The Early History of Our Lodge Building

A Look Back: The Early History of Our Lodge Building
Houma Elks Lodge #1193

Every time we walk through the doors of our Lodge on Main Street, we’re stepping into a piece of Houma history. Our building has stood for more than a century, overlooking Bayou Terrebonne and carrying the stories of the people who built, bought, and preserved it. Here’s a glimpse into its early history.

A Glimpse at the 1884 Map

Long before the Elks arrived, the property appeared on the 1884 map of Houma, showing the lot’s position on Main Street, stretching back to Bayou Terrebonne. This map reminds us just how long this small but important piece of land has been part of our town’s commercial center.

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From the Suthon Family to Alcide C. Lasseigne

The story begins on January 27, 1906, when Alcide C. Lasseigne purchased the property from the prominent Suthon family of New Orleans. The lot, measuring thirty-seven feet across Main Street and stretching back to the bayou, was bought for $700 cash. Soon after, in May of that same year, Lasseigne placed a $6,000 mortgage on the property, using it as collateral for improvements. This is likely when the brick structure we know today as the “Lasseigne Building” began to take shape.

Carving Up the Property

Over the next few years, Lasseigne sold off small strips of land along the edges of the lot. In 1909, he sold a six–and–a–half–inch strip to his neighbor, Leon Heyman, splitting a wall between their properties. In 1911, he sold another six-foot section to Joseph Iacuzzo, again with specific agreements about shared walls. These transactions show how closely packed Main Street businesses were at the time and how important every inch of frontage was.

The Elks Move In

The Elks first entered the story on April 27, 1911, when Lasseigne leased the building to Houma Lodge #1193 for $50 per month. The Lodge had been chartered only a few years earlier, and this lease gave the members a central location in downtown Houma. For two years, the Elks rented the building before taking a bigger step.

Ownership Transfers to the Elks

By November 6, 1912, the Lodge officially took over the mortgage from Lasseigne. The records show that the Elks assumed the balance of $1,634.50, securing the property for themselves. Later deeds in 1912 confirmed the transfer of ownership, placing the Lodge permanently at its Main Street location.

A Lasting Home

What began as a piece of property bought by Alcide Lasseigne from the Suthon family in 1906 became the lasting home of Houma Elks Lodge #1193 just six years later. The walls of our Lodge have seen countless meetings, celebrations, and charitable efforts since then. They remind us that the Elks have been a part of the fabric of Houma for more than a century—rooted deeply in community, service, and fellowship.

As we gather today in this historic building, we continue to write the next chapters of its story together.