Church Point (french: Pointe-à-l'Église) is a town in
Acadia Parish
Acadia Parish (french: link=no, Paroisse de l'Acadie) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 57,576. The parish seat is Crowley. The parish was founded from parts of St. Landry Parish in ...
,
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
, United States. The population was 4,560 at the
2010 census.
It is part of the
Crowley
Crowley may refer to:
Places
* Crowley, Mendocino County, California, an unincorporated community
*Crowley County, Colorado
* Crowley, Colorado, a town in Crowley County
*Crowley, Louisiana, a city
* Crowley, Oregon (disambiguation)
* Crowley, Te ...
Micropolitan Statistical Area. Church Point is known as the Buggy Capital of the World as it used to be host to the annual Buggy Festival which has since gone defunct.
History
In the late 18th century, French settlers from Nova Scotia (Acadie) Canada, created clearings by burning the underbrush, leaving what they called a ''brûlé'', or "burn", much as the
Native Americans in the area had created a "burn" to promote new grass to attract
bison and other grazing and browsing animals.
One of these clearings was created on a slough off Bayou Mermentau, near where the slough came to a point. This new clearing became known as Plaquemine Brûlé in 1843 when Etienne d'Aigle III, a descendant of immigrants from Quebec, became the first settler in the area, which at that time was in the middle of Opelousas Parish (later
St. Landry Parish
St. Landry Parish (french: Paroisse de Saint-Landry) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 83,384. The parish seat is Opelousas. The parish was established in 1807.
St. Landry Parish co ...
), which stretched from the
Atchafalaya River
The Atchafalaya River ( french: La Rivière Atchafalaya, es, Río Atchafalaya) is a distributary of the Mississippi River and Red River in south central Louisiana in the United States. It flows south, just west of the Mississippi River, and ...
to the
Sabine River.
''Plaquemine'' is an
Atakapa word for the native Louisiana
persimmon
The persimmon is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus '' Diospyros''. The most widely cultivated of these is the Oriental persimmon, ''Diospyros kaki'' ''Diospyros'' is in the family Ebenaceae, and a number of non-per ...
. The French term ''Plaquemine Brûlé'' is translated into English as "Burnt Persimmon" - a result of the burning of the brush and other woody growth, which apparently contained persimmon trees, during the widening of a slough off Bayou Mermentau to accommodate barge travel for local farmers.
As more families were attracted to the area, Jesuit missionaries fulfilled their spiritual needs by establishing a chapel in 1848 on land donated by the d'Aigle brothers Etienne (III) and Joseph ("José"). The church was known as ''La Chapelle de la pointe de Plaquemine Brûlé'' (in English, "The Church at the point of Burnt Persimmon"). The English term was later shortened to "Church Point" to refer to the spire on top of the church which could be seen, and traversed to, for miles in this frontier area, and translated back into French as ''La Pointe de l'Eglise''.
"Plaquemine Brûlé was considered part of the frontier for the next several decades, as there were no railroads and the swampy terrain made overland travel difficult. Early pioneers to the area requested land grants along the bayou only large enough to satisfy their families' immediate needs. Many families raised cattle, which roamed freely on the open range of the prairie."
The town's first school was established in 1856, providing encouragement for the community to grow further. The first post office for the town of "Church Point" was established in the area on September 29, 1873, marking the settlement's first official recognition as a community. Thirteen years later, residents of the town voted with those of surrounding communities to form a new parish known as
Acadia
Acadia (french: link=no, Acadie) was a colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the The Maritimes, Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. During much of the 17t ...
.
Geography
Church Point is located at (30.404592, -92.216893).
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
, the town has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
As of the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 4,179 people, 1,823 households, and 1,064 families residing in the town.
Economy
As
Interstate 10 and
Interstate 49
Interstate 49 (I-49) is a north–south Interstate Highway that exists in multiple segments: the original portion entirely within the state of Louisiana with an additional signed portion extending from I-220 in Shreveport to the Arkansas st ...
are less than from town, many of the people who live in Church Point work in larger surrounding communities. Many of those who work in the area are farmers, growing rice, soybeans, corn,
milo
Milo may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Milo'' (magazine), a strength sports magazine
*'' Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze'', a 2011 children's novel by Alan Silberberg
* ''Milo'' (video game), a first-person adventure-puzzle computer ga ...
, sugarcane or
crawfish.
Church Point is home Church Point Wholesale, a grocery distributor that transports goods in the southern United States. Also, Richard’s Cajun Foods, who has called Church Point its home since 1981, creates a variety of smoked meats and pre-packaged Cajun meat mixes that is in stores around the United States. Since 2021, Cajun Family Traditions, owned by the original Richard’s Cajun Foods owners, also has ties to the Cajun meat industry and delivers their foods regionally at this time.
Arts and culture
Since 1981, the Acadia St. Landry Medical Foundation, which supports the Acadia St. Landry Hospital, has organized an annual Buggy Festival held in Church Point on the first weekend in June. The town was chosen because residents had used buggies as their main means of transportation until the early 1950s, earning Church Point the nickname "Buggy Capital of the world" in 1927.
In its first 25 years, the festival earned over $440,000 in profits, which were distributed among the hospital, the parks department of the city of Church Point, and various civic organizations. Two scholarships are also awarded annually.
The festival, which includes a Sunday parade, gives visitors the opportunity to explore various
horse-drawn vehicles.
Cajun music
Cajun music (french: Musique cadienne), an emblematic music of Louisiana played by the Cajuns, is rooted in the ballads of the French-speaking Acadians of Canada. Although they are two separate genres, Cajun music is often mentioned in tandem ...
ians perform throughout the weekend, while
Cajun cuisine
Cajun cuisine (french: cuisine cadienne , es, cocina acadiense) is a style of cooking developed by the Cajun–Acadians who were deported from Acadia to Louisiana during the 18th century and who incorporated West African, French and Spanish c ...
is featured. The festival also often includes a French speaking contest and a Cajun French accordion contest.
Each year the town holds a ''
Courir de Mardi Gras
The ( ) is a traditional Mardi Gras event held in many Cajun and Creole communities of French Louisiana on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. is Louisiana French for "Fat Tuesday Run". This rural Mardi Gras celebration is based on early begging ...
''.
In 1987 Church Point established a relationship with
Church Point, Nova Scotia
Church Point (French: ''Pointe-de-l'Église'') is an unincorporated community located on Saint Mary's Bay in the District of Clare, Digby County, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Local facilities
Church Point is home to Université Sainte-Anne (about f ...
, bringing about a revival of interest in its French culture.
The town now proudly calls itself the "Cajun Music Capital of the World", based on "having the greatest number of professional Cajun musicians of any place on earth".
A different Cajun musician is honored each year on Cajun Day, the second Sunday in November.
Among the many professional musicians, Church Point is also the origin of the multi-media recording artist, musician, and composer
Fabian Thibodeaux (professionally known as "Isadar") and his oldest brother, organist Dexter Thibodeaux. Isadar's award-winning music covers a wide range of genres and styles including Pop, Dance, Adult Contemporary, Solo Piano, New Age, Classical, and Jazz. He has also produced Cajun music in the past and comes from a family with a rich musical lineage reaching back two generations of Church Point residents.
Iry LeJeune
Ira "Iry" LeJeune (October 27, 1928 Cajun Music a Reflection of the People – October 8, 1955) was one of the best selling and most popular Cajun musicians in the mid to late 1940s into the early 1950s.
His recordings and repertoire remai ...
Born in Church Point, October 28, 1929. One of the most popular Cajun musicians in the mid to late 1940s into the early 1950s.
Boozoo Chavis
Wilson Anthony "Boozoo" Chavis (pronounced CHAY-viss) (October 23, 1930 – May 5, 2001) was an American accordion player, singer, songwriter and bandleader. He was one of the pioneers of zydeco, the fusion of Cajun and blues music develop ...
Born in Church Point, October 23, 1930. Accordion player, singer, songwriter and bandleader. Boozoo Chavis was one of the pioneers of zydeco music.
Rosie Ledet
Rosie Ledet (born Mary Roszela Bellard; October 25, 1971) is an American Creole Zydeco accordion player and singer.
Her songs are known for their sultry and suggestive lyrics. She tours and records with her band, the Zydeco Playboys.
Biograph ...
Born Mary Roszela Bellard, in Church Point, October 25, 1971. An American Creole, Zydeco Accordian player and singer. She is currently playing with her band, The Zydeco Playboys.
Government
Church Point is organized under the Louisiana Lawrason Act and is governed by an elected mayor and five members of the Board of Aldermen. These officials are responsible for implementing and carrying out laws for the advancement of interest, welfare, health, comfort, safety, and convenience of the community and its citizens. Elections are held every four years, with candidates taking office on the first day of July following the election and remaining in power for the next four years.
The current mayor of Church Point is:
*Ryan "Spanky" Meche (R), a local businessowner and entrepreneur
Aldermen include:
*Christine Simeon (D) - District 1
*Nelson "Kim" Cormier (D) - District 2
*Patrick "Pat" O'Pry (I) - District 3
*Christopher "Chris" LeBas (R) - District 4
*Errol "Slu" Comeaux (D) - District 5
Chief of Police of Church Point is:
*Dale Thibodeaux (NP), former police officer for the Church Point Police Department and the Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Department.
Non-elected leadership positions include:
*Raymond Ledoux - Fire Chief, Church Point Volunteer Fire Department
*Anthony Jones - Street Commissioner, Church Point Street Department
*Keith LeJeune - Wastewater Superintendent, Church Point Wastewater Department
*Johnathon Murphy - Superintendent, Church Point Water Works Department
*Tyrone Wheeler - Parks Director, Church Point Parks & Recreations Department
*Patrick Duplechin - Recreations Director, Church Point Parks & Recreations Department
Education
Public
* Church Point High School (9-12)
* Church Point Middle School (6-8)
* Church Point Elementary (PK-5)
Private
* Our Mother of Peace Elementary (PK4-8)
Athletics
The town of Church Point has one high school, which fields these sports:
Church Point High School
* Men's Football (Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Freshman)
* Men's Baseball (Varsity)
* Men's Basketball (Varsity)
* Men's Wrestling (Varsity)
* Men's Powerlifting (Varsity)
* Women's Softball (Varsity)
* Women's Basketball (Varsity)
* Women's Volleyball (Varsity, Junior Varsity)
* Men's and Women's Track and Field
(Not including club sports)
NFL Wide Receiver
Mark Carrier was born in Church Point, October 28, 1965. Mark was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the third round of the 1987 NFL Draft, 57th overall. He was a 3 sport athlete at Church Point High School, playing football, basketball and track. Carrier went on to play college football at Nicholls State University.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball assistant head coach and former
Nicholls Colonels baseball
The Nicholls Colonels baseball team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. The team is a member of the Southland Conference, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ...
head coach
Seth Thibodeaux
Seth Thibodeaux (born 1980) is an American baseball coach and former catcher. He currently is assistant coach for the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns. He played college baseball at LSU Eunice from 1999 to 2000 before transferring to William Carey, wher ...
is originally from Church Point. He was the head coach at Nicholls from 2011 until 2021 and began his tenure at Louisiana in 2022. He has an overall career record of 229-220-1 and has reached the
Southland Conference
The Southland Conference, abbreviated as SLC, is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States (specifically Texas and Louisiana). It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it ...
baseball tournament four times in his head coaching job.
The Town of Church Point also hosts recreational softball and baseball during the spring time as well as FNA, Football N' America, a youth flag football league created by
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees i ...
during the summer and fall.
Church Point's FNA is one of the first leagues to be played in a small town.
References
External links
Town of Church Point official website
{{authority control
Towns in Acadia Parish, Louisiana
Towns in Louisiana
Populated places established in 1843
1843 establishments in Louisiana