Barber helped restore building, while keeping history alive

BY CHRIS KINKAID

James Barber is keeping history alive after he bought what is now called the Club Car Lounge, which opened in February.

Barber, who is a 1981 Bogalusa High School graduate, has lived in Bogalusa all his life.

“The building was sitting there, getting rundown and looking terrible,” Barber said. “There was a sign on it saying they were accepting offers. They had been trying to sell it. I had just sold Union Square, so I bought it and got it restored. I got it on the state historical site. We do know the building was used in 1905, so I’m sure the building had to have been used in the early 1900s.”

Barber said they changed all of the rotted wood and put new wood on the roof.

Then they started on the handrails and porches and got new handrails and porches.

They put new siding on it.

They replaced all of the broken windows. Had a guy replicate them and make the same windows.

“I have a guy in Mobile, Alabama that does historical preservation work,” Barber said. “He does windows, doors and whatever. He told me he could build me five new windows.”

Barber said they also fixed up the offices.

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