000 Confederate soldiers are buried there.