Dansereau House adds to Thibodaux’s charm

A casual visit to downtown Thibodaux reveals the usual types of businesses … boutiques, restaurants, government offices.

A bed and breakfast? Downtown?

“Some people have lived in Thibodaux their whole life and didn’t know the house was here,” said innkeeper Lori Worrell.

Dansereau House was built in 1847 as a single story structure with a central hall plan. The second and third floors, attic and cupola were added on several years later by Dr. Francois Philip Dansereau who used the cupola to look out over the city of Thibodaux at night. Ill patients would leave lighted signals in their windows to let the doctor know they needed his services.

The home was purchased by V.L. Caldwell in 1947 and remained in the family’s possession until it was purchased by an investment group in 1996 and became The Dansereau House Restaurant and Inn.

“People still talk about the restaurant and come to the door thinking that it’s back, but the commercial kitchen was taken out when Buddy Naquin purchased the house in 2003 and did extensive renovations including the third floor,” Worrell said.

State Rep. Damon Baldone purchased the home at auction in 2009 with the intent to open it as a bed and breakfast and special events venue.

Lori and Paul Worrell were brought in to bring the inn back to life after a chance conversation between Baldone and Lori’s brother-in-law, Dr. John Sweeney. Sweeney knew the couple wanted to leave Florida and had aspirations of running a bed and breakfast.

“We’re from Sarasota, Fla., and the economy there just really tanked. For the last 25 years, our life’s goal has been to run a bed and breakfast. So we came out and met with him (Baldone). It was a great match,” Worrell said.

Once in the house, the couple began cleaning and picking out the furnishings. The furniture that was already in the house was disassembled and stored on the first floor. Not where the Worrell’s wanted it to be.

“We had a team of men haul that up to the third floor. Initially we were not all that popular. Like when the delivery guys came with the washer and dryer, the only place to hook it up was on the third floor. Everyone thought we were teasing,” Worrell said.

The rest of the furnishings came from antique auctions and estate sales. Even junk shops revealed hidden treasures.

A written tour of the home can’t possibly do it justice. The scale of the place, the woodwork, the furnishings have to be seen in person. Nevertheless, the tour begins with the dining room featuring a very large table and several small tables for two.

“There are two sets of people. The diehard bed and breakfast people who like to sit around the dining room table and meet others. Then there’s a younger crowd who prefer to sit off by themselves. So we try to accommodate both,” Worrell said.

Several ladies groups have had luncheons in the dining room. For small groups, Worrell can do the cooking, but for groups over 30, she calls in a caterer or the group provides its own meals.

Across from the dining room is a spacious parlor used for special events such as showers, receptions and parties. The Drinkery is a little bar toward the back of the house. It opens Thursday nights and features local musicians who play on the veranda.

“The community has just really embraced us and we’ve had tons of special events that we’re really excited about. Weddings are great things to do, and at Christmas, we almost had an event every day during the month of December. By the time Dec. 23rd came around, I thought you were going to have to pick me up with a spatula. People had a grand time,” Worrell said.

The second floor encompasses four guest rooms featuring verandas equipped with tables and chairs and private bathrooms.

“That’s pretty much one of the things people ask first. Do you have your own bathroom? They want to know if we have air conditioning, wireless internet and cable TV. All that and they want to stay in a house on the historic registry,” laughed Worrell.

Another question asked of the innkeeper is whether or not Dansereau House has any resident ghosts.

“When we first came in, one of the toilets flushed itself just out of the blue. So if anybody ever asked, ‘Do you have any ghosts here?’ we’d say, ‘Well, only one and it flushes the toilet.’ It turned out it wasn’t a ghost after all. It was just the toilet was finally falling apart so we replaced it.”

Half of the third floor features the huge and ornate governors’ or honeymoon suite with a marble encased bathroom.

“The first thing that really took us by surprise was we had a bride who asked if she could get dressed here. Sure. Happy to have you get dressed here. Then we learned that really means, ‘All my bridesmaids are coming, the hair lady is coming, the makeup lady is coming, the flowers are going to be delivered, the photographer is coming, the groomsmen are coming and then the rest of the family. Then we’re all going to take pictures.’ That’s fine. We don’t mind that. We just didn’t know it was going to happen,” she laughed.

The other half of the third floor is the family suite equipped with three beds.

“When we first decided to put the three beds in it, we weren’t real sure of the wisdom of it. Oddly enough this room is used almost as much as the governors’ suite for families, girls’ night out, or bridesmaids spending the night then getting dressed here the next day,” Worrell said.

When the innkeepers first arrived at the house, they stayed in the inn while the little house behind Dansereau House was renovated.

Dansereau House guests come from as near as Houma to as far away as Texas and Florida. Many guests are either on their way to New Orleans or coming from New Orleans. The Worrells act as tour guides recommending swamp tours, local sites of interest and local restaurants.

“We’ve had several international guests come in either for business or because they’re interested in the culture here. Some overnight guests are in town on business and live just a little too far away to turn around and go back out again. Our rates aren’t astronomical because we want people to stay here and obviously they get a great breakfast,” Worrell said.

The breakfast menu varies but usually includes fruit, muffins or sweet bread, eggs Benedict, omelets or quiche, and desert such as crepes or baked apples.

“I ask my guests when they want breakfast because that’s part of the getaway. If it’s a working person sometimes they need breakfast at 6:30 in the morning. That’s no problem. I can do breakfast all the way up to 10:30 if they want to sleep in. That doesn’t bother me because that’s what they want. I’m not one to toss it all out onto the buffet,” Worrell said.

After the guests leave, it’s time to get to the chores which, of course, includes a lot of cleaning. Worrell said it took her several months to find a way to clean the beautiful wood floors without leaving streaks or spots.

She finally ended up on her hands and knees with a chamois.

“One time we had an engagement party and I didn’t realize when you uncork champagne this mist comes out and it was everywhere. When I wash these floors the only real way to clean them is to strap on my industrial strength knee pads and do them on my hands and knees with a chamois. I don’t do that every day, but if we have a big party, I wash the floors,” she said.

Running a bed and breakfast is a 24/7 job the couple was well aware of before they took it on. Worrell said one of her biggest challenges is that there’s not enough time in the day to do everything she wants to do.

“I’m a perfectionist kind of person and when a guest comes into a room I want it perfect. I want them to think they’re the first people ever to stay in that room,” she said.

Dansereau House Bed and Breakfast opened last April. Paul and Lori Worrell said the inn has exceeded the couple’s expectations as to what they thought their first year would be like. JENNIE CHILDS