![]() ![]() Fortunately, the museum collection was spared and moved to its current home in Donaldsonville. The museum is dedicated to preserving the history and culture of African Americans tied to the rural communities along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The River Road African American Museum was based at Tezcuco Plantation prior to the 2003 fire that destroyed the historic home. Ladies of the evening would vocally advertise their services from windows on the upper floor. 1850) has at various times served as a saloon and brothel. Of all the buildings in town, this structure was the most visually appealing to me, and I would love to see the property receive its due restoration and preservation. According to the cornerstone, the original 1866 church was rebuilt in 1895. Mayor Pierre Landry was the first pastor of the African American St. 1850) is now the home of internationally-celebrated Cajun chef John Folse. He became one of the city’s most successful businessmen, eventually accumulating fifty properties in town. Lowery was the first African American physician to practice in Ascension Parish. ![]() The 1890 shotgun-style medical office of Dr. This building is the backdrop for a car chase scene in the Bonnie and Clyde mini-series. ![]() The business moved into this building designed in the Italianate architectural style in 1877. In 1836, Jewish businessman Jacob Lemann founded what would become Louisiana’s oldest family-owned department store. Once the site of the 1853 Donaldsonville Market, the setting is now home to paved walkways, landscaped lawns, and a central open-air pavilion. The recently renovated Crescent Park is a waterfront venue based on the original 1806 city plan. His mother’s influence as a storyteller is evidenced in the subjects of work, including Louisiana history, daily life, Bible stories, and stereotypical cultural motifs. ![]() Encouraged by his mother, Alvin began drawing at age three. Batiste is a self-taught folk artist whose prodigious work has earned him renown as Louisiana’s premier primitive artist. My first stop in Donaldsonville was at the studio of Alvin Batiste. I explored historical Donaldsonville over a period of two days, on a combination walking and driving tour. In 1872, local Jewish families built a synagogue, established a cemetery, and founded several prominent businesses. He went on to serve in the Louisiana House of Representatives and Senate. In 1868, attorney, minister, and former slave Pierre Caliste Landry was the first African American elected mayor in the United States. Native Americans, Acadians, Creoles, Spaniards, Italians, and Germans have all played a role in the town’s history. Most of these structures, whether currently occupied or not, survive to this day.ĭonaldsonville also has a notable multicultural history. Shortly thereafter, in April of 1862, New Orleans surrendered to Union forces, and four months later, upon orders of Admiral David Farragut, the city of Donaldsonville was utterly destroyed.Īfter the war, Donaldsonville rose from the ashes and built what many consider to be the finest collection of historical buildings along the Mississippi River north of New Orleans. In 1861, Louisiana seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy. Sprawling cotton and sugar cane plantations lined the banks of the Mississippi River above and below this former state capital. Like most 19th-century southern towns, Donaldsonville’s agricultural economy was dependent on slave labor. As I walked the streets and toured the rustic buildings of this historical Mississippi River port city, I truly felt like I had stepped back in time. This is due to the historical influence of the Roman Catholic church in the state.ĭuring my road trip through Ascension Parish I explored historical Donaldsonville, attended the Gonzales Jambalaya Festival and Jambalaya World Championship, and took side trips to the Cajun Village in Sorrento and the Houmas House in Darrow.ĭonaldsonville, Louisiana, is my kind of town. In case you are wondering, Louisiana is subdivided into districts called parishes, rather than secular counties like the rest of the country. Like Lafayette Parish, the first destination on my recent Louisiana road trip, Ascension is one of 22 parishes in Acadiana, a region of the state with Cajun French population and culture. It straddles the Mississippi River, Interstate 10, and the Airline Highway.
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