WEST FELICIANA PARISH
Parish Offices
5934 Commerce Street
St. Francisville 225-635-3864
https://www.wfparish.org
Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 545
St. Francisville 225-635-6717
https://www.westfelicianachamber.org
With St. Francisville serving as the parish seat, rural West Feliciana Parish is situated along the Mississippi River in the rolling Tunica Hills area, bordered by Pointe Coupee Parish and East Feliciana Parish. Approximately 30 miles north Baton Rouge, the parish is also 60 miles south of Natchez, Mississippi. The John James Audubon Bridge connecting the parish to Pointe Coupee was completed in 2011, and access to US Highway 61 is available locally. The smallest of the “Florida parishes,” West Feliciana has an economy that blends industries like agriculture and energy with tourism.
Services
Access to quality education begins with West Feliciana Public Schools, ranking among the top five school districts in the state. Residents of all ages enjoy access to a wide range of services at the West Feliciana Parish Library, which began as part of the Audubon Regional Library System but became independent in 2004. Nearby Baton Rouge is home to a full-service community college system, providing two-year transfer degrees as well as options for career and skills training. The capital city is also home to Louisiana State University, the flagship institution for the Louisiana State University System. Fourteen schools and colleges include several that are nationally recognized such as the E.J. Ourso College of Business, the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, and the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture. Another highly respected public college in Baton Rouge is Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, covering 512 acres on Scott’s Bluff above the Mississippi River.
First-rate, comprehensive healthcare begins at home at West Feliciana Hospital, dedicated to providing quality outcomes that are equal to any facility in South Louisiana without the delays associated with commuting to regional medical centers. In addition to general inpatient and outpatient care, the hospital offers skilled nursing care, laboratory and imaging services, an array of rehabilitation therapies, and around-the-clock emergency care. Should the need for highly advanced care ever arise, Baton Rouge is renowned for teaching hospitals and research centers. Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center provides a full range of exceptional, award-winning services in its 800-bed hospital in Baton Rouge and the associated 95-bed Children’s Hospital. Our Lady of the Lake is a primary teaching site for graduate medical education and is recognized in a variety of areas including trauma and emergency care, stroke, heart and vascular, cancer care, and minimally-invasive procedures. Ochsner Medical Center at Baton Rouge is another nationally recognized health organization. The two-campus, 527-bed Baton Rouge General Medical Center has been providing quality healthcare to the capital region since 1900, recognized for clinical excellence in a number of specialties.
Lifestyle
Long regarded as a haven for historians and nature lovers, the parish claims the most diverse topography in Louisiana. St. Francisville is one of Louisiana’s oldest settlements with Rosedown being the most popular of the town’s antebellum cotton plantations, welcoming as many as 50,000 visitors each year. The town’s “Walk through History” tour interprets more than 140 structures on the National Register of Historic Places. Picturesque backdrops for outdoor activities are plentiful in and around the parish, including Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge, Tunica State Park, Audubon Historic Site, and the Port Hudson Civil War Battlefield. Biking, hiking, birding, and golfing are all popular recreational pastimes in the area. Developed recreational facilities are crowned by the 200-acre West Feliciana Parish Sports Park near St. Francisville, distinguished as one of the state’s premier sports complexes for soccer, softball and baseball league play. Other activities include camps for cheerleading, gymnastics, and adult leagues. The complex also includes a hiking and biking trail, an archery range, and a community center.
The area’s thriving tourism industry is centered on St. Francisville, home to an active arts community, fine restaurants, a charming downtown district, and a strong hospitality industry. The town also features colorful festivals, antique treasures, retail development, historic homes, and the site where John James Audubon created more than 80 of his paintings for the renowned Birds of America collection. The annual Audubon Pilgrimage brings thousands of visitors to the West Feliciana Historical Society Museum to honor the most famous visitor to the parish, while the Feliciana Hummingbird Celebration promotes the unique breeding habitat found near the town. The Southern Garden Symposium—famous for its famous social events, sought-after guest lecturers, workshops, and historic venues—has become a tradition for gardeners throughout the South. The recent construction of the John James Audubon Bridge over the Mississippi River, along with other infrastructure improvements, has poised the parish for expanded business, commercial, and residential development. Handsome new construction in this area includes an exclusive country club master-planned community with a signature golf course. Parish and civic planners are working cooperatively to ensure that West Feliciana Parish retains its unique quality of life in the midst of rapid growth.
St. Francisville
City Offices
225-635-3688
https://www.stfrancisville.net
Chamber of Commerce
225-635-6717
https://www.westfelicianachamber.org
“Soothing to the soul” is an appropriate slogan for historic St. Francisville, a town that has managed to expand its business base without losing the charm and friendliness for which it has long been known. The tourism industry thrives here, driven by the preservation of plantation homes and the rich legacy of John James Audubon artwork. Residents enjoy access to wonderful landscapes for outdoor recreation and nature study including Cat Island National Wildlife Park and Tunica Hills State Park. The quaint downtown district is postcard perfect, lined with restaurants and unique shops as well as historic homes and churches. In contrast, the Bluffs Country Club offers an upscale master-planned community with an Arnold Palmer-designed golf course. The calendar is filled with special events, celebrations, and festivals that bring friends, family, and neighbors together but also draw throngs of visitors to the town. The town’s Main Street Program also sponsors several popular events such as Movie in the Park and Polos and Pearls. Those who are looking for a unique country home in close proximity to the cosmopolitan advantages of Baton Rouge will find a true treasure in St. Francisville.
