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Although there are no incorporated municipal areas in St. Bernard Parish the many communities have a rich historical and cultural background. Arabi In the late 1800s St. Bernard Parish had no post offices and depended on the Bywater station in New Orleans for postal service. With a growing community around the stockyards, the parish was looking for independence from this inconvenience. During the same period The Sheik of Arabi, a Turk that the British had installed as the local leader of Egypt, made an attempt at freeing his domain from the British yoke. He failed, but the far-away battles captured the imaginations of many Americans and inspired the name of a small community in Louisiana. Caernarvon The plantation that bore this name was named after a castle or town in northern Wales. Chalmette This community was built on the site of the plantation of Ignance Martin de Lino de Chalmette which was the site of the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. The Chalmette National Park, Monument and Cemetery are now on this site. Chalmette is also the seat of parish government. Delacroix This community is another Isleno settlement on Bayou Terre-Aux Boeufs. Meraux/Docville Joseph Meraux was a prominent citizen of St. Bernard Parish and served as parish Sheriff from 1922 until 1938. He was also called ³Doc² which gives the community its informal second name. Poydras Julian Poydras was a noted philanthropist and LouisianaÆs first poet. He served several times in the state legislature and as the president of the Louisiana Senate. Poydras arrived from France in 1768, made a fortune in sugar cane and his plantation was the last one still operating in the parish when it closed in 1908. Reggio Auguste Reggio owned a plantation here on the Bayou Terre-Aux Boeufs. Sebastopol This community was developed in the 1920s and 1930s and was named after a city on the Crimean Peninsula in Russia. St. Bernard Village This community was named after the patron saint of Bernardo de Galvez. Many families descended from the original Islenos or Canary Islanders still live here. Toca Philipe Toca served the parish as a lawyer, sheriff, coroner, tax collector and judge. Verret Marial Verret was a wealthy sugar plantation owner who lived here in the 19th century. Violet This community was developed from the Livaudais Plantation which was located on the Violet Canal which runs to Lake Borgne. Yscloskey This community was named by the Biloxi Indians who once frequented the area. |
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Unincorporated areas of interest in the parish include Arabi, Campbell, Caernarvon, Chalmette, Contreras, Delacroix, Hopedale, Kenilworth, Mereaux, Mohawk City, Poydras, St. Bernard Post Office, Reggio, Sebastopol, Shell Beach, Story, Toca, Verret, Violet and Yscloskey |
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Unincorporated areas of interest in the parish include xxx xxx and xxx xxx |
Historical Markers |
De La Ronde House Hopedale Sugar Mill Lacoste Plantation Terre-Aux-Bouef |
History | |
| 1805 |
When the Territory of Orleans is divided into counties the present-day St. Bernard Parish is part of Orleans County |
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The St. Bernard Parish School System includes 17 elementary, middle schools and secondary schools and a special education facility. There are seven private and parochial schools in St. Bernard parish to provide an alternative for students not attending public schools. Two schools the Andrew Jackson High Fundamental Magnet and St. Claude Heights Elementary School provide day care after school. All public and private schools are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and the Louisiana Independent School Association. ACT average score is 18.6 for the parishÆs schools. Currently the percentages of graduating seniors attending college are 46.88% for the public schools. Annual cost in public funds to provide schooling is $3,059 per student, with a pupil-to teacher ratio of 17.56:1. Parish enrollment is approximately 9,000 students. |
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Students in St. Bernard High Schools receive credits for work done in area businesses and industries as part of the vocational educational program. Wood-working, welding, shorthand and typing, data processing, art and pottery classes are among the many vocational courses offered at St. Bernard Parish High Schools. Two vocational and technical programs are presently available to residents of St. Bernard Parish. The St. Bernard Parish Community College and the Elaine P. Nunez Vocational Technical School offer a wide range of technical and employment related training programs. Courses are scheduled by both programs in such fields as computer science, welding, refrigeration, machinist, and auto mechanics as well as allied health, clerical and other occupational fields. Adult education is an integral part of the St. Bernard school system. Opportunities are offered to those seeking to complete their high school level education as well as for citizens interested in gaining employment skills or a wider breadth of scholastic attainment. The mentioned school equivalency courses are offered by five area public schools and the Elaine P. Nunez Vocational Technical School in Chalmette, Louisiana which offers a comprehensive curriculum of adult career education in a modern 40,000 sq. ft. facility. Another educational institution operating in the parish is the St. Bernard Parish Community College, providing a two-year curriculum of academic and professional instruction. To assure that new and expanding businesses have a continuing pool of workers with the level of education and expertise necessary for their operations, the area’s colleges and universities, vocational/technical schools and high schools graduate trained and entry-level persons year round. Schools at all levels are augmenting their general education missions with programs explicitly connected with employment possibilities for their students. This is seen in secondary schools in career education curricula and programs such as adopt-a-school through which business contributes resources, curriculum guidance and, in some cases, instruction, counseling and the promise of jobs for graduates. Community colleges are increasing their industry-specific training and colleges and universities are developing partnerships with industry that involve human as well as technological development. |
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Education |
Within an hour and a halfÆs drive of St. Bernard Parish are eleven major colleges or universities. Five of these offer doctoral degrees in the arts, sciences, engineering, medical and legal fields. These universities are nationally and internationally recognized as sponsoring extensive research activities. Tulane University 12 miles Southern Univ. @ New Orleans (SUNO) 12 miles University of New Orleans (UNO) 12 miles LSU Medical Center 12 miles Tulane University Medical Center 12 miles Loyola University 12 miles Xavier University 12 miles Dillard University 12 miles Southeastern Louisiana University (SLU) 80 miles Louisiana State University (LSU) 90 miles Southern University 90 miles |
Director - Ethel B. Llamas 1125 E St. Bernard Hwy. Chalmette, LA 70043-5498 Email - 1 Branch - Ducros Museum St. Bernard Parish enjoys an excellent parish-supported public library system. The library is located in Chalmette, with a head librarian and a staff of thirteen. Volumes in the library total in excess of 100,000, with approximately 700 new additions per month. The facilities offer reading and other reference materials, such as periodicals, films and audio materials for all ages. There is a branch office in the Ducros Museum in the St. Bernard community. A childrenÆs program is available weekly and for special events. The large collections at the nearby university libraries are available to parish residents. Chalmette Battlefield Library Park Ranger Wanda Lee Dickey 8606 W. St. Bernard Hwy. Chalmette, LA 70043 Email - Battle of New Orleans, War of 1812 American Library Directory 1999-2000, R. R. Bowker |
