In the previous post, I mentioned how we drove 600 miles to Shreveport for a family birthday celebration, stopping overnight in Vicksburg. On a couple of visits to Shreveport, we’d stayed at Fairfield Place B&B. However, this time, we stayed at 2439 Fairfield: A Bed and Breakfast. It was one of the first B&Bs in Shreveport and sits across the street from where one of my closest childhood friends grew up.

I remembered when the property was purchased and converted into a bed-and-breakfast. The owner, Jimmy Harris, enclosed the first-floor and a part of the second-floor verandas and added blue gingerbread shingles to the brick facade. It totally transformed the house’s look and made it something you noticed when driving down the street.

The house belonged to a Miss Irene Ratcliff, who moved to the new home as a 12-year-old girl in 1905. Her father was a builder and I’m assuming nearby Ratcliff Street is named after him. Miss Irene, who lived well into her nineties, vacated the house about three years before selling it in 1988.

After Harris bought the property and started renovating, several neighbors opposed having a business in the area and he had to go to court. Thankfully, everything got settled and the tastefully decorated bed-and-breakfast transports you to an elegant time period.

A large foyer with an oak staircase meets you when you first arrive at 2439 Fairfeld. To the right is the formal parlor with Victorian-style furniture, a grand piano, and even a pump organ in the corner from 1900. Walking toward the back, you enter the dining room filled with antique China and crystal. Wallpaper flanks the walls, a fireplace stands along one wall, and a chandelier hangs from the ceiling. Underneath a window is a snowy village Christmas scene with lots of collectibles.

Heading upstairs, guests find four bedroom suites, each with a private bathroom and whirlpool. Since the original house only had one upstairs bathroom, Harris had to retrofit the upstairs space. For example, he enclosed the second floor veranda on the front of the house to add bathrooms to two of the suites. We stayed in the Paul Stetson suite on the northwest corner of the mansion, directly above the foyer. It boasted a four-poster king-size bed, quilts, an armoire, and a settee. 

The next morning, we woke up and headed downstairs to breakfast. The breakfast area encompasses the enclosed wrap-around porch on the first floor. Harris said he had to replace the floors, but was able to spare the ceilings. Windows draped with lace allowed light to filter in the cheerful spot.

On a side table, we found muffins, fruit, biscuits and preserves. Fortunately Harris told us not to fill up because the hot food was coming. Sure enough, we feasted on scrambled eggs, sausage, and the best tomato grits I’d ever had. He said it was there specialty and I wonder if I can find a recipe to mimic it. If that wasn’t enough, breakfast is topped off with a choice of blackberry, apple or peach fried pie!

Outside, we found plenty of spots to relax including the side garden. Also, a gazebo area sits in the back.

Norton Art Gallery

One thing we did that morning was to walk the grounds of the RW Norton Art Gallery and Botanical Gardens. I have so many memories here including field trips and Christmas visits. The outside frounds bursts with bright colors when the extensive collection of azaleas bloom ever spring. It’s a beautiful spot and where I had both my debutante and bridal portraits taken. Unfortunately, people took advantage of the grounds and the museum now prohibits commercial, as well as personal, photography.

The museum was closed, but the gates to the botanical garden were open. Since I couldn’t take a picture, I can only describe that we meandered paths leading to a small pond, crossing several bridges. From the grounds, I could see the back of a house that my parents owned on Huron Street before I was born. I’d always heard my mother talk about how there backyard view was incredible.

We crammed a lot in our 24 hours in Shreveport, even stopping by some of my favorite restaurants such as Superior Grill and Hickory Stick BBQ. For more information about 2439 Fairfield B&B, click here. Also, you’ll find information about the Norton Art Gallery here.