Parishioners, volunteers, and contractors unite to preserve 93-year-old Brusly landmark

📅 PUBLIC MEETING TONIGHT — October 21, 2025 @ 6:30 PM

Friends of St. Francis Hall invites the community to a public meeting at the Addis VFW Hall to discuss preservation progress and future usage of St. Francis Hall. Attendees can honor pledges, make donations, ask questions, and share ideas. All are welcome—bring a friend!

BRUSLY — What started as a race against demolition has transformed into a remarkable story of community preservation, with Friends of St. Francis Hall Preservation Group announcing Oct. 9, 2025, that its pledge drive has succeeded in proving the financial viability for preserving St. Francis Hall. That night, the group met with the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church parish council to review budget estimates, pledges and details pertaining to the project with the hope of receiving council approval to move forward with saving the building.

Bottom Line Up Front

Friends of St. Francis has raised $177,000 in just five weeks through pledges, donations, and committed volunteer labor—potentially enough to fund the historic 93-year-old building's renovation into a multipurpose space for use by the entire church parish.

Fundraising Success Exceeds Expectations

In a testament to community commitment, the church's congregation, community members and descendants of Sardine Point families responded overwhelmingly to the call to save their historic hall:

• Cash pledges: $104,770 from parishioners committing to support
• Immediate donations: $28,000 already in hand
• Donated skilled labor: $45,998 in committed contractor services

Total raised: $176,968 — and growing, with an additional $6,000 in informal commitments not yet formally pledged.

Project Budgeting

Friends of St. Francis set an initial project budget range of $90,000 to $240,000 to cover contingencies. Working with local contractors Billy and Chris Ward, the group developed a targeted base bid budget of $112,000.

Timeline: Permits to Completion

Phase 1: Approvals

• St. John the Baptist Catholic Church parish council — approved
• Diocese of Baton Rouge — pending
• Town of Brusly and West Baton Rouge Parish building permits — required

Phase 2: Site Preparation Tree removal, slab foundation construction (mostly donated labor), and utility stub-ups for plumbing and electrical.

Phase 3: Building Move Professional moving company will relocate the structure to church property. The St. John the Baptist Catholic church parish will fund the relocation; West Baton Rouge Parish Government involvement is limited to permits/inspections.

Phase 4: Renovation Construction estimated at 2-3 months once building is moved and foundation ready.

A Building Worth Saving

The town of Brusly has designated the structure as a historic landmark, recognizing its significance to the community. St. Francis Hall surprised inspectors with its condition:

Hidden treasures discovered:

• Original tongue-and-groove wood floors in excellent condition (preserved under 50 years of vinyl tile covering)
• Intact beadboard walls throughout
• Well-preserved, original double-hung wood windows with historic wavy glass panes
• Distinctive yet restrained early-20th-century character and craftsmanship

"There's been a lot of positive feedback on the wood floors," Friends members reported.

Preservation priorities:

The renovation will honor the building's history while making it more functional for modern use:

• Refinish and showcase original wood floors
• Maintain historic beadboard walls
• Keep existing windows
• Consider restoring original wood ceiling (currently covered by drop ceiling) as the budget allows

Necessary updates:

• New HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems
• Accessible restroom and entrance ramp
• Structural stiffening of selected floor joists
• Brick steps with iron railings coordinating with main church

Professional Expertise, Community Heart

What makes this project remarkable isn't just the money raised—it's the assembly of local professionals volunteering their services and expertise:

Design and Construction Team:

• Architects Matt Daigrepont and Brian Falcon — donating architectural services
• Civil Engineer Scott Rowe — donating structural design services
• Licensed general contractor and subcontractors — Billy and Chris Ward
• Licensed subcontractors — Dale Ocmand (Cherokee Plumbing), Riley "Peewee" Berthelot (electrician), Mike Noble (master carpenter)

The team is securing a mechanical and electrical engineer.

Permitting Approvals Navigated

Jurisdiction note: This is a church-funded project on church property; West Baton Rouge Parish Government and the Town of Brusly are involved only for permits and inspections.

Diocese of Baton Rouge — Pending: Reviews all construction projects and project funding. Project may proceed only after Diocesan approval.

Town of Brusly and West Baton Rouge Parish — Required: Standard commercial building permits. The building's historic landmark designation may allow certain flexibility on restroom requirements, pending code review and approvals.

State Fire Marshal — Required: Life Safety Code review. The project team says the building's size and simple plan support compliant egress, subject to final approval.

Levee authority — Approved: Project team says no levee permit is required; the site plan received confirmation of no restrictions from the appropriate levee authority.

Financial Management and Accountability

The parish council and Friends of St. Francis established clear procedures for responsible funds management:

• Pledges converted to donations and deposited into St. John the Baptist Catholic Church's Building and Maintenance Fund, earmarked solely for St. Francis Hall
• Both the church and Friends of St. Francis maintain separate accounting to ensure accurate tracking
• Donations are tax-deductible; the church serves as fiscal agent
• Work will not proceed until funds are in place
• Project will be bid with costs fixed in construction contract
• General contractor will bill for completed work with payment applications reviewed before approval

The group discussed flexible payment options for larger donations, potentially allowing supporters to contribute over multiple years. No final decision was made pending consultation with church administration.

What's Next

Father John will schedule a meeting with Diocese representatives to present the project scope. The church parish and Friends of St. Francis will coordinate with the moving company and work with officials on permitting. Friends of St. Francis will continue fundraising, with the project coordinated alongside demolition of the old Christian Formation Building currently scheduled for Dec. 1.

From Demolition to Preservation

The success story becomes even more remarkable when you consider where this started. The building was originally slated for demolition as part of church expansion plans. But the parish community saw something worth saving—and mobilized to make it happen.

The optimism is grounded in reality—the money is there, the team is assembled, and the path forward is clear.

How to Help

Friends of St. Francis continues accepting donations care of:

LJ and Debbie Dupuy

PO Box 43

Addis, LA 70710

Checks should be made payable to "St. John the Baptist Catholic Church." The memo line must include "St. Francis Hall." Donations are tax-deductible.

For more information, contact LJ Dupuy at lynndupuy@att.net.

Story at WBRIndependent.com