Commission tables plan to restore historic painted sign on Front Street after preservation concerns

David Green, owner of 550 Front Street, asked the Natchitoches Historic District Commission for permission to paint a large, historically styled sign on the side of his building that he said replicates an original advertisement from about 80–90 years ago. Green said the work would likely be temporary — "one to five years" — until a planned awning can be installed, and that if the commission approved it he would use local art students to "age" the paint so it appears historically faded.

The request touched off a lengthy discussion about precedent and maintenance. A committee member warned the commission that approving painted wall signs could "open a Pandora’s box" allowing other downtown businesses to paint large signs on brick facades, a step the commissioner said would require new rules about repainting and upkeep. The chair noted the commission’s existing rules limit building signage by square footage and said any exception would require calculating how much of the applicant’s allowed signage Mr. Green had already used.

Green showed historical photos and multiple modern mockups and described the proposed sign as a 9-foot-by-13-foot feature that would match the building’s colors and, he said, could be stripped back to exposed brick once the awning is installed. He also said the city estimated moving two utility poles would cost about $30,000 and has delayed his awning project; the sign was presented as an interim measure to improve the corner’s appearance in the meantime. Green told the commission they would use art students to "antique" the paint — "they're gonna use, like, a heat gun to, like, make the paint peel," he said.

Commissioners pressed for more information about how similar proposals might affect other downtown walls, how the proposed sign fit within the commission’s square-footage limits and whether painted wall signs should be treated differently from murals on exposed brick. One commissioner said the downtown context matters because some buildings still have unpainted historic brick that the commission seeks to preserve.

After discussion, a commissioner moved to table the application for one month to allow the commission to tour downtown, check signage square footage allowances and consider the broader policy implications; another commissioner seconded the motion. The motion carried on voice vote. The commission will revisit the item at its next meeting and may contact the applicant with questions in the interim.

The outcome: the commission tabled the 550 Front Street painted-sign application for one month pending additional review and data on downtown signage limits and context.