Since the 1880s
Our story
A lakefront resort hotel, a hurricane, a decade of decay — and a restoration that brought it all back.
The property
Rest awhile, indeed
For nearly 140 years, this two-acre parcel on Lake Pontchartrain has been a place to slow down. It began as the Frapart Hotel in the 1880s — the last surviving hotel from Mandeville's resort era — and later served as a retreat for the International Order of the King's Daughters and Sons.
One guest put it best after the restoration: "You have turned a dilapidated building into a restaurant and then into a great local museum."
A brief history
From resort era to restaurant
- 1880s
The Frapart Hotel rises on a two-acre lakefront parcel known as Rest Awhile — ten guest rooms, a wraparound porch, and not a single interior hallway.
- 1900s
Mandeville's resort era. Postcards of Rest Awhile travel the country; the "Shoot-to-Shoot" water slide stands out in the lake.
- Mid-1900s
The property is donated to the International Order of the King's Daughters and Sons and serves as a retreat.
- 2005
Hurricane Katrina devastates the lakefront. The property sits in decay for nearly a decade.
- 2014
Barrett McGuire purchases Rest Awhile. Only three buildings survive: the Frapart (1880s), the Sophie Wright Cottage (1916) and the Hadden Cottage (1850s).
- 2014–2020
After a year of public hearings, a painstaking restoration: the Frapart raised two feet, Sophie raised four, Hadden moved from the rear of the property — each set on a steel cradle over new concrete footings, joined by an elevated deck.
- Late 2020
Restoration finishes and a partnership with Pat Gallagher is formed. Pat's Rest Awhile opens its doors.
From the archives
Postcards home
The restoration
Raised, moved, and saved
Owner Barrett McGuire's philosophy was simple: "Do only what is required — maintain the historic integrity of the original building."
A new kitchen addition and restroom cottage round out the property, and the elevated concrete deck ties every building together over the yard.
Three survivors
The buildings that made it
Frapart Dining Room
Five guest rooms up front, five in back — the original room outlines are traced on the ceiling and floor. The walls hold dozens of enlarged early-1900s Mandeville postcards, and the last known wooden sled from the old "Shoot-to-Shoot" water slide.
Sophie Tavern
The 1916 Sophie Wright Cottage — eight-foot ceilings opened to a 25-foot peak, original beadboard kept, and a roof dormer rebuilt to match a 1920s postcard. The walls carry Mandeville Seafood Festival posters donated by Bill Dobson.
Hadden Cottage
Our oldest building, circa 1850s. Barrett and his sons salvaged original shutters and wood flooring from the property and the neighboring woods after Katrina. Today it hosts private gatherings of up to 35.
The proprietor
Meet Pat
Pat Gallagher's Northshore roots run deep — his grandfather co-founded St. Tammany Hospital, and his father, Coach Hubie Gallagher, is in the Louisiana High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame. Pat opened his first restaurant, The Winner's Circle in Folsom, in 1978, and has been a fixture of Louisiana dining ever since: the old Bechac's on this very lakefront, Gallagher's Restaurant & Bar, Gallagher's on the Lake, Annadelle's, and Maison Lafitte.
His family has served crab cakes and pecan catfish at Jazz Fest for some 15 years, and he was named Louisiana Restaurateur of the Year. Today you can find his cooking at Rest Awhile and at his sister restaurants:
Gallagher's Grill · Pat Gallagher's 527 · Gallagher's on Front Street
Come see it for yourself
The history is on the walls. The sunset is on the deck.