Absalom Autrey House

Absalom Autrey House: In 1985, the J. C. Drewett Estate donated the log dog trot house built by Absalom Autrey in 1849, and 1.6 acres including the family cemetery, to the Lincoln Parish Museum, with the stipulation that the place be preserved as a monument to the pioneer heritage of north Louisiana.  the Absalom Autrey house is an example of the log dog trot, the most common traditional house type of the early north Louisiana hill country.  Believed to be the oldest surviving structure in Lincoln Parish, the hand-hewn log house has an open central hall, with two rooms on each side and a sleeping loft above. Absalom Autrey, a typical pioneer of the area, was drawn by the abundance of cheap land for growing cotton.  With his wife Elizabeth Norris and their fourteen children, he moved to present day Lincoln Parish from the Selma, Alabama, area in 1848.  On the 160-acre plot of land he purchased on Bird Creek, they grew cotton and corn for cash and raised vegetables and livestock and hunted game for food.  The house was occupied by his descendants through the first quarter of this century and later was rented until the early 1970s.

Museum Status:
Now the Autrey House is a satellite museum of the Lincoln Parish Museum, showcasing our north Louisiana heritage.  In 1991, restoration of the house was carried out under the auspices of a grant from the Division of Historic Preservation, Office of Cultural
Development, Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism and the National Park Service, U. S. Department of the Interior.  The house received the special grant for selected properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its historical and architectural significance.  Today it is open third Saturdays and
Sundays, March-October, 2-4 p.m. and by special appointment.  To schedule appointments or tours call Liz Trammell, 318-777-3495.

Autrey House Support:
The Autrey House needs your continued support to operate and maintain the house, grounds, and security system. To make a tax-deductible contribution, please make checks payable to Autrey House Museum, and mail with the form below to Autrey House Museum, c/o Lincoln Parish Museum, 609 N. Vienna Street, Ruston, LA  71270.  For more information, call (318)777-3495 or 318-257-2728.


Directions to the Autrey House:
From Ruston, take exit 85 off I-20 to Highway 167.  Go 13 miles north to Dubach.  At the traffic light in Dubach, turn left (west) on Highway 151 (Hico Street).  The Autrey House is one mile on the right, where 151 and 152 divide