The photos below are thumbnails.  Click on them to see a larger photo. 

Ascension Catholic is located in Donaldsonville.  This current building was though begun in 1876 but was not dedicated until 1886.  The original steeple was removed in 1936 after storm damage. 

St. Charles Borromeo is the first church parish established on the east bankof the river which in 1740 consisted of a log church.  A frame church painted red was built in 1806.  This little red church became a famous riverboat landmark.  Located 25 miles upriver from New Orleans this was the point where captians on downriver voyages paid off their crews.

The Locust Grove cemetery contains the grave of Pres. Jefferson's wife Sarah.  She died her while they were visiting some of her relatives.  It is the large tomb to the left in the photo. 

Manresa is the site of the former College of Jefferson, chartered in 1831 to give proper education to the sons of area planters so the would not have to go north or to France for an education.  The college first opened in 1834 and contained a library, a museun of natural history, paintings and several science laboratories.  A fire in 1842 destroyed much of the campus but most was rebuilt.  The college went bankrupted in 1848 but was boughtin 1859 by Valcour Aime, a local planter, and reopened.  At that time Valcour Aime added a beautiful Gothic Revival chapel in memory of his son.  The college operated again until 1862 when the Federal troops occupied the buildings.  In 1864 Aime donated the school to the Marist Fathers and it was renamed St. Mary's Jefferson College and was used as such until 1927.  In 1931 the Jesuit Fathers of New Orleans bought the college, renamed it and started using it at a retreat.  The property is 130 acres and contains live oaks that are nearly 150 years old.  It is very private but is viewed easily from the road.

St. Philip is in located in Vacharie and was established in 1873.  I do not have any history on the original church building.  The present church and other building were built in 1921.

Poplar Grove is in Port Allen and is located on the plantation by the same name.  There are other unrestored building also on this site but they are fenced and private, as is the plantation home.

St. Joseph Catheral is in downtown Baton Rouge.  In the early 1800's there was a small church here that was used by both the Catholics and the Protestants.

The present St. James Catholic church was built in 1929.  The first St. James church was known as St. Jacques de Cabahanoce when it was built in 1771.  But that church site is now in the river!  The church was replaced in 1841 by a fancy brick structure with 3 steeples.  During 1918-19 the river levee was moved and came so close to the front of the building the steps landed on the road.  When a new levee was built in 1929 the old building could not be moved so the present one was built. 

The cemetery now located across the road dates from the original church.  Over the years the cemetery has lost many graves to the river.  But there still remains many of the old graves of the plantation owners.  The first Acadians to this area of Louisiana settled here in 1765 and it was known as the Acadian Coast.  Note the live oak trees drapped with Spanish moss.