Before and After Gallery
Turtle Cove
In December of 2010, Darouse won the bid to elevate Southeastern Louisiana University’s Biological Research Station on North Pass, Manchac. More commonly known as “Turtle Cove,” the two story building dates back to the prohibition era of the 1920’s when it served as a casino. Accessible only by boat and using a barge to transport steel beams and equipment, Darouse partnered with J.W. Grand General Contractors of Baton Rouge, La. to successfully restore the building that was badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina and other storms over the years. Expand to read more.
Darouse Foundations is fortunate to have 1 employee with more than 13 years of experience in the Shoring, Elevation and House Moving business and 3 with more than 18 years including Earnest Williams who has been elevating and moving homes for over 39 years and is an original member of the Darouse House Moving family.
The history of the Turtle Cove facility on Manchac Pass tells the story of the entire region.
Edward G. Schlieder of New Orleans built the main Turtle Cove lodge in 1908, where he later stayed while hunting and fishing. As he aged, Schlieder spent more time at the lodge until his death on May 12,1948.
In 1951, the Turtle Cove Club, a private hunting and fishing club, was formed and began leasing the Schlieder Lodge as their headquarters. In 1975, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) purchased the surrounding 5,261 acres from the Schlieder Foundation to function as a laboratory and teaching facility. Although Wildlife and Fisheries agents used the facility during duck-hunting season, during the rest of the year, the facility was mostly vacant and fell into disrepair.
Southeastern Louisiana University assumed control of the facility and of the ten surrounding acres in 1981,signing a99-year lease from LDWF. After raising capital funds to repair the facility and finding more ways to fund staff, the first full-time director, Dr. Robert Hastings, was hired in July, 1984. Robert Moreau later assumed this position in 2001 when Dr. Hastings retired.
Hurricane’s Katrina and Rita in 2005 destroyed the bulkheads and boardwalks behind Turtle Cove, and inflicted heavy damage on both the main Turtle Cove Lodge (Guest House) and the Caretaker’s House, which was eventually torn down. Seven years later, in 2012, and after a $5.5 million FEMA-funded restoration, Turtle Cove is back stronger than ever in terms of its actual facilities on Pass Manchac. We have a new bulkhead ($3.1 mill) built for projected sea level rise over the next 30 years, a new 6 ft wide boardwalk with a self-guided tour ($550,000), a totally renovated Lodge (new ground level floor, and full external replacement and raised 4 ft—-$800,000) and now finally, the last piece, a brand new Caretaker’s Cabin ($450,000).
