About

Ravi Daggula, the owner of several historic properties near downtown Lafayette including the Mouton Plantation, The Nickerson House, and Esprit de Coeur, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss his journey. He is also a Developer of the newly built Vermilion Lofts situated at Johnston and Vermilion Streets. Ravi is a native of India. He moved to Lafayette to attend UL-Lafayette while he studied computer engineering. He has made Lafayette his home. Ravi’s interest in restoring historic properties and his dedication to offering beautiful event venues for downtown and North Lafayette is inspirational. While he was originally encouraged by others to invest in Lafayette's southside, Ravi felt his calling was to pour his energy into the northside. "I took it one step at a time. I wasn't looking for other projects but other projects came to me!" Ravi believes that once you hit 35 years of age, you will know your calling. After he graduated, he worked at several jobs and eventually realized that real estate was his calling. He harkened back to his early days in the workforce, during 2003 and 2004, when he didn't have a car and relied on cabs. His cab driver would shuttle him by the Mouton House to pick up more customers while Ravi was sleeping in the car. Once he was able to buy a vehicle he would still pass by the property because he liked it so much. Fast forward to 2016, and his banker encouraged him to invest in a bed and breakfast because it would be a successful entity in this area. Given his love for the Mouton Plantation and finding out that the price was right, he realized this would be a good fit for investment. At that time, however, he was more into buying and flipping real estate. Once he owned the Mouton Plantation though he also felt and saw the bigger picture, the bigger purpose in his life. "The Mouton Plantation has made me be the man I am today. Lafayette has helped me be where I am. This is my way of giving something back. I didn't know that at the beginning." The Mouton Plantation was built in 1820, one of the first five homes built in its genre that are still in existence in Lafayette. (Cafe Vermilionville's structure is older.) The historic Charles Mouton Plantation House circa 1820 is one of only five properties of its era still in existence. It is a popular venue as a bed and breakfast and special events. It was hard to run a bed and breakfast at the beginning, but "the house provided." There is good energy in the house and most of Ravi's meetings in the house were so successful that they led to other successful projects. Ravi believes with historic properties, you are just a temporary caretaker of the house.....you hold the baton and at some point, you will pass on the baton to others. He invites everyone to his properties with respect and dignity, especially descendants of plantation slaves who originally made the properties successful. You must listen to his words to understand the impact of his love and his heart for the best interest of others. Very few people in our area know the history of the historic Sterling Grove neighborhood and Ravi encourages all to visit and learn more. His second historic purchase was the Nickerson House and the owners knew of his intent to revitalize the area. The renovation is almost over, and Nickerson will be fully renovated by the end of September 2021. It is already booked through October, November, and December of this year. It offers seven acres of land for catered events and weddings. Ravi Daggula works hands-on at his historic properties, including the historic Nickerson House at 310 N. Sterling Street, Lafayette LA 70501. Photo on the right of Ravi is by Brad Bowie of The Acadiana Advocate. When we spoke of how these historic properties have survived enumerable hurricanes and floods, Ravi explained that they were built in the "path of the wind" (to be able to withstand high force winds and not fight the wind...