Berwick, Louisiana

Berwick, Louisiana
Town
The Southwest Reef Lighthouse
Location of Berwick in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Coordinates: 29°41′53″N91°13′37″W / 29.69806°N 91.22694°W / 29.69806; -91.22694
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	St. Mary
Founded by	Daniel Gray
Area [1]
• Total	6.07 sq mi (15.72 km2)
• Land	5.90 sq mi (15.28 km2)
• Water	0.17 sq mi (0.44 km2)
Elevation	3 ft (0.9 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,771
• Density	808.51/sq mi (312.18/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code	985
FIPS code	22-07100
Website	www.townofberwick.org

Berwick is a town in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,946 at the 2010 census. ^[2] It is part of the Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area.

The town relocated the Southwest Reef Light and has been trying to save the Ship Shoal Light

History

The first white settler to trek through the wilderness in this area was Thomas Berwick. ^[3] He settled along the banks of the Atchafalaya River in the late 18th century. Today the town of Berwick is home to several seafood processing plants and numerous boat companies. ^[4]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.1 square miles (15.7 km²), of which 5.9 square miles (15.3 km²) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km²), or 2.84%, is water. ^[2]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	796		—
1890	769		−3.4%
1900	713		−7.3%
1910	2,183		206.2%
1920	1,691		−22.5%
1930	1,679		−0.7%
1940	1,906		13.5%
1950	2,619		37.4%
1960	3,880		48.1%
1970	4,168		7.4%
1980	4,466		7.1%
1990	4,375		−2.0%
2000	4,418		1.0%
2010	4,946		12.0%
2020	4,771		−3.5%
U.S. Decennial Census [5]

Berwick racial composition as of 2020 ^[6]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	3,601	75.48%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	516	10.82%
Native American	40	0.84%
Asian	26	0.54%
Pacific Islander	3	0.06%
Other/Mixed	190	3.98%
Hispanic or Latino	395	8.28%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,771 people, 1,665 households, and 1,016 families residing in the town.

Notable people

Jenny Craig, weight loss guru and founder of Jenny Craig, Inc., is originally from Berwick.

Education

St. Mary Parish School Board operates public schools:

• Berwick High School
• Berwick Junior High School
• Berwick Elementary School

Media

• KBZE FM urban radio station

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
2. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Berwick town, Louisiana". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
3. Leeper, Clare D'Artois (October 19, 2012). Louisiana Place Names: Popular, Unusual, and Forgotten Stories of Towns, Cities, Plantations, Bayous, and Even Some Cemeteries. LSU Press. p. 40. ISBN   978-0-8071-4740-5.
4. "www.cajuncoast.com "Berwick"". Archived from the original on November 17, 2007. Retrieved November 8, 2007.
5. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
6. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2021.

External links

• Town of Berwick official website