St. Augustine’s Catholic Church
St. Augustine Church was established in 1841 by Free People of Color. It is the oldest Black Catholic parish in the United States, and one of the first 26 sites designated on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail. The property on which Saint Augustine Church stands was part of the original Claude Treme plantation estate. […]
St. Patrick’s Catholic Church
The establishment of St. Patrick’s Church shows how language can be a driving force for the establishment of a church community. It also tells an interesting story about the changing social function of a space over time. History of Old St. Patricks Church Standing as a National Historic Landmark in the heart of the business […]
St. Martin de Tours
Referred to as the Mother Church of the Acadians, the art and architecture of St. Martin de Tours reveals the inseparability of religious, ethnic, and national identity as well as the role of the “secular” things (like language, nation, and state) in shaping religious identity. Established in 1765 in Saint Martinville, Louisiana, St. Martin de […]
B’nai Zion Congregation
Founded in 1861, the B’nai Zion Congregation is one of the oldest Jewish communities in Louisiana. The art and architecture of B’nai Zion and its cemeteries tell a story of civic leadership, acceptance, and growth, as well as one challenged by assimilation, antisemitism, and stagnation. The B’nai Zion Congregation is a charter member of the […]