Silhouette photo of man carrying candle lantern with lighted candle - underground railroad sites

Self-guided · metro area, Louisiana

Underground Railroad Sites in Lake Charles, LA

Homes, meetinghouses and crossings tied to the Underground Railroad and the people who helped freedom seekers move north.

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Photo: Julia Florczak on Unsplash

Every region holds some piece of the country's story. The Lake Charles, LA metro area has about 244,655 residents, ranking 198th in the country. The markers and register listings are where those pieces are written down, and the closest ones to Lake Charles, LA are listed below.

A person holding a lit lantern in the dark - underground railroad sites — Photo: Subhro Vision on Unsplash

Portrait of Harriet Tubman - underground railroad sites — Photo: Library of Congress on Unsplash

Four brown wooden benches inside house - underground railroad sites — Photo: Tracy Jentzsch on Unsplash

On the record near Lake Charles, LA

The 12 nearest

There are no underground railroad sites on the record within 300 miles of Lake Charles, LA. These are the 12 listed historic sites of any kind closest to it, out of 21 within 30 miles.

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conceptionunder a mile from the center of Lake Charles · Building · Lake Charles · listed 1994National Register of Historic Places
Lake Charles City Hall, Oldunder a mile from the center of Lake Charles · Building · Lake Charles · listed 1989National Register of Historic Places
Calcasieu Parish Courthouseunder a mile from the center of Lake Charles · Building · Lake Charles · listed 1989National Register of Historic Places
Noble Buildingunder a mile from the center of Lake Charles · Building · Lake Charles · listed 2014National Register of Historic Places
Calcasieu Marine Bankunder a mile from the center of Lake Charles · Building · Lake Charles · listed 1991National Register of Historic Places
Waters Pierce Oil Company Stable Buildingunder a mile from the center of Lake Charles · Building · Lake Charles · listed 1980National Register of Historic Places
Charleston Hotelunder a mile from the center of Lake Charles · Building · Lake Charles · listed 1982National Register of Historic Places
Cash Grocery and Sales Company Warehouseunder a mile from the center of Lake Charles · Building · Lake Charles · listed 2010National Register of Historic Places
603 Pujo Streetunder a mile from the center of Lake Charles · Building · Lake Charles · listed 1990National Register of Historic Places
Muller's Department Store (Boundary Increase)under a mile from the center of Lake Charles · Building · Lake Charles · listed 2007National Register of Historic Places
Muller's Department Storeunder a mile from the center of Lake Charles · Building · Lake Charles · listed 2007National Register of Historic Places
Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherdunder a mile from the center of Lake Charles · Building · Lake Charles · listed 1983National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Lake Charles, LA. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Underground Railroad in Lake Charles, step by step

1
Read the short history of the period for this area
2
Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter
3
Visit the nearest site and read its full record
4
Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest
5
Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in Lake Charles, LA ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Lake Charles, LA?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near Lake Charles, LA?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in Lake Charles

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Lake Charles, LA the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Lake Charles, LA are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.