On the far left is Olympe Chauvin, never married, sister to Louis Chauvin II sitting in rocker, sister to Uncle Pierre Chauvin, and sister to Ursule Chauvin Webre, who had married Melfort Webre, brother of Eugene Webre. She wrote her name with a diamond ring on a glass panel in the center French door shown in photo …. it is still there. She was the first organist in the St. Mary’s Chapel. She was a music teacher where she taught cello, violin, piano, mandolin, and guitar according to notes I saw in her accounting note book. She was also, according to my grandmother, a clothing designer who was well known for making fancy dresses and original designs for clothing. She died in about 1906. She was godmother to many family members she was often referred to as Nan-Lamp. She was also a teacher, as well as most of her immediate family in John L. Peytavin’s, (President of Jefferson College), selected group of teachers in his established Progressive Educational Society in Union, LA.

Middle is Noelie Chauvin, Aunt Noel (pronounced Nawl), daughter of Louis Chauvin II in rocker and her mother Lovinia Mire. She was sister to Frank Chauvin and sister to Louise Chauvin Letulle who had married Uncle Leonce Letulle, and half-sister to her older half-brother, Uncle Lucien Chauvin, whose mother was Marine Bourque, (sister to Estelle Bourque Landry, (Madame T-Teete Landry). Aunt Noel was the second organist in St. Mary’s Chapel. She left this house when she got married in about 1908 to Uncle Sam Boudreaux, and moved on the river road at the Orange Grove Plantation where this plantation road formed a “Y” (branch) at the river road. Uncle Sam Boudreaux ran this Orange Grove store called the Branch Store. They both moved to Sorrento to run the store at the Sorrento Saw Mill Louis DeHasse, from Union, LA, and later moved to Gonzales next to Dr. Carl Himel. I served mass at her funeral in St. Mary’s chapel conducted by Holy Rosary’s Pastor, Father Wyshoff who mentioned Aunt Noel had played the organ at Holy Rosary Church for forty (40) years. I remember her playing the piano at her Gonzales home - her piano was once in the house above , a gift from her father and brother Frank …… this piano is still in Dr. Carl’s daughter’s house in Gonzales.

Far right is Philomene Webre, daughter of Melfort Weber & Ursule Chauvin. When her mother Ursule Chauvin Webre died, Louis Chauvin II, her Uncle, had her come to live at this house. She died of scarlet fever not long after this photo was taken. She had a sister Antoinette Boudreaux who married Henry Boudreaux and moved to New Orleans. I met a few of their grandchildren at a Boudreaux reunion - none could believe I remembered Henry Boudreaux and could have written a book about just him. Henry Boudreaux had the Pape Vert placed in the Times Picayune Magazine in 1947 - he and Uncle Lucien were known as the foremost "Raconteurs" of Union, "deux hommes qui parle sans cesse". Philomene also had a brother Henry Weber, (Henrietta’s Dad), a master cabinet maker and carpenter who later built the front porch swing that was placed on this front porch. He also built a tool box that was raffled off for St. Mary's that is now in the possession of Carol Martine Long.

In the rocker is Louis Chauvin II who was an architect and sugar engineer who according to his accounting records designed and built sugar mills from as far south as Plaquemine Parish below New Orleans up to Pointe Coupee Parish. Also built the St. Mary’s Chapel in 1975. At one time he ran Helvetia Sugar House with an entire crew in the 1890’s for then Helvetia plantation owner Henry Tremoulet. He also ran the Union Plantation with a large crew for Mrs. Mary Jacobshagen who had donated the altar in the St. Mary’s Chapel.

The Chauvin Estate is now owned and currently being restored by Spencer Chauvin

Written by Henry Chauvin

Contract Repairs on Helvetia Sugar Mill

Believed to be a sketch of Louis Chauvin II's son's home, Lucien (Pa-Loosh") Chauvin