Kitchell Home is historical to Abbeville

The Kitchell Home is not one of the most popular historic homes in Abbeville, but the 116-year-old two-story house has plenty of history attached to it.
For starters, the home was built in 1898 by Abbeville attorney James R. Kitchell Sr. He became involved in politics in Abbeville. He was an alderman for four years and then became Abbeville’s mayor from 1889 to 1900.
He also served as Superintendent of Education in Vermilion Parish from 1900 to 1904, and it was during his term and mainly through his influence that the old Abbeville High School Building, the first one in the parish, was built.
Kitchell may be the only person in Vermilion Parish to ever serve as Mayor of Abbeville and then the superintendent of the parish.
Kitchell died in 1929 at the age of 64.
Over the next 116-years, his home has remained in the Kitchell Family.
Rose Hagood, 71, and her siblings grew up in the Kitchell House. They are the grandchildren of James and Birdie Kitchell.
Thursday around 2 a.m., Rose was awoken and informed the Kitchell House on Charity Street was on fire. She went to the house immediately.
“I am still attached to the house,” said Hagood Thursday morning. “We had some good memories. Lots of family parties.”
The Hagood family moved out of the Kitchell Home in 1957 and purchased a home on South St. Valerie, not far from where they grew up. A Kitchell family member moved into the home when they moved out.
Dianne Hagood, Rose’s sister, now owns the house and for the last 2 1/2 years, has been restoring the Queen Anne Style Victorian home. Dianne lives out of town, and when she visits Abbeville, she sleeps in the house.
Rose called her Thursday to tell her the bad news.
Dianne is expected to be in Abbeville Friday to see the damage.
The house is expected to be torn down, ending a part of Abbeville’s and Kitchell’s family history.
“It’s unfortunate that we lost a historic home in that part of town,” Abbeville Mayor Mark Piazza said. “There are numerous residences in that area that have a significant impact on the Charity Street area.
“It is a tremendous loss for that neighborhood.”