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Our Beautiful Northshore
by Anna Ribbeck
“There’s a spot on this earth where the atmosphere’s pure,
A place of sheer peace God meant to endure.
People there are friendly, kind and good
And care for each other, as true neighbors should.
There’s the kiss of the sun and the birth of the moon
Nature’s pictures painted in the mossy lagoons.
The fresh scent of pine on a wind-tossed day
Sends a breath of delight to sailboats at play.
In the first blush of morning, nature glistens with dew
And the songs of the birds announce daylight anew.
Tall pines silhouetted against red, evening skies.
God’s glorious way of closing tired eyes!
The roadsides are russet, blue and gold
As wildflowers burst forth, their stories to unfold.
Our heritage abounds with French and Indian lore
Remember also the Spanish who landed on our sandy shore.
The North Shore, heaven’s blueprint of bayous, shore and land
Was truly placed, for all to see, by God’s Eternal Hand!”
For me, as a child in the city of New Orleans, the happiest days were those of summer when we packed the car and started the long journey to our home on the northshore. There was no causeway to carry us straight to the lakefront in Mandeville. Actually, there were very few paved roads; gravel and dirt were the norm. Once over beautiful Lake Pontchartrain, you began to inhale the pines. We realized we were nearing home when we filled our jugs with fresh spring water in Abita Springs! The summer camps and health resorts displayed newly painted signs. We knew our first mission in the morning would be to visit the curb markets in Covington. Upon arrival at the summer home, we would throw open the windows to let in all the wonderful fresh northshore air that we had been waiting to enjoy from the first moment we had left the southshore. Then, we would remove the sheets that had protected the furniture from the winter dust and mold. Granted, in those days, traffic would have been less dense and the homes that graced the dusty, gravelly streets would have been fewer and farther in between. Many of them remain today, including the one so dear to me in my childhood. Oh, the storms they have weathered and the stories they could tell!
Today, the northshore is no less interesting. The journey from the southshore is much quicker via one of the longest bridges in the entire world. In less than thirty minutes, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway delivers one to a place of beauty, peace and awe-inspiring scenery. One of the greatest gifts to a resident or prospective homeowner is the variety found in architecture and landscaping on the northshore. From the towering, glamorous mansions to the charming Creole cottages, the quality of design is always accented by design elements in the garden.
Tall, contemporary homes will be found adorned with tall shrubs and blooming trees such as tulip poplar, redbud, crepe myrtle or the dogwood. Other ornamentals might include the river birch or the lovely Italian cypress. These homes are really the newest additions. Some of the oldest may be the Acadian cottages. Many of these surviving beauties sprang up in the 1920s, when the northshore was seen as a health resort. The fresh pine-scented air and spring water were considered a tonic that insured wellness. Swimming was promoted in the rivers and especially in the shallow, sandy-bottomed Lake Pontchartrain. Summer homes popped up all along the lakeshore and close to the sandy beaches framing the many northshore rivers. Some of these early homes were small and cottage-like, but others were more similar to the plantation homes or provincials found across the lake.
A drive down some of the old streets near the lakefront in Mandeville will easily expose the modern-day tourist to many of these old styles. Marigny Avenue and West Beach Parkway are two areas with some of these early beautiful homes. These streets boast a neutral ground complete with its own landscaping and beautiful old trees. The homes lining the street will be either cottage style-Creole or Acadian. The Creole cottages will be simpler in outline, with a little less gingerbread than Victorians. The Acadian will always have a very steep roof and perhaps a wider front. The one thing they all share is a love of porches.
The front porch was a meeting place for the neighbors. In the days of no air conditioning, a place where chairs and breezes co-existed was a welcome place, indeed! Along with big comfortable rockers or swings, the front porch would have been alive with potted plants such as geraniums or begonias. Trellises abounded on the porches and in the yards. Many were adorned with fragrant climbing roses or vines such as wisteria. Camellias and azaleas would have graced the perimeter of the porch and the yard. Gardenias and the native northshore palmettos were also popular.
Closer to the lakefront, homes were placed on piers instead of flat ground. Today, more and more northshore homebuilders are doing this to keep the threat of water surge flooding to a minimum. The piers lift the living areas up and provide a place to park, store or play. Lattice and other open frameworks are used to conceal these areas. They provide a place to add greenery and plant life for a pleasing visual effect.
Some early northshore visitors were not content to lull away the summer near the idyllic waterways. These adventurous souls moved inland and purchased large tracts of land. There, they invested in some good horse stock and raised some very fine horses. These early ranch houses were reminiscent of Spanish or Mexican Capistranos. They were usually made out of stucco and sprawled across the estate. Of course, these homes were surrounded by tall native pines, stone or log fences and low-growing native greenery. The flat fields made excellent grazing land for the horses. Others realized the farming possibilities and used the land for cotton or strawberry fields. Some of the best strawberries are still farmed in this area. The farmhouses were usually gingerbread Victorians, but some of the smaller ones were shotguns—one hallway front to back. The big oaks made great shade for these homes and completed the picture of rural beauty. A drive through Abita, Folsom or Lacombe will take one back to this point in time. The true Louisiana-rustic-landscape lover can still find a real hand-built log cabin back in the woods here! And don’t forget another old surviving industry on the northshore—the logging business. Planting and replanting the tall pines insures us our fresh air, while providing timber for the frames of homes being built now.
Many thanks go out to the pioneers who preceded us and recognized the natural beauty and prosperity the northshore had (and has) to offer. If you are a visitor or even a permanent resident, you owe it to yourself to go out and take a tour today. Your camera is always your friend on a long Sunday drive. Landscaping is always easier to copy with a good photograph and a visit to a reputable nursery. When you make that stop to take a picture, whether it be of amazing scenery or that one perfect house, don’t forget to take a deep breath of the wonderful, pure pine air. The architecture can always be researched online or at the library.
Let the northshore come alive for you today! I can’t think of a better place to find a meeting of past, present and all the senses that you are blessed with. A porch, a rocking chair, a good breeze, the scent of gardenias at sunset, the lapping sound of water and the laugh of a good friend—nothing in life could be sweeter.
The northshore has them all!
Editor’s Note: The introductory poem was orignally written by Anna Ribbeck years ago for the West St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce’s magazine cover.
