A newly painted shotgun house stands out on Anderson Street.  

A painting project to liven up the shotgun houses down Anderson Street is just the beginning of more than 70 houses that Henry Mixon plans to paint throughout New Iberia.

Shotgun houses located down Anderson, St. Jude, Lassalle, Washing, Abraham Roy and several other streets are planned to be painted in an array of colorful hues, in what Mixon said is an attempt to celebrate the legacy of his grandfather T.E. Mixon Sr. who first put the houses there.

The project began after local artist and art teacher Paul Schexnayder decided to attempt a painting project on the houses. After teaching at Anderson Middle School for years, Schexnayder said he always thought fresh coats of colorful paint would liven up the community in the area as well as the students who head to school every day.

“I had the idea a long time ago, and thought it would be kind of cool to paint these houses, so we picked out some,” Schexnayder said.

But before the project took full swing, Schexnayder got a call from Mixon who said that he was able to take over the project with a few workers.

Mixon said Monday that he originally painted the shotgun houses for his grandfather as a child.

“I used to paint those houses 50 years ago,” Mixon said. “Paul knows colors so we decided to paint the houses in a way that people would be proud of.”

The Mixon shotgun homes were originally constructed about 65 years ago when T.E. Mixon erected the structures for veterans who returned from World Word II, Mixon said.

“When my grandfather built these, people were proud to live in them,” Mixon said. “I want to bring back that legacy.”

So far, two of the homes on Anderson Street have been completed, with another one near completion. Mixon said he owns a total of 72 shotgun homes across New Iberia and wants to see them all repainted in the color palette chosen by Schexnayder.

Mixon said his workers will have to paint the houses in between grass mowing and other chores, but he is determined to get it done.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” he said.

Schexnayder said the colors for the houses are planned to be in a pattern of five and will be repeated after every five houses.

Mixon said those living in the homes have been happy about the upgrade, and more completed houses can be expected.