The Kate Chopin House

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

This historic house in Cloutierville was home to American novelist and short story writer Kate Chopin from 1880 until 1883. Cloutierville served as inspiration for many of her works including, The Awakening and Bayou Folk. Following a rising interest in preserving historic homes following the nation's bicentennial, the home served as the site of the Bayou Folk Museum which included exhibits about Chopin's life and influence. The home was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1993, but this designation was later removed after a 2008 by an electrical fire caused such extensive damage that the home was lost. Although some of the important artifacts in the home were saved, the fire led to the building's removal from the National Register of Historic Places.

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Kate Chopin House

Front view of the house shortly after the fire

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

Prior to the post-1950s celebration of Kate Chopin's writing, this home was known as the Alexis Cloutier House. It is believed that Alexis Cloutier had the home built in the early 1800s, a time when he owned a large portion of the land that is known today as Cloutiervillle. The house is an example of Louisiana Raised Cottage Style and was constructed by enslaved laborers.

Kate Chopin and her husband Oscar moved to Cloutierville in 1880 after living in St. Louis and New Orleans. Following her husband’s death in 1882, Chopin returned to St. Louis, where she began to write most of her work. Her time in Cloutierville inspired many of the short stories in her short story collection Bayou Folk, as well as her two novels, At Fault and The Awakening. Chopin’s early work was well-received for capturing the history and culture of the Cane River Area. Despite her initial success, the publication of The Awakening in 1899 led to her career diminishing. It wasn’t until the 1950s, well after Chopin’s death, that The Awakening was acknowledged as an important text for the woman’s movement. Today, The Awakening is frequently included in college-level curriculums.

The Kate Chopin House later became known as the Bayou Folk Museum and provided visitors with many important artifacts of the early Cloutierville. However, in October 2008, an electrical fire ravaged the historic home. Some of the artifacts were saved, including the original book Bayou Folk and bricks made by enslaved persons at nearby plantations.

Sources

Kate Chopin House (Alexis Cloutier House), National Park Service. Accessed November 11th 2020. https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/caneriver/cho.htm.

Kate Chopin House, NPS Gallery. Accessed November 11th 2020. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NHLS/93001601_text.

Reid-Jhirad, Anna. Kate Chopin A Re-Awakening, PBS. Accessed November 11th 2020. https://www.pbs.org/katechopin/program.html.

Fire Destroys Kate Chopin House In Natchitoches Parish, KTBS3. October 1st 2020. Accessed November 11th 2020. https://www.ktbs.com/news/fire-destroys-kate-chopin-house-in-natchitoches-parish/article_02364c04-9df3-50ef-8528-70a475297edf.html.

Kate Chopin House, July 18th 2019. Accessed November 11th 2020. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalhistoriclandmarks/kate-chopin-house.htm.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/caneriver/cho.htm

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalhistoriclandmarks/kate-chopin-house.htm