Discover the History of Grand Isle

1. Chighizola House

112 Medical Lane

Built in 1880 by Albano Chighizola, this classic Creole raised cottage remains in the family and is still owned by his granddaughter, Ethel Chighizola. Like several of the island’s oldest surviving structures, it dates from the 1880s and 1890s—the height of Grand Isle’s Gilded Age. The Chighizola House withstood the devastating 1893 hurricane that destroyed Cheniere Caminada and the grand hotels on the island’s east and west ends.

2. DeMolle House

105 Adam Lane

Dating back to the 1880s, this classic Creole cottage was relocated from Grand Isle’s east end and is now owned by the Talbot family. The DeMolle House is part of a small group of the island’s oldest surviving buildings constructed during the Gilded Age, including the Chighizola, Adam, Hirvin-Barthelmy, and Lee–Andy Valence houses. Like these, it withstood the devastating 1893 hurricane that destroyed Cheniere Caminada and the grand hotels that once stood on the island’s east and west ends.

3. Oleander Hotel

166–176 Ludwig Lane

Built in 1929, the hotel represents Grand Isle’s transformation from hurricane recovery to a thriving tourist destination through the mid-20th century.

Commissioned by community leader John Ludwig, the Oleander embodies the island’s spirit of resilience and innovation. Architecturally, it’s a rare surviving example of Louisiana Coastal Vernacular style, featuring design elements suited to coastal living—raised concrete piers, steep roofs, ample windows, and an ocean-facing façade for ventilation and sea breezes.

Despite the loss of some original features from storm damage, the Oleander Hotel remains the only surviving historic hotel on Grand Isle and continues to reflect the architectural and cultural evolution of Louisiana’s Gulf Coast communities. 

An effort is currently underway to purchase and save this historic property.

4. Grand Isle Town Hall

170 Ludwig Lane

(Former U.S. Coast Guard Station)

Construction began in 1918 and was completed the following year. Commissioned in 1919 as Barataria Bay Station No. 214, it became part of the newly formed United States Coast Guard, established in 1915 through the merger of the U.S. Life-Saving Service and the Revenue Cutter Service.

Designed by Life-Saving Service architect Victor Mendleheff, the station reflected the “Gulf-Type” architectural style—elevated on concrete piers, surrounded by wide porches, and featuring a hip-gable roof with dormer windows and a watchtower. Built to withstand hurricanes and flooding, it combined Bungalow-style design with practical coastal engineering.

In 1919, a wireless telegraph system was added, improving communication and storm warnings for the island. The station served as a critical base for rescue operations and maritime safety along the Gulf Coast for over fifty years.

By 1968, a new Coast Guard Group Grand Isle was established on the east end of the island, consolidating local units and expanding operations. The original 1919 station remained active until 1972, after which it was repurposed as the Grand Isle Town Hall.

Today, the building stands as a testament to the island’s maritime heritage and resilient coastal architecture. 

5. Old Our Lady of the Isle Catholic Church

Corner of Church & Ludwig Lanes

Our Lady of the Isle Parish serves the Town of Grand Isle and nearby Cheniere Caminada. The first church, built in Cheniere Caminada in 1881, was destroyed by the devastating hurricane of October 3, 1893, which claimed hundreds of lives.

A second church was dedicated in 1918 by Archbishop Shaw, this time at the center of Grand Isle. It became the heart of the island’s religious and social life—hosting dances, receptions, and community events before the construction of the Grand Isle Community Center.

The parish was formally established in 1933 with Rev. J.N. Roy as its first resident pastor. The current church, completed in 1961, was built to serve both residents and the many visitors who worship on the island each weekend.

6. Legend of the Bell

195 Ludwig Lane

First cast in 1881 with gold and silver donated by parishioners, this historic bell has a story as enduring as the island itself. It was first used in the original church at Cheniere Caminada until the devastating hurricane of October 3, 1893, which destroyed the church and claimed hundreds of lives. Through that tragic night, the bell was heard tolling—and by morning, it had vanished.

Believed lost forever, the bell was rediscovered in 1918 inside a tomb at the Westwego Cemetery. Around that same time, a new church was being built near the center of Grand Isle, and the bell was returned and placed in the new Our Lady of the Isle Church. It remained in use until 1961, when the current church was completed and the old belfry became unsafe.

After years in storage, the cherished bell was mounted once again in 1977, where it continues to hang today—a powerful symbol of faith, resilience, and remembrance for the Grand Isle community.

7. Old Ludwig Store and Hotel

212 Medical Lane

Built in 1857, the Ludwig Store is one of Grand Isle’s oldest surviving buildings. Over its long history, it has served as a general store, post office, and even a small hotel. Beginning in 1879, mail was delivered to the island by boat and distributed to residents from this very building. Known in its early days for terrapin pens in the surrounding marsh, the store later operated as a local grocery well into the 1980s—a lasting landmark of Grand Isle’s commercial and community life.

8. Crosby Home

238 Medical Lane

Originally built around 1840, the Crosby Home is one of Grand Isle’s few surviving mid-nineteenth-century structures. The house was carefully dismantled and relocated to the center of the island in 1880, with each board numbered and reassembled using wooden pegs. The brick walkway leading to the home was salvaged from another historic island residence. Standing beside one of Grand Isle’s oldest surviving businesses, the Crosby Home remains a remarkable example of early craftsmanship and preservation.

9. St. Aubin-Rigaud House

End of Coulon Rigaud Lane

Built in 1798, the St. Aubin-Rigaud House is the oldest surviving structure on Grand Isle, located near the island’s center. A New Orleans Republican article once described the “ancienne maison Rigaud,” noting high-water marks from floods in 1812, 1831, and 1869 still recorded on its walls. Though later additions have expanded and altered the home, the original section surrounding the chimney endures — a rare link to the island’s earliest days of settlement.

10. Adam-Minnich House

195 Coulon Rigaud Lane

Originally constructed at the height of the Gilded Age, the Adam–Minnich House has stood strong for more than 130 years. Built in 1890, it is one of the few structures that survived the devastating 1893 hurricane which destroyed Cheniere Caminada and the large seaside hotels that once lined Grand Isle’s shores. This elegant home, now owned by the Johnson Family, reflects the craftsmanship and endurance of the island’s early settlers.

11. Robbin House

176 Coulon Rigaud Lane

The Robbin House has one of the island’s most remarkable stories. Originally two separate homes, the property was united after the 1915 hurricane. Following the 1893 storm, two homes were built — Calais’ Sanctuary and what became the Robbin House. Theresa Rigaud’s home, a classic Creole two-room structure, stood near her son Benio’s 1894 house. When the 1915 hurricane struck, Benio’s home floated down the lane and came to rest beside his mother’s house. The two were joined together and raised on salvaged wood stumps — remaining a single home for over a century.

12. Calais’ Sanctuary

218 Nacarri Lane

Constructed soon after the 1893 hurricane, Calais’ Sanctuary embodies Grand Isle’s spirit of renewal. Built in 1894 and lovingly restored by the Calais family in the 1990s, the home now serves as a peaceful bird sanctuary — a fitting tribute to the island’s natural beauty and resilience.

13. Poche House

102 ½ Community Lane

The Poche House is one of Grand Isle’s oldest surviving structures. After the 1893 Cheniere Caminada hurricane destroyed the island’s Catholic church, the Poche House became a temporary place of worship and housing for clergy for more than twenty-five years. Built in 1875, it remains a cherished piece of Grand Isle’s religious and community history.

14. Caillot’s Villa

130 Community Lane

Caillot’s Villa was built around 1890 by the Nacarri Brothers for the Verdon family. The Caillot family purchased the home in 1915 and continue to preserve it today. Alongside homes like the Adam–Minnich House, Chighizola House, and Lee-Andy Valence Home, it represents the architectural charm of 19th-century Grand Isle that endured the island’s fiercest storms.

15. Adam Home

142B Community Lane

The Adam Home, now owned by Paula Heap, was built in the 1860s by the Nacarri Brothers for the Adam family. Kirby Adam, son of Gustave Adam, called this home his own. Like many historic Grand Isle homes, it survived the catastrophic 1893 hurricane and remains a proud emblem of the island’s enduring past.

16. The Chateau

Down Post Lane

Dating back to 1858, this home has belonged to the Thomas family of Rayne, LA since the 1920s.

17. Hirvin Barthelemy House

104 Wolfpack Lane, off Post Lane

Built in the 1880s for the Rigaud family, the home was later purchased by the Barthelemy family in the 1980s. Hirvin was the son of the original Barthelemy who moved to Grand Isle.  Mr. Hirvin  Barthelemy’s dad was originally from Pointe a la Hache, Plaquemine’s Parish, LA and came to Grand Isle as a newlywed in the early 1900’s to work as an oysterman, a carpenter, and field worker growing and harvesting cucumbers.  The House was sold to Dean and April Desroches in the mid-2000’s.

18. Thayer-Landry House

End of 198 Cemetery Lane

Built in the 1870s by Alcide and Hortence Coulon Landry, this raised Creole-style home was moved from Jean Lafitte to Grand Isle and reconstructed on its present site using scrap lumber. The Thayer–Landry House features architectural elements reminiscent of larger plantation homes, including a full-story elevation above grade and a deep front gallery. Now owned by Karl and Sherrie Thayer, the home is one of the few surviving examples of its era. 

19. Lee-Andy Valence House

205 Cemetery Lane

Constructed in 1888 for the Lee family and later home to Mayor Andy Valence, this house is part of the oldest remaining group of structures on Grand Isle, dating back to the island’s Gilded Age. Remarkably, it survived the devastating 1893 hurricane that destroyed nearby Cheniere Caminada and the grand hotels that once stood on the east and west ends of the island. It is currently being restored.

20. Grand Isle Cemetery

100 Landry Lane

Established in the 1870s, the cemetery holds whitewashed tombs of early French and Spanish settlers and descendants of Lafitte’s men.

21. Humble Oil Camp Historic District

101–143 Marlin Lane

Located near the east end of Grand Isle, the Humble Oil Camp Historic District features a rare collection of mid-20th-century oil worker housing that reflects the island’s industrial heritage. The 18 remaining buildings on Marlin Lane are part of a once larger planned neighborhood built in the 1960s by the Humble Oil Company (later Exxon). Elevated on pilings to withstand flooding, these two-story bungalow-style homes—with their distinctive front gables, porches, and uniform design—represent a unique adaptation of coastal architecture to the island environment. The district’s preservation captures an important era in Grand Isle’s history when offshore oil exploration helped shape the island’s economy and community life.

Addresses: 101–143 Marlin Lane, Grand Isle, Louisiana