A three-year effort to restore a historic landmark on Grand Isle is now coming to fruition after a local nonprofit purchased the nearly century-old Oleander Hotel last week.
Restore Grand Isle, a nonprofit run by local residents, purchased the derelict hotel from the Augustin family for $362,000 last week after raising more than $400,000 for its acquisition and preservation, in partnership with the town of Grand Isle.
While the Oleander will likely never house hotel guests again, the goal is to transform the site into a visitor and cultural center featuring a permanent exhibit for photographer Fonville Winans, famous for his black-and-white images of south Louisiana. It will also include rotating works from Louisiana artists, a visitor center, museum space and community gathering areas.
“Today would not have been possible without the generosity and support of so many people who believe in preserving the history and spirit of Grand Isle,” Restore Grand Isle President Ronnie Sampey said in a news release.
Hotel history
The Oleander Hotel, commissioned by Grand Isle resident John Ludwig, opened in 1929 with 30 rooms and a large porch overlooking the Gulf of Mexico’s waters. It was billed at the time by the New Orleans Item as “the most desirable stopping place for people desirous of the best,” with prices of about $3 per day to rent a room in the 1930s and ’40s.
During its heyday, the Oleander attracted some of the most powerful people in Louisiana, like Gov. Huey P. Long, while providing locals with a snazzy eatery between fishing trips.
It’s rumored that the hotel played a pivotal role in the state’s highway system as well. Joseph Augustin, a former co-owner of the hotel, once told a researching graduate student that Long had told Ludwig he’d build the town a road if they built a hotel, according to the Preservation Resource Center.
Four years after the Oleander opened its doors, State Route No. 78 opened to drivers, marking the first and only entryway by car in and out of the town. Before that road, Grand Isle was only accessible by ferry.
The Oleander is the only survivor out of 17 hotels and resorts that once dotted the island, which has been hit repeatedly by the most severe storms in Louisiana history.
It’s unknown exactly when the hotel shut down, but best guesses are that it was sometime in the mid-1990s. Now the building’s yellow paint has faded and chipped, its windows broken and boarded up, and its insides covered in debris and decay.
But while much of the building appears to be in disrepair, engineering reports have indicated the structure of the building is still intact, as well as some original fixtures like toilets and bathtubs.
“The Oleander Hotel serves as a unique and preserved snapshot of its time, specific to Louisiana Gulf Coast architecture. It illustrates both the challenges posed by natural forces and the community’s adaptive responses, highlighting the evolution of coastal vernacular practices on Grand Isle,” the nomination packet read.
It has since received about $405,000 from various donors, a quarter of which came from one anonymous donor. Another $57,000 came from Jefferson Parish Council Member for District 1 Timothy Kerner Jr.’s office; $50,000 each from the Karen B. Yoh Foundation and Gary Chouest; and $25,000 each from Todd Graves and the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation.
About $68,000 came from smaller individual contributions, including through fundraising events like crawfish boils.
Restore Grand Isle estimates it will cost an estimated $2 million to complete the work at the Oleander, according to the Preservation Resource Center. State officials have previously said they’ll raise funds at the Legislature to assist the project once the building is acquired.
“Places like the Oleander Hotel play an important role in the history of our town,” said Grand Isle Mayor David Camardelle. “This project helps ensure the Oleander continues to be part of our future as well. Restoring this historic property will create a place where residents and visitors can celebrate the culture, history and resilience of Grand Isle for generations to come.”
Restore Grand Isle also partakes in other community preservation and conservation efforts like tree plantings, iris flower plantings and cleanup days.