Cooley House

The Cooley House Foundation was incorporated in 2007 to save the Cooley House and restore it to its former glory. Restoration began with the roof in July of 2008. To operate the Cooley House as a museum, The Cooley House Foundation has entered into a partnership with the City of Monroe. The city purchased the building in the summer of 2008, and once restored, it will maintain the building and the property. The Cooley House Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that is raising money for the restorations through grants, donations, and sponsorships. Once restored, this non-profit group will continue to fund educational programs and exhibitions.

It is the Cooley House Foundation's mission to provide educational outreach regarding preservation, architecture, and regional steamboat history to the citizens of Northeast Louisiana. The Foundation works to raise public awareness of the architectural and historical significance of the Cooley House and to restore, maintain, and preserve the home for the public.

History

The Cooley House was designed in 1908 for entrepreneur Gilbert Brian ‘Captain' Cooley of Monroe, Louisiana, by internationally acclaimed architect Walter Burley Griffin. The home was not built until 1925-26.

The Cooley House is constructed of concrete with wood trim and a green tile roof. The home also had a central vacuum system, central steam heating, an incinerator, a steam shower, and a sunken tub. Though non-functioning, these, as well as the original cork floor, are still in place. The home also has a detached carport. This was not part of the original 1908 plans, but in the teens Cooley became the first person in Monroe to own an automobile, and the structure was added to 1925 revisions.

The Cooley House is Griffin's last structure to be completed in the United States, and it is one of the last surviving examples of Prairie School residential architecture in the South. Among architects and historians it is also noted for combining elements of Griffin's American and Australian periods.

Cooley lived in his dream home until his death in 1952. When his widow died in 1955, the home was sold to Donald C. Hughes. The home became apartments and then law offices (Johnson, Johnson, Johnson, and Osborn and later Jones & Johnson) before being purchased by the G.B. Cooley Board of Commissioners in 2000.

The Cooley House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places at a level of state importance in 1986 and a level of national importance in 2010. In 2006 it was added to the list of Top 10 Most Endangered Sites by the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation.

In 2008, the City of Monroe purchased the property and entered into a cooperative agreement with The Cooley House Foundation for the restoration of the historic home and gardens. The property will be owned by the City of Monroe, which will also provide staff. The Cooley House Foundation is raising the funds for restoration of the property and will provide on-going board support when the home is opened as a museum.

Explore Related Categories