Venus House

The Venus House is a historic house in Opelousas, Louisiana, named for its former owner and occupant, Marie François Venus, a free Creole woman of color. It was built circa 1791 and originally stood in the small community of Grand Prairie. It is described as one of the oldest houses of its kind in the Lower Mississippi Valley, and today it serves as the centerpiece of Le Vieux Village. Its walls use bousillage, a natural insulation once common in Cajun and Creole dwellings, typically made by mixing mud with Spanish moss or animal hair and held in place by wooden bars called barreaux set between the posts. The frame was originally assembled with mortise and tenon joinery, which shows traditional construction techniques. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 22, 1991.