Zita's Building Ain't Dere No More

 The former Covington location of Zita's shop on West 21st Avenue in Covington has been demolished. For years, the unique gift shop was located across from the St. Tammany Parish Public Library in a small wood frame building that featured a large oak tree in front as well as a circulating water pool with manufactured rocks.

A few years ago the business opened a Mandeville location (in the old TG&Y building at the four way stop, La. Hwy. 22 and North Causeway.) 

On Wednesday, February 23, 2022, the building that was home to the old Covington location, which had recently been sold, was torn down.. 

 

Below is a photo of the building as it used to be.
(Photo by Charles Windom, Google Photos)

Click on the images to make them larger.

 

 

The former Covington building location

 

Zita first opened her "bizarre bazaar" on New Hampshire Street, near where the Toad Hollow cafe is today. 

 

 

 Then it re-located to the West 21st Avenue location where for decades it served the needs of a interesting array of hobbies. Lining its shelves were dragon statues, incense and incense holders, fluorescent wall art, smoking accessories, dream catchers and tie-dyed clothing. All of that has now moved down to the Mandeville store. 

The business also has a website on the internet at www.zitazone.com

But the building which housed the Covington location ain't dere no more. 

The Mandeville History Exhibit

 In 1980, the St. Tammany Historical Society put together a Mandeville exhibit for display at Mandeville Town Hall. The event featured a large number of photographs of the lakefront, the boats that use to run across Lake Pontchartrain and life in the community in the early 1900's.

An article in the Times Picayune by John Kemp gave the details.

 

 

Click on the images to make them larger.  

 

Link to Pleasure Bay Information

Ron Barthet and Dr. S.H. Colvin working on the exhibit at Mandeville City Hall

An earlier history exhibit helped set the stage. 

100 Years Ago February 11, 2022

What was going on 100 years ago this week? CLICK HERE for a link to the St. Tammany Farmer Issue of  February 11, 1922. The link is provided by the Library of Congress and its Chronicling America service.

Click on the sample images below to see larger versions.

 

 

Madisonville Road Construction

 

 

 

Abita Springs Dance

 

 

Folsom News

 

 

Mandeville News

 

 

Real Estate Transfers

 

 

River Dredging Efforts

 

 

Slidell News

 

 

Society News

 

Train Freight Service Cutbacks

 

 

Madisonville Mayors

 In 1999, the town of Madisonville ran a newspaper ad that included a list of mayors who had served the town through 1999. It also included a roster of town council members and town hall staff that were currently serving. Click on the images to make them larger. 

Himel Auto Parts Building Demolished

 The large blue building on Boston Street, just as one enters from the east, has been demolished. For many years it housed the Himel Auto Parts store. Click on the images to make them larger. 

 

 

Many a Covington area resident visited this location over the years to get just the right part to fix up the old jalopy so it would keep on running a few more years. Oh, and ask advice on how to install it and not bust their knuckles while doing so. 

The CoffeeRani Facebook page had this video of a wall collapse

Over on Facebook, dozens of commenters are lamenting the demolition of the building, citing fond memories of going there as youngsters with their dads.  Many remembered working there as teenagers, saying it was a great place to work and learn about cars. The high school Distributive Education program would place students there to work.

It also had a machine shop that was well-used for a variety of jobs.

Thinking about Himel Auto Parts also got a lot of people remembering the first cars they used to own, and went to get parts for at Himel's.

In 2015 Bruce Alexius and others on Facebook said that back in the late 1960's, the people working there included  Audrey Crow Rosier (manager), Lionel Rosier (machinist), Jimmy Montgomery, Roland Crow, Johnny Cooper, Lynette Fitzmorris, James Sharp, John Payne, David Dirr and occasionally Richard Waldorf.  

Dianne Monier Montgomery said she worked half days at Himel's in her senior year at high school. "I would order a hamburger and fries from Riverside Inn and walk over to pick it up and bring it back to Himel's to eat," she wrote in 2010.

Because of its up front location, it was definitely a Covington landmark. It was the auto parts store to go to for what a car owner needed when they needed it.

Next door was Baldwin Motors and across the street was Holden's Texaco Station. 

 

 

In 1983 the building was caught in the Bogue Falaya River flood

 

The store opened in that location in January of 1975

 

Courthouse Group 1918

 Here is a group photograph taken in 1918 showing several key community figures sitting on the front steps of the courthouse in Covington. 

Judges In 2003

 The 2003 the new St. Tammany Parish Justice Center was completed, and the judges of the 22nd Judicial District Court serving at the time of the grand opening were the following:

 

 

Click on the images to make them larger. 

 

 

 

Spring Garden Tour Map - 1972

 In 1972 this map was published to accompany the "Spring Garden Tour" event around Covington. It listed and showed the locations of the tour highlights. Click on the image to make it larger.

 

Madisonville in 1850

 In 1950, the Times Picayune ran the following news item that had appeared in its pages from 100 years earlier. The news on September 3, 1850 (some one hundred and seventy two years ago), included the following.

Choctaws In Madisonville

In the neighborhood of Madisonville, on the beautiful Tchefuncte, Indian name for "deep water," a large number of Choctaws still resided, though the tribe was diminishing very fast.

Its hunting grounds were west of the Mississippi near Fort Smith, beyond the boundary of Arkansas, up to the source of the Canadian and as far south as Red river on the Arkansas line.

Many were citizens, and many who received schooling from the Government, under the 1830 treaty of Dancing Rabbit creek, were acquainted with all the arts of husbandry. The tribe received annually $6,000.

The Lesassier House In Madisonville

In Madisonville, which in 1820 was the most fashionable watering place on the lake, Mr. Louis Lesassier, New Orleans, had a most beautiful country residence, with a highly cultivated parterre in front and two immense forest oaks, the shade of one of which covered nearly one thousand square yards.

Garlandville Lots 1920's

 Back in the 1920's Garlandville subdivision northeast of Claiborne Hill was selling fifty by 300 foot lots for $100 each.