elcome to Bon Aire, located on picturesque Bayou DeSiard. Bon Aire serves as the home for the ULM President and family, but its role in the life of the university goes well beyond that of a residence.
Bon Aire presents an elegant and gracious setting for ULM to extend its hospitality, celebrate its achievements, and showcase the very best the university has to offer.
on Aire is established on the site of Bon Aire Plantation, its namesake. The French definition is “good air” (in this case referring to quality appearance, look, manner, or style.) The plantation was established prior to the Civil War by Wesley John Quincy Baker and his first wife Columbia Winston Hamblen. Baker was a planter and an attorney. Bon Aire Plantation adjoined Ingleside Plantation to the east across Bayou DeSiard and Limerick Plantation south of Bayou DeSiard.
This 6,893 square-foot Country Acadian-style one and one-half story home provides an elegant setting for receptions, dinners, and other events. These events center on gatherings for faculty, students, or alumni, recognition of donors, and volunteer appreciation.
At a glance, visitors will notice an eye-catching array of live oaks, red maples, cypress, Vitex trees, sweet olives, iris, indigo, and azaleas long before they enter the foyer.
Once inside, guests may take in the hand-crafted curving staircase and lovely furnishings.
On the ground floor, many features will capture attention, from the Country French décor to the subtle rural nature theme present from artwork (much of it ULM students’ work) to the tapestry attached to the curve of the stair wall. One trip through the president’s eucalyptus-paneled library will highlight the ULM connection after a visitor spots the custom-made wood carving of the Bell Tower on the west wall over the fireplace.
Culinary appetites will be met as food is prepared in the catering kitchen and the butler’s pantry, while guests gather together in the spacious breakfast room, replete with buffet and dining tables, a baby grand piano, chandelier, and a dazzling view of the beautiful Bayou DeSiard – either inside through the floor-to-ceiling windows, or by taking a stroll outside to the terrace, surrounded by further lush landscaping. Two fountains, an arrival garden, a bayou garden, and a rose garden also grace the property.
Powder rooms and storage space abound, ready to accommodate all guests’ comfort.
The second floor is intended for guests staying at Bon Aire. Guests may travel to the second floor by way of a handicapped-accessible elevator or by the staircase. Upstairs, they will encounter three bedroom suites: one with a king bed (including a handicapped-accessible bathroom), a suite with a queen-sized bed, and another containing twin beds. Guests have access to the upstairs den, stocked with all amenities and entry to the outside upper veranda.
Bon Aire, when not hosting university events, is a private residence not open to the public.