St. Francisville | |
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Town | |
Town of St. Francisville | |
![]() One of several former plantation houses near St. Francisville | |
![]() Location of St. Francisville in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. | |
![]() Location of Louisiana in the United States | |
Coordinates: 30°47′05″N91°22′50″W / 30.78472°N 91.38056°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Louisiana |
Parish | West Feliciana |
Established | 1807 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Bobbee Leake |
Area | |
• Total | 1.84 sq mi (4.77 km2) |
• Land | 1.82 sq mi (4.73 km2) |
• Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2) |
Elevation | 148 ft (45 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,557 |
• Density | 853.15/sq mi (329.32/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
ZIP Code | 70775 |
Area code | 225 |
FIPS code | 22-67215 |
GNIS feature ID | 2407267 [2] |
Website | stfrancisville |
St. Francisville is a town in and the parish seat of, West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States. [3] The population was 1,557 at the 2020 census. [4] It is part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area.
The current town of St. Francisville was established on May 11, 1807, by John H. Johnson, and was originally known as the Villa of St. Francis. A number of historic structures from that period still exist. Called "the town two miles long and two yards wide" because it was developed atop a narrow ridge overlooking the Mississippi River, it was the commercial and cultural center of the surrounding plantation country. Below St. Francisville's bluffs, another early settlement called Bayou Sara had been established by French colonists in the early 1790s. It was at one time the largest antebellum Mississippi River port between New Orleans and Memphis, but was superseded by Natchez. The settlement was gradually destroyed by repeated flooding and fires, and nothing exists of Bayou Sara today. A few of its surviving structures were hauled up the hill into St. Francisville in the 1920s. [ citation needed ] This area and other former French-controlled territories east of the Mississippi River was taken over by Great Britain after it defeated France in the Seven Years' War in 1763.
At the end of the American Revolutionary War, Great Britain ceded what it called West Florida to Spain in 1783, as part of the Treaty of Paris. There were years of contention as to exactly where the eastern boundary of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase was—depending on which treaty was cited, as France, Great Britain, and Spain had redrawn the boundaries among themselves during the second half of the 18th century. Spain continued to claim territory on the eastern side of the Mississippi River until it and the United States settled this issue in the Pinckney Treaty. This region is today called the Florida Parishes.
In 1810, St. Francisville served as the capital of the Republic of West Florida, when area planters ousted the Spanish government of the Baton Rouge District and set up their own independent republic for 74 days, before being annexed to the Territory of Orleans, as a possession of the United States.
In 1824, when Feliciana Parish was split into East and West, St. Francisville became the seat of West Feliciana Parish's government.
In June 1863, Confederate Army officer William Walter Leake arranged for the burial here of Union Navy officer John E. Hart, who had died aboard his ship while taking part in the Union blockade of the Mississippi River. This event is re-enacted every June during a three-day commemoration called "The Day the War Stopped." [5]
After the American Civil War, some Jewish emigrants fleeing religious persecution in Germany settled here. They made important contributions to commerce in the lean years following the war. Becoming successful merchants, they provided credit when the banks failed and built impressive Victorian homes, such as the Wolf-Schlessinger House. It is now operated as the St. Francisville Inn Bed and Breakfast. [ citation needed ]
In recent years, community efforts have focused on restoration and preservation of the town's historic homes. St. Francisville is a popular tourist destination, with a number of restored historic plantations open for tours, including Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site, Audubon State Historic Site, Butler Greenwood Plantation, the Myrtles, and the Cottage Plantation, as well as several antebellum gardens.
In June 2011, the John James Audubon Bridge was constructed as the new crossing of the Mississippi River. This was the successor to the ferry three miles up-river. It connected New Roads to St. Francisville via Louisiana highway 10. Louisiana 10 then connected to US-61, three miles south of St. Francisville. On the opposite side of the bridge, Louisiana 10 crosses into Pointe Coupee Parish and connects with Louisiana highway 1 to connect New Roads to St. Francisville.
In May 2011, low-lying parts of Saint Francisville flooded in the Mississippi River floods of that year. [6]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2), all land.
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1850 | 405 | — | |
1880 | 721 | — | |
1890 | 950 | 31.8% | |
1900 | 1,059 | 11.5% | |
1910 | 966 | −8.8% | |
1920 | 673 | −30.3% | |
1930 | 830 | 23.3% | |
1940 | 821 | −1.1% | |
1950 | 936 | 14.0% | |
1960 | 1,661 | 77.5% | |
1970 | 1,603 | −3.5% | |
1980 | 1,471 | −8.2% | |
1990 | 1,700 | 15.6% | |
2000 | 1,712 | 0.7% | |
2010 | 1,765 | 3.1% | |
2020 | 1,557 | −11.8% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [7] |
Race | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic) | 1,061 | 68.14% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 339 | 21.77% |
Native American | 3 | 0.19% |
Asian | 10 | 0.64% |
Pacific Islander | 2 | 0.13% |
Other/Mixed | 76 | 4.88% |
Hispanic or Latino | 66 | 4.24% |
St. Francisville first appeared in the 1850 U.S. census with a total recorded population of 405. [9]
At the 2020 United States census, there were 1,557 people, 762 households, and 395 families residing in the town. The racial and ethnic makeup of the town was 71.0% White, 27.0% Black and African American, 0.6% some other race, and 1.4% two or more races at the 2019 American Community Survey. [10] The median household income was $53,864 and 14.8% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.
At the 2000 United States census, [11] there were 1,712 people, 693 households, and 456 families residing in the town. The population density was 936.9 inhabitants per square mile (361.7/km2). There were 783 housing units at an average density of 428.5 per square mile (165.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 71.03% White, 27.22% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.06% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.93% of the population.
There were 693 households, out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $42,262, and the median income for a family was $54,333. Males had a median income of $41,563 versus $25,083 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,639. About 5.8% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under the age of 18 and 12.4% of those 65 and older.
West Feliciana Parish Public Schools serves the city. All of the public schools in the parish are located in unincorporated areas.
Julius Freyhan High School, the first public school in St. Francisville, was named after Jewish businessman Julius Freyhan. After his 1904 death, Freyhan bequeathed $8,000 (about $260,000 in today's currency) to have it built. [12] ) Freyhan High was built in 1907. [13] The school was later rebuilt and renamed after him and it served the community until the early 1950s. As of 2013 it is being restored to serve as a community center and a museum. [12]
The West Feliciana Parish Library is located in St. Francisville. [14] In 1996 the library moved into its current facility, a former U.S. post office at 11865 Ferdinand Street. The library, previously a part of the Audubon Regional Library System, became independent in January 2004. [15]
West Feliciana Parish is in the service area of Baton Rouge Community College. [16]
The United States Postal Service operates the St. Francisville Post Office. [17]
West Feliciana Sports Park, part of West Feliciana Parish Parks and Recreation, is a 250-acre area that offers baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, softball and tennis. The facility also has a rodeo area, walking paths, hiking paths and bike paths. [18] The park hosts the home course for the Southern Jaguars and Lady Jaguars cross country teams. [19]
Wilkinson County is a county located in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of 2020, its population was 8,587. Its county seat is Woodville. Bordered by the Mississippi River on the west, the county is named for James Wilkinson, a Revolutionary War military leader and first governor of the Louisiana Territory after its acquisition by the United States in 1803.
West Feliciana Parish is a civil parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 census, the population was 15,310. The parish seat is St. Francisville. The parish was established in 1824.
West Baton Rouge Parish is one of the sixty-four parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Established in 1807, its parish seat is Port Allen. With a 2020 census population of 27,199 residents, West Baton Rouge Parish is part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area.
St. John the Baptist Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 census, the population was 42,477. The parish seat is Edgard, an unincorporated area, and the largest city is LaPlace, which is also unincorporated.
St. James Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Convent. The parish was created in 1807. St. James Parish is a part of the New Orleans–Metairie, Louisiana metropolitan statistical area, sitting between New Orleans and Baton Rouge on the Mississippi River. According to the 2020 United States census, the population was 20,192.
St. Helena Parish is a parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 United States census, the population was 10,920. Its seat is Greensburg. The parish was created in 1810. St. Helena Parish is part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan area.
Pointe Coupee Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,758. The parish seat is New Roads.
East Feliciana Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 census, the population was 19,531. The parish seat is Clinton.
East Baton Rouge Parish is the most populous parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its population was 456,781 at the 2020 census. The parish seat is Baton Rouge, Louisiana's state capital. East Baton Rouge Parish is located within the Greater Baton Rouge area.
Concordia Parish borders the Mississippi River in eastern central Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,687. The parish seat is Vidalia. The parish was formed in 1807.
Jackson is a town in East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,842 at the 2010 U.S. census, down from 4,130 in 2000; the 2020 population estimates program determined Jackson had a population of 3,707. It is part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area.
Slaughter is a town in East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 997 at the 2010 U.S. census, down from 1,011 at the 2000 U.S. census. At the 2020 population estimates program, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated 882 people lived in the township. Slaughter is part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area.
St. Gabriel is a city in Iberville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The city of St. Gabriel includes the Carville neighborhood and portions of Sunchine. Part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area, it had a population of 6,677 at the 2010 U.S. census, and 6,433 at the 2020 census.
White Castle is a town in Iberville Parish, Louisiana, United States. At the 2010 U.S. census the town population was 1,883, and 1,640 at the 2020 population estimates program. It is part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan area.
Port Allen is a city in, and the parish seat of, West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States. Located on the west bank of the Mississippi River, it is bordered by Interstate 10 and US Highway 190. The population was 4,939 in 2020. It is part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area.
The Florida Parishes, on the east side of the Mississippi River—an area also known as the Northshore or Northlake region—are eight parishes in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Louisiana.
The Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area, as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget, or simply the Baton Rouge metropolitan area or Greater Baton Rouge, is a sprawling metropolitan statistical area surrounding the city of Baton Rouge. Including the western edge of the Florida Parishes regions, it is known as "Plantation Country", the "Capital Region", and "The 225". At the 2010 U.S. census, the metropolitan area had a population of 802,484, up from 705,973 in 2000. At the 2020 census, its population increased to 870,569, up from 2020 estimates at 858,571.
Feliciana Parish, or New Feliciana, French: Paroisse de Félicianne, was a parish of the Territory of Orleans and the state of Louisiana, formed in 1810 from West Florida territory. Given an increase in population, it was divided in 1824 into East Feliciana Parish and West Feliciana Parish.
Louisiana Highway 66 (LA 66) is a state highway located in southeastern Louisiana. It runs 19.62 miles (31.58 km) in a general east–west direction from the main entrance of the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola to a junction with U.S. Highway 61 (US 61) north of St. Francisville.
Bains is an unincorporated community in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States. Its elevation is 187 feet.