As of the 2010 census, its population was 711.[4] The 2018 median household income was $52,292 above the state's average.[5]
History
Manresa House of Retreats (formerly Jefferson College) in 1934
The area now known as Convent was originally settled between 1722 and 1739 and called Baron.[6] The town’s name derives from the Convent of the Sacred Heart, established in 1825 by the Religious of the Sacred Heart, who operated a girls’ school until 1932.[7]
St. Michael Parish, founded in 1809, is among the oldest Catholic parishes in Louisiana. The present church, built in 1833 and enlarged in the 1870s, features Romanesque and Gothic architectural elements and includes a Lourdes Grotto constructed in 1876.[8] The church and its associated historic district are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[9]
Jefferson College, chartered in 1831 and opened in 1834, operated under several names before closing in 1928. The campus was occupied by Union troops during the Civil War and later donated to the Marist Fathers. In 1931, it became the Manresa House of Retreats, a Jesuit retreat center that remains active today.[10] The main building, rebuilt after an 1842 fire, is an example of Greek Revival architecture.[11]
The community’s history is closely tied to sugar plantation culture, and records indicate that both the convent and college relied on enslaved labor during the antebellum period.[12]
On February 23, 2016, an EF-3 tornado struck the area, causing severe damage at the Sugar Hill RV Park, killing two people and injuring dozens.[13]
Convent CDP, Louisiana – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the U.S. Census Bureau treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
At the 2010 census, it had a population of 711; in 2020, its population declined to 483.
Industry
Convent’s economy has historically centered on petrochemical and heavy industry along the Mississippi River. The most notable facility was the Shell Convent Refinery, which processed up to 239,000 barrels per day of crude oil and employed over 1,000 workers.[22] In 2020, Shell permanently closed the refinery after failing to find a buyer, citing market conditions and its shift toward renewable energy.[23]
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