The Charpentier Historic District is Lake Charles' best urban walk, a broad area of late-19th- and early-20th-century houses built during the city's timber boom. The name means "carpenter", a nod to builders who designed as they built.
Look for deep porches, decorative woodwork, towers, and the mix of styles that gives the district its character. It is best explored slowly, by self-guided walk or drive, rather than as a single monument.