Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve

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Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
BaratariaPreserve.JPG
Barataria Preserve
Map showing the location of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
Map showing the location of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
LocationSouth Louisiana
Nearest cityNew Orleans and Lafayette, Louisiana
Coordinates29°56′33″N 89°59′39″W / 29.94250°N 89.99417°W / 29.94250; -89.99417Coordinates: 29°56′33″N 89°59′39″W / 29.94250°N 89.99417°W / 29.94250; -89.99417
Area25,876 acres (104.72 km2)
21,081 acres (8,531 ha) federal
EstablishedMarch 4, 1907
Visitors456,666 (in 2017)[1]
Governing bodyNational Park Service
WebsiteJean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (French: Parc historique national et réserve Jean Lafitte) protects the natural and cultural resources of Louisiana's Mississippi River Delta region. It is named after French pirate Jean Lafitte and consists of six separate sites and a park headquarters.

Acadiana[]

Three sites interpret the Cajun culture of the Lafayette (southern Louisiana) area, which developed after Acadians were resettled in the region following their expulsion from Canada (1755–1764) by the British, and the transfer of French Louisiana to Spain in the aftermath of the French and Indian War.

  • Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette
  • Prairie Acadian Cultural Center in Eunice, obtained through the work of Mayor [2]
  • Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Thibodaux

Nature preserve[]

Barataria Unit of Jean Lafitte Historical Park Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
JLBaratariaPreserve.JPG
Coordinates29°47′56″N 90°07′24″W / 29.79882°N 90.12341°W / 29.79882; -90.12341
Area1,855 acres (751 ha)
NRHP reference No.66000966[3]
Added to NRHPOctober 15, 1966
Sunset in Barataria Preserve, Louisiana

The Barataria Preserve in Marrero interprets the natural and cultural history of the region. The preserve has trails and canoe tours through bottomland hardwood forests, swamps, and marsh. An Education Center provides curriculum-based programming for school groups and a visitor center with a film and exhibits. The 1,855 acres (751 ha) Barataria area comprises 63 contributing properties and was added as a historic district on October 15, 1966.[3][4][5]

Chalmette unit[]

See also: Chalmette National Cemetery

Chalmette, Louisiana is six miles (10 km) southeast of New Orleans, the site of the Chalmette Battlefield and National Cemetery where the 1815 Battle of New Orleans took place. The national cemetery was established after the American Civil War and holds the remains of Civil War casualties and veterans, as well as the remains of soldiers from the Indian Wars of the late 19th century, the Spanish–American War, the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. There are few graves from the Battle of New Orleans. In 1908 the 100 foot tall Chalmette Monument was completed to commemorate the Battle of New Orleans.

A visitor center offers exhibits and information and is located near the battleground obelisk. Hurricane Katrina destroyed the visitor center in 2005, but a replacement has since been constructed.

Chalmette Monument
Line Jackson

New Orleans unit[]

The park operates a French Quarter Visitor Center at 419 Decatur Street (New Orleans), in the historic French Quarter. It interprets more generally the history of New Orleans and the diverse cultures of Louisiana's Mississippi River Delta region.

The headquarters of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve are located in New Orleans.

Administrative history[]

Kenta Canal at Barataria Preserve, Louisiana

Chalmette Monument and Grounds were established on March 4, 1907, to commemorate the site of the Battle of New Orleans. It was transferred from the War Department to the National Park Service on August 10, 1933, and re-designated as Chalmette National Historical Park on August 10, 1939.

The Chalmette site and the Barataria Preserve were both listed on the National Register of Historic Places October 15, 1966.[3]

The Chalmette site was later incorporated into the multi-site Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, which was authorized on November 10, 1978.

See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
  • New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park

References[]

  1. ^ "National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics". National Park Service. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  2. ^ "Living Legends: Curtis Joubert". acadianmuseum.com. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  4. ^ "Barataria Unit Historic District" (PDF). State of Louisiana's Division of Historic Preservation. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  5. ^ Dr. Barbara Holmes (July 19, 1988). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Historic District, Barataria Unit, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park". National Park Service. Retrieved June 26, 2018. With 45 photos from 1988.
  • The National Parks: Index 2001-2003. Washington: U.S. Department of the Interior.

External links[]

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