The Freetown-Port Rico Coterie requested that a grant from the Freetown Commission be given to UL Lafayette Professor, Dr. Ray Brassieur, to fund students to catalog, analyze, and submit significant historic structures within the Freetown-Port Rico neighborhoods to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to obtain historic designation for the neighborhood.
Our full application can be reviewed here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/as7d2wcuq3hiuvd/Historic%20District%20Application.pdf?dl=0
This historic designation made tax credits available to home- and business-owners within the neighborhood. While the residential tax credits expired at the end of 2017, commercial tax credits are still available for either commercial properties, or residential properties that are rented out for income.
Details on the State's Commercial Tax Credit Program can be found here:
SHPO staff can guide you through the process:
https://www.crt.state.la.us/cultural-development/historic-preservation/About-Us/index
General information about the Division of Historic Preservation and updates on Tax Credit Programs:
https://www.crt.state.la.us/cultural-development/historic-preservation/