Loreauville

Loreauville is a village in Iberia Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 887 at the 2010 census,[2] down from 938 at the 2000 census. It is part of the New Iberia micropolitan statistical area, and the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area.

Loreauville was initially called "Fausse Pointe", then "Dugasville" after the Dugas family, who opened a trading post at the site. The name was changed to "Picouville" when a Picou family member donated land to build a chapel.

On April 15, 1871, the name was changed from Picouville to Loreauville for Ozaire Loreau, who had contributed the property for the old Catholic church and cemetery, and had also aided in the agricultural, industrial and political growth of the village.

Loreauville is located in northern Iberia Parish at 30°3′34″N 91°44′13″W  /  30.05944°N 91.73694°W  / 30.05944; -91.73694 (30.059388, -91.736830),[3] on the east side of Bayou Teche. It is 8 miles (13 km) northeast of New Iberia, the parish seat of Iberia Parish and 9 miles (14 km) southeast of St. Martinville, the parish seat of St. Martin Parish.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.45 square miles (1.2 km2), of which 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2), or 1.45% are water.[2]

The following hurricanes have impacted the village of Loreauville:

As of the census of 2010, there were 887 people, 341 households, and 231 families living in the village. There were 394 housing units, of which 53, or 13.5%, were vacant.[5] The racial makeup of the village was 76.9% white, 21.9% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% some other race, and 0.6% from two or more races. 1.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[5]

Of the 341 households in the village, 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were headed by married couples living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60, and the average family size was 3.19.[5] 27.1% of residents in the village were under the age of 18, 9.3% were from age 18 to 24, 26.5% were from 25 to 44, 21.1% were from 45 to 64, and 16.0% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.[5]

Additional information is available through the American Community Survey, most recently released for 2012 through 2016. During this period, 63% of all housing units were single-unit structures, 23% were mobile homes, and 14% were multi-unit structures. 13% of the housing units had been built since 1990.[6]

The estimated median annual income for a household in the village during 2012-2016 was $42,625, and for a family was $47,500. Male full-time workers had a median income of $61,094 versus $28,500 for females. The per capita income for the village was $20,733. 27.0% of the population and 18.7% of families were below the poverty line, along with 39.4% of people under the age of 18 and 9.5% of people age 65 and over.[7]

Sugarcane farming remains is an important activity in the immediate area surrounding the village. Sugarcane harvest time occurs from September to December annually. Many farmers deliver their harvest to local sugar cooperatives with tractor-drawn cane carts. The Louisiana Sugarcane Festival occurs annually in September in the nearby town of New Iberia.

Many of the villages current and former inhabitants are of Cajun heritage, and French is spoken by many families as a second language.

Boat building, in many shapes and forms, is an important cultural activity that has impacted the village of Loreauville. From large shipyards such as Breaux's Bay Craft, Neuville Boat Works, and Breaux Brothers that build aluminum oceangoing work vessels to the traditional wood Cajun pirogue hand-crafted by local residents, boat building and the use of the local waterways such as Bayou Teche and Lake Dauterive have been an important activity for residents since the establishment of the village.

Loreauville has several parades each year, including Mardi Gras, Homecoming Parade, and Christmas Parade.

For many years, one of the first museums in southern Louisiana dedicated to the history of the Acadians and the Cajun culture was on Main Street near the present day Loreauville High School. The museum was privately owned and funded by a local resident well versed in the history and culture of the Acadians. The museum site was located behind a private home west of School Drive and north of the existing Loreauville High School Gymnasium. The museum area was an outdoor facility in a large horseshoe shape, with the apex of the horseshoe near Bayou Teche. The museum was in operation from approximately 1970 until the early 1980s. Several period buildings were donated to the museum from local residents and moved to the site, including the original one-room schoolhouse that was used in Loreauville between 1900 and 1925. Other displays in the museum celebrated local Cajun culture with displays of period clothing, housewares, and early historic relics from the 19th century. A small collection of the artifacts from the Loreauville museum were donated to the Acadian Village in Lafayette upon the closure of the Loreauville Museum. In the late 70s, the original Pulpit from the Catholic Church was found in the collection and was donated back to the Church and renovated and reinstalled in the Church by Father Ronald Groschen.

Bayou Teche winds its way through Loreauville along the western edge of the Village. Several 19th century wood-fired sugar mills were located along Bayou Teche within the village limits. The growing of sugar cane was an important crop in the early days of the settlement. One processing site was located approximately 0.5 miles (0.8 km) north of the Loreauville Bridge on Bridge Street, on the east bank of the bayou. As late as 1970 several brick foundations and remains of the original fire pits and kettles were visible on the banks of the bayou. Alterations to the landscape in that area have rendered this and most other sites invisible to the naked eye, but archeological evidence (fired bricks, and other detritus) remains just beneath the surface. With the centralization of sugarcane processing via agricultural cooperatives, local processing became more centralized at the Vida Shaw sugar mill, which operated from the late 1930s until the early 1970s on Bayou Teche at Vida Shaw Road.

Lake Dauterive or Lake Fausse Pointe is located to the east of Loreauville and is a popular spot for hunting, fishing, and recreational water sports. The boat landing at the end of Louisiana Highway 3242 (Lake Dauterive Road) was one of several filming locations for the 1977 film Return to Boggy Creek. Lake Fausse Pointe State Park is east of the boat landing and is accessible via Parish Road 169/Bayou Benoit Levee Road via travel through St. Martin Parish.

The Loreauville branch of the Iberia Parish Public Library, located on Main Street at the intersection of Breaux Street, was constructed in the late 1960s.

Loreauville High School, one of five public high schools in Iberia Parish, serves local students from 7th through 12th grade. This masonry and wood facility was constructed in the early 1940s. The main building has been renovated, expanded, and modernized over the years to accommodate a growing student population. The main building in the 1940s housed all of Loreauville's student population, and as the village grew in population, additional facilities were added. The original central building may be the oldest school facility in continuous use in Iberia Parish.

Main street in Loreauville has evolved over the years since the establishment of the village. The description that follows begins at the north end of the village and terminates at the south end with the Loreauville hospital. Notable businesses and structures that appeared along Main Street are:

Residents are zoned to the Iberia Parish School System, at Loreauville Elementary School and Loreauville High School.[9]