Home Owner Responds To ‘Lake Martin House’ Post

Yesterday, I visited Lake Martin, and though I had been there several times, I had not noticed a beautiful structure set about 500 feet back from the road (between the boat landing and the dead end/turnaround).  So I took a few photographs and posted them on our website, with an inquiry.

This afternoon, I received an email from Mr. Robert E. Smith, who is the owner of the house.  Mr. Smith's email reads as follows:

Cher M. Jaycee,  Bonjour!  The "discovery" you made yesterday at Lac Martin, is my home which I designed and built starting in 1998 and finishing in Feb 2000. The contractor was M. Jim Armentor of Lafayette.  It is a reconstitution of a French "follie" in the early Louis XV style of C 1735.

It is constructed using many antique building materials of that period, which I acquired in France and shipped here for its construction.  It follows the classic formula of an eighteenth century French "follie" in that though not big, it is of a "sophisticated chateau architectural vocabulary and proportions, and set in a contrasting primordial landscape setting".  I built this to fulfill two "needs" 1)  The views I can enjoy from this tower of beautiful Lac Martin, and 2) When I am here in Louisiane, running my shop, Au Vieux Paris Antiques, this home gives me the feeling I am still enjoying "being in France".

Though many people have asked , I do not open my home to the public, it has never been published and yes, I have high tech security systems.

If you have further questions, I did not address, please ask.

 

Mes Amities,

Robert E. Smith

 

Mr. Smith, you are now the envy of several people who love that lake!  The views from the vantage point of your home are stunning: daily, you can wake to the sights and sounds that make Louisiana a beautiful place.

One of the people who responded to the original post that was linked to our Facebook page was Chere' Dastugue Coen, and she added this realtor's link from Realtor.com, which shows more detailed pictures of the home, including some interior shots.

(Via Realtor.com)