“Steel Magnolias” house on auction block

NATCHITOCHES - A piece of Hollywood history will be sold on the auction block this month.

The Cook-Taylor House - made famous in the film "Steel Magnolias" - will be auctioned off Saturday, Oct. 26 to the highest bidder.

Nationally recognized as a Preserve America Community, a Distinctive Destination and a Great American Main Street, the city of Natchitoches is the picturesque setting for what is fondly known as the "Steel Magnolia House."

The house was built in 1840 by Italian architects Trizini and Soldini and was purchased as a business by Louis Dupleix in what early Natchitoches historian J.H. Cosgrove referred to as a great business spot.

During the Civil War, the home was used for a hospital and it is rumored to have played a part in the Underground Railroad.

The more recent claim to fame of this historic home is the on-site

filming of much of the movie "Steel Magnolias."

Many of the scenes from the movie, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2014, were filmed in the home and in the grand gardens, adding popularity to this already historically significant home and quickly making it the most photographed residence in Natchitoches.

This unique home - resting across the banks of the Historic Cane River- features roughly 5,900 heated square feet of living space, six bedrooms and six baths, as well as a 800-square-foot guesthouse.

Other notable features include circular brick columns along the facade of the home, original wood floors and a grand staircase.

The Oct. 26 auction will be held at 10 a.m. on-site at 320 Jefferson

Street in Natchitoches. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. The auction will also feature antiques, high-end furnishings, movie memorabilia and other items.

For auction and inventory details, photos and terms and conditions,

visit BonnetteAuctions.com. The auction team can be contacted directly at 318-443-6614.