Tales of the fire that devastated Lake Charles in 1919, and other historical information and ghost stories all are part of a free new smartphone app about the city's Charpentier Historic District.
Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau spokeswoman Angie Manning said the app offers half-hour and one-hour tours. Manning says it explains that the area's Victorian homes reflect the personalities of the carpenters who built them. The city did not have any architects until the 1900s.
The 40-block historic district is known by architects nationwide for its woodwork and square columns. Manning says the new app was prompted by the success of a Creole Nature Trail app. It can be downloaded in the Apple App Store or Google Play by searching for "Lake Charles Historic Tour."