Cypress wood was a very valuable commodity for early settlers in this region because old-growth cypress was easily worked, highly valuable, and resistant to rot. It was widely used to build homes and other structures throughout south Louisiana, and its durability helped preserve much of the region’s distinctive early architecture in homes, churches, and cultural centers. Most cypress logging took place between 1889 and 1930, when millions of swamp acres produced hundreds of millions of harvested board feet for construction. Although logging was difficult, loggers cleared vast areas of Louisiana swampland very effectively. Many swamps now visible in south Louisiana are made up of smaller trees that regenerated after the peak logging years. In Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge, remnants of the cypress swamps that once stood there remain in the form of stumps and rotting cypress knees, part of the tree’s root and support structure, while remnant trees that escaped cutting are usually hollow.