Q. Who built the house in Bunkie where Louisiana Methodist Orphanage first cared for children in 1904?”

A. Early references to a “rent house in Bunkie” have led some to believe Louisiana Methodist Orphanage rented the home in 1904 from a landlord in Bunkie. This is not the case. The “rent house” in Bunkie was built by Louisiana Methodist Orphanage.

Louisiana Methodist Orphanage, under the leadership of Rev. C. C. Weir, built the first home where we cared for children. While the phrase “rent house” has passed through the years, it refers to the fact that, after our first children moved from the cottage we built in Bunkie to a house we did rent in Ruston, the house in Bunkie, still owned by LMO, was rented to generate revenue to cover the cost of renting a home in Ruston for our children while “Old Main” was being built.

Rev. C. C. Wier, founder of Louisiana Methodist Orphanage, printed the first issue of the Louisiana Methodist Orphanage newsletter, “The Silent Friend”, on December 2, 1907. In that issue he wrote, “Our Temporary Home. We built our temporary cottage in Bunkie. It now rents for enough to pay the rent in Ruston while our Home is being built. This property will be sold and the proceeds merged into the Ruston Property after conference.”