Boyce lies on the Red River and can be explored through its transportation and architectural history. Local history stretches from keelboats and steamboats to the railroad; historic homes and a church add a tangible architectural perspective. If you like to connect your travels with local history, Boyce offers several distinct points of interest.

River History Between Waterways and the Railroad

In the 18th century, keelboats and canoes traveled the Red River, Bayou Rapides, and Bayou Jean de Jean. Cotile Landing, from which Boyce developed, was an important stop for steamboats on the river. One specifically named vessel is the Brian Bonhomme: it was built especially for trade on the Red River and began operating in 1837 under Captain Edwards. In 1880, the Texas and Pacific Railroad laid its tracks through Boyce and made the town its terminus. The sequence from 18th-century water transport through the Brian Bonhomme to the construction of the rail line in 1880 presents three distinct historical points of reference.

Boyce was one of the oldest settlements in western Rapides Parish. The town’s history also includes Henry Boyce, who gave the streets Irish names in 1882. This expands the focus from transportation and river routes to street names and the layout of the town.

Historic Architecture in Boyce and McNutt

The Carnahan House is a one-story, one-and-a-half-story wood-frame house with a wraparound gallery. It has one of the most architecturally notable Eastlake galleries in Boyce, both in size and design. The architectural comparison therefore concerns a specific building feature, while the house’s construction is made tangible by its wood frame, height, and wraparound gallery. For travelers interested in historic architecture, this perspective moves from the house as a whole to one particularly notable detail.

The Boyce Methodist Church is a second architectural point of interest. It is located at 309 Londonderry Ave. and is locally significant under National Register Criterion C for its architectural design. At the Carnahan House, the distinction lies in its Eastlake gallery; at the church, it lies in the design of the building. Thus, a notable architectural feature and a church building that is architecturally significant as a whole stand side by side.

Another historic building stands in rural McNutt near Boyce, on Bayou Rapides: a small, one-room wood-frame schoolhouse on a hill. It is listed under the address of the nearest small town, Boyce. McNutt is the schoolhouse’s location, not the center of Boyce. The distinction between the town and its surroundings helps place this building in its regional architectural context.

The Red River and the Regional Context

The Boyce Recreation Area on the Red River has a two-lane boat launch. The broader regional perspective extends beyond Boyce: early Indigenous groups lived in this part of Louisiana in fertile valleys along rivers and bayous. While Boyce’s transportation history is about waterways, steamboats, and the railroad, this wider context adds a perspective on life in the region’s river valleys.

Discover more destinations: Pineville, Alexandria, Ball

Return to the main travel overview: Rapides Parish.