NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University First Lady Jennifer Maggio will host an open house at the Arnold R. Kilpatrick President’s Home from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Friday, March 13 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the home, which was completed in 1970 and has served as residence for seven NSU presidents.
During the event, Maggio will introduce the second edition of “In Good Taste,” the popular cookbook produced by the Campus Women’s Organization in 1989. Selections from the cookbook will be served during the reception.
“Chris and I are excited to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Arnold R. Kilpatrick President’s residence with an Open House for the NSU and Natchitoches community. We will share some memories of the Kilpatrick’s time in the home through newspaper clippings and old yearbooks,” Maggio said.
The Arnold R. Kilpatrick President’s Residence faces Chaplin’s Lake on the east side of NSU’s main campus. The one and one-half story structure reflects the French colonial style in keeping with the popular architecture of early Louisiana. The front of the home features six Doric columns similar to those that supported the east gable of the famous Bullard mansion that was constructed in 1832 on the oldest part of the campus. Three of the original Bullard columns still stand and have become a symbol of the university.
Natchitoches architects Oscar G. Butler and E.P. Dobson Jr. designed the NSU President’s Residence, which was constructed by Builders Service Inc. of Natchitoches at a cost of $125,000. Funds for the home were obtained through revenues generated by the oil and gas holdings at Nicholls State University. President’s homes at several universities were constructed or renovated with those revenues that were earmarked for the specific purpose of buildings and maintaining homes for presidents of state colleges. Prior to the construction of the home, NSU’s President’s Residence was what is now the Alumni Center, a 1928 Tudor home on University Parkway that was home to eight NSU presidents.
The Arnold R. Kilpatrick President’s Residence has 6,178 square feet of floor space that includes a living room, formal dining room, den, breakfast room, kitchen, utility service area, guest suite, family room, three bedrooms, four baths, fireplaces and other features.
The home was built during the tenure of Dr. and Mrs. Arnold Kilpatrick, who served as president and first lady of the university from 1966-1978. It was named in Dr. Kilpatrick’s honor during the university’s 125th anniversary celebration in 2009.
The current first family, Dr. Chris and Jennifer Maggio and their children Melanie, Scott and Emily, have lived in the residence since 2017 and utilize the house for entertaining campus and civic groups, hosting receptions and special events and for family gatherings.
As part of the celebration, NSU’s Campus Women’s Organization will introduce the second edition of “In Good Taste,” which features an updated cover design and recipes from recent first ladies Brenda Webb, Tonia Henderson and Jennifer Maggio.
“Thirty years ago, the NSU Campus Women’s Club created the cookbook, ‘In Good Taste.’ This was the heartfelt labor of so many NSU faculty, staff and alumni. It is full of amazing recipes. I received the cookbook as a wedding gift many years ago. You can see which recipes are my favorite by the food stains on the pages. We hope to continue the legacy of the Campus Women’s Club with this 2nd edition printing.”
The cookbook will retail for $30 and will be available for purchase online at http://www.northwesternstatealumni.com/ingoodtaste/. Proceeds will support scholarships for students.
For more information or to RSVP for the reception, email Christie Price at pricec@nsula.edu.
