ST. MARY PARISH
Parish Offices
101 Wilson Street
Franklin 337-828-4100
https://www.stmaryparishla.gov
Chamber of Commerce
727 Myrtle Street
Morgan City 985-384-3830
https://stmarychamber.com
Covering 691 square miles with 660 miles of inland navigable waterways, picturesque St. Mary Parish is situated in the mid-southern section of Louisiana along the Gulf of Mexico. This strategic location and water-rich topography have made St. Mary attractive to many shipping, fabrication and fishing industries. Located along the Interstate 49 corridor between New Orleans and Lafayette, the parish is only a 90-minute drive from Baton Rouge. In addition to the traditional activities of agriculture and aquaculture, St. Mary Parish is now home to leaders in mineral extraction, shipbuilding, and underwater services.
Services
State-of-the-art healthcare is close to home, anchored by Teche Regional Medical Center in Morgan City. This 165-bed regional hospital maintains a 24-hour Emergency Department, acute and ambulatory care, a full-service lab, and advanced imaging. Other services include cardiac catheterization, cardiopulmonary, endoscopy, women’s services, surgical specialties, intensive care, and rehabilitation services with a full range of therapies. The medical staff brings together general and vascular surgeons, obstetricians and gynecologists, cardiologists, pediatricians, internal medicine and family practitioners, otolaryngologists, orthopedics, radiologists, pathologists, and emergency medicine physicians. Located in the City of Franklin, Franklin Foundation Hospital has been delivering compassionate, patient-centered care in a progressive community hospital environment for more than half a century. Continually growing with the population and expanding access to first-rate services, Franklin Foundation provides a full range of inpatient and outpatient services in a new 22-bed critical access facility. Should the need for highly advanced care arise, nearby metropolitan areas maintain renowned teaching hospitals and regional medical centers. Lafayette is home to Lafayette General Health, Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center, and the Regional Medical Center of Acadiana.
Access to quality educational opportunities is another hallmark of St. Mary Parish, beginning with a strong public school system that offers a full-time gifted program from third grade through high school. A number of private schools are also available throughout the parish. Higher education options are abundant in and near the parish, which is home to the Franklin Campus for South Louisiana Community College. In 2012, Acadiana Technical College merged with South Louisiana Community College to form one of Louisiana’s largest and most comprehensive community college systems, serving a regional population with two-year transfer degrees and a wide variety of career programs. Nearby Thibodaux is home to Nicholls State University, part of the University of Louisiana System of universities. NSU serves students in south-central Louisiana and beyond, offering more than 85 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Supporting the educational, cultural, and economic needs of its region, NSU is sometimes called “Our Harvard on the Bayou.” The University of Louisiana in Lafayette is another short commute from St. Mary Parish, the state’s second-largest university enrolling nearly 18,000 students in bachelor’s and graduate degree programs including doctorates. New Orleans and Baton Rouge add options for nationally and even globally recognized institutions of higher education.
Lifestyle
Newcomers to St. Mary Parish will discover a region of breathtaking natural beauty and wonderful cities and towns that preserve magnificent examples of historic architecture. The prosperous sugarcane industry during the antebellum period left behind a rich legacy of mansions and plantation homes, particularly in the parish seat of Franklin. Wonderful festivals, world-class recreation, and a number of fine museums draw visitors to the area. The Chitimacha Native Americans offer a glimpse into the area’s indigenous past in museum displays and provide star-studded entertainment at the popular Cypress Bayou Casino & Hotel. Patterson offers the Wedell-Williams Memorial Aviation with replicas of aircraft parts used by Harry Williams and his partner Jimmy Wedell, a record-breaking speed pilot. Some of the largest and most famous of the parish special events are the International Alligator Festival, Cypress Sawmill Festival, and Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival—an odd pairing by most standards but not in St. Mary. Morgan City is home to the International Petroleum Museum & Exposition, the only place on the planet where the public can walk aboard an authentic offshore drilling rig. The arts community supports fine galleries and educational programs, while Schreier Theatre in Morgan City Municipal Auditorium hosts performing arts including national headliners sponsored by the Morgan City Community Concert Association.
World-class recreational opportunities abound in and around the parish, highlighted by the recreation area within the 185-acre Cypremort Point State Park. Set against a backdrop of coastal marsh beauty, amenities include a half-mile beach, picnic sites, a sailboat launch, a 100-foot pier and fishing pavilion, and rental cabins. The entire Cajun Coast is graced by the haunting beauty of the Atchafalaya Basin Swamp, the largest overflow swamp in America with moss-draped cypress, majestic oaks, bottomland hardwoods, and 170,000 acres of designated wildlife management areas. St. Mary Parish is internationally known for freshwater and saltwater fishing but also for the kaleidoscope of outdoor adventures that are supported in secluded waterways, from fishing and crabbing to canoeing, kayaking, water skiing, windsurfing, and sailing. Equestrians will find miles of picturesque trails, golfers can perfect their backswing on challenging courses, and families will appreciate acres of lush parkland filled with sports and recreational amenities. Shopping is available in contemporary retail developments or along historic Main Street districts lined with charming shops, boutiques, restaurants, and cafes. The home choices are as diverse as the topography, blending cozy cottages in the heart of a long-established neighborhood with vibrant new construction and country manors graced by spectacular gardens and shaded by grand old oaks. For the finest of Cajun Country living in bustling cities or sleep rural communities, explore beautiful St. Mary Parish.
COMMUNITY PROFILES
Berwick
Town Offices
985-384-8858
http://www.townofberwick.org
Chamber of Commerce
985-384-3830
https://stmarychamber.com
Featuring a distinctive red 19th century Berwick Lighthouse along the riverfront, Berwick is well-connected to regional destinations by waterways and Interstate 49. Few towns can claim the peerless beauty of the Atchafalaya Basin as their backyard but Berwick is one of them, bordered on two sides by the Atchafalaya River. Residents enjoy country pleasures in a close-knit community that is poised for further growth and development. Historic homes in the heart of the town contrast with fine new residential developments to offer a wide range of housing options. Families are drawn to Berwick for schools that are among the highest performing in Louisiana as well as four-season opportunities to enjoy nature’s beauty and outdoor activity. The Berwick Recreation Civic Complex combines event facilities with a gymnasium and sports fields while Pharr Park offers tennis courts and the Dixie Youth League Baseball field. Other community highlights include Berwick Public Library, St. Mary Golf & Country Club, picturesque walking trails, and close proximity to Morgan City’s urban amenities.
Franklin, Baldwin
Franklin City Offices
337-828-3631
https://www.franklin-la.com
Baldwin Town Offices
337-923-7523
Chamber of Commerce
337-828-5608
https://stmarychamber.com
Unrivaled for its historic charm, the City of Franklin is featured in The 100 Best Small Towns in America by Norman Crampton. The first glimpse of Franklin is a step back in time, with street lamps that still bear “No Hitching” signs. More than 400 historic homes and buildings grace the downtown district in an area surrounded by more than 44,000 acres of picturesque sugarcane fields. In addition to the mid-19th century development that grew linearly along the banks of Bayou Teche, another railroad district developed in the late 19th century. The Main Street commercial corridor blends modern buildings with fabulous two-story masonry structures adorned by parapet caps, gables, arched windows, ornamental keystones, pilasters, and corbelled brickwork. The Main Street Program promotes these historic treasures and showcases the best of Franklin with events like the Harvest Moon Festival and Black Bear Festival. Recreational opportunities are outstanding with the abundance of nearby waterways and breathtaking wildlife management areas. The nearby rural Town of Baldwin is a close-knit community just minutes from major recreational sites and Franklin’s amenities. Baldwin blends seamlessly into the rural community of Charenton for expanded options to enjoy country living.
Morgan City
City Offices
985-385-1770
http://cityofmc.com
Chamber of Commerce
985-384-3830
https://stmarychamber.com
“Right in the middle of everywhere” is the slogan for Morgan City, ideally situated with a 70-mile radius from Lafayette, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. The city also serves as a gateway to the Gulf of Mexico for the oilfield and shrimping industries. Morgan City became the Jumbo Shrimp Capital of the World in the 1930s and celebrated that status with a fleet blessing followed by a fais do-do, a Cajan dance party—traditions that evolved into the Louisiana Shrimp Festival. The discovery of off-shore oil added “Petroleum” to the festival name, now a five-day extravaganza. Boatbuilding, moss picking, and shell crushing industries have expanded the industrial base. The city’s early development in the late 1800s is reflected today in historic gems like Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Trinity Episcopal Church, and Cotton Top-the Norman-Schreier House. Morgan City is known for the richness of the Cajun culture from music and fine cuisine. Developed recreational amenities include parks, sports courts and fields, a swimming pool, tennis courts, and programs for all ages while a municipal auditorium features a 1,100-seat theater for big-name concerts and live-stage performances.
Patterson
City Offices
985-395-5205
http://cityofpattersonla.gov
Chamber of Commerce
985-384-3830
https://stmarychamber.com
Patterson nestles along the banks of picturesque Lower Atchafalaya River just 20 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico in an area graced by cypress swamps and lazy bayous. Residents enjoy the finest of freshwater and saltwater fishing, seasonal hunting for game and waterfowl, and year-round opportunities for hiking, cycling, horseback riding, off-roading, camping, and water sports. Golfers will appreciate Atchafalaya Golf Course, billed as Louisiana’s most unique golf experience. Patterson blends the contemporary and the historic at every turn, from the place where aviation speed records were broken to the modern Harry P. Williams Airport. Wedell-Williams Memorial Aviation & Cypress Sawmill Museum is filled with early avionics and aviation history along with the story of what was once the largest cypress sawmill in the world. Residents of Patterson enjoy the relaxed pace of small-town life in a family friendly community just minutes away from the bustling commercial areas and attractions in Morgan City.
