SHREVEPORT, La. - Photographs and newspaper clippings are leading some local history buffs to believe the Dripp Donuts building in downtown Shreveport is more than 150 years old.
J. Dreyfuss Dry Goods was the first business in the building built in 1872. (Courtesy: Twin Blends)
Mike and Mark Mangham delve into Shreveport's history often. In the past they had briefly looked at the history of the Dripp Donuts building, but the recent structural issues made them wonder.
"We were like, 'I wonder how old that building is?' Because we knew it was pretty old. We knew it was at least the 1890s. Well, we started doing the Sanborn maps, looking at the fire insurance map from all the way back to the 1880s, and the building was there then,” said Mike Mangham with Twin Blends.
Then, through old newspapers, they hit the jackpot.
"April the 20th, 1872. It says J. Dreyfuss, having leased the fine iron front store now in the course of erection, corner of Texas and Market streets, and so 1872 that's when it was I guess erected,” said Mark Mangham with Twin Blends. "Thirty-nine years after Shreveport was founded."
That would make the building 152 years old. In its time it has been J. Dreyfuss Dry Goods, Western Auto, Dees Photo then Dripp Donuts. Now, with the structural issues and Dripp Donuts having to move out of the building, the future is uncertain.
Western Auto, 1950s
April 20, 1872 newspaper
"But when you put it back to 1872, you're like, I'm surprised the wind doesn't blow it over,” said Mike Mangham.
“And they have a facade around it, so, you know, if there's cracks in the facade that the bricks underneath it must be in really bad shape, too,” said Mark Mangham.
They're hoping their research on other buildings downtown can bring more preventative maintenance.
"So we fight to have these buildings, you know, maintained and preserved before they get in bad shape like that. And there's several buildings around that can use some help before they get into this shape,” said Mike Mangham.
As well as keep the memories of Shreveport alive.
"Our main focus is on not only the buildings, but the people that came before us, and it ties in when you see photographs of the buildings and the people in the buildings and stuff, that's our grandparents and great grandparents, and we want to focus on them,” said Mike Mangham.
KTBS 3 reached out to the Downtown Shreveport Development Corporation, which owns the building, for a comment about what will be done but hasn’t heard back yet.
Here's video/pictures of the recent demolition--------------
