The first settlers arrived in St Martinville (pop. 7,000) in 1760. By 1764 a Frenchman had established an indigo plantation. In 1769 the settlement became a military post. The town is home to Evangeline Oak Park, Acadian Memorial, Petit Paris Mardi Gras Museum, and St Martin Catholic Church.
The Acadian Memorial in St Martinville presents the story of the Acadian exile from Nova Scotia between 1764 and 1788. A mural shows ancestors of area Cajuns and family names are displayed on bronze plaques. A multimedia history center is available.
Address: Acadian Memorial, 121 New Market Street, Box 379, St Martinville, LA 70582-0379, United States
Phone: 1 (337) 394-2258, Fax: 1 (337) 394-2260
Hours:
10am-4pm
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
The Evangeline Oak is located at the end of Oak Street in St Martinville. It is said to be the place that Evangeline, a character from Longfellow's poem, met her lover.
The Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site was once the home of Maison Olivier, the plantation house built in 1815. Furnished with mid-19th C pieces, the mansion is a mixture of Creole, Caribbean, and French influences. An Acadian Cabin on the grounds illustrates how different the lives of the Acadians and Creoles were. The Farmstead is an example of how a single family home would have appeared in the early 19th century.
Hours:
9am-5pm
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
The Petit Paris Museum in St Martinville features costumes for the local Rotary Club's annual Mardi Gras Ball and the Durand Wedding Exhibit which displays wedding attire worn by a wealthy 19th C plantation family.
The St Martin Parish Courthouse was built in 1838 in Greek Revival style with massive Ionic columns. Records from 1760 and historical exhibits are displayed.
St Martin Catholic Church was established in 1765 in St Martinville. The present structure was built in 1836 and has an 1883 replica of the Grotto of Lourdes. The left wing of the church is the grave of Emmeline Labiche, thought to be the heroine of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "Evangeline." A statue of Evangeline stands in the churchyard.
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