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The St. Francisville area is rich in history, having been settled in 1809 on the bluffs above the banks of the Mississippi River.
Virginia House, circa 1817, Royal Street, St. Francisville |
We've been a regular visitor over the years to St. Francisville, situated just north of Baton Rouge on U.S. Highway 61, the Great River Road, as shown on the St. Francisville Map.
We have friends there, and we seriously considered buying real estate there for many years. We love the rolling hills, lush vegetation and the quiet that West Feliciana Parish has to offer. We enjoy the many small restaurants and antique stores, and driving the countryside.
We've made the trip north on The Great River Road, U.S. Highway 61, to Natchez and Vicksburg several times, and love the green, rolling hills along the way: a highly recommended route!
St. Francisville and the surrounding countrysides offer a number of plantation tours at venues such as:
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Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site
- The Myrtles
- Oakley Plantation
- Butler Greenwood Plantation
- the Cottage Plantation
- and others
Today, St. Francisville maintains a popular main street historic district with antique shops, art galleries, and cafes and restaurants. Just south of St. Francisville is the Port Hudson State Commemorative Area and its miles of trails through rugged wooded terrain.
St. Francisville, and nearby Cat Island, is a well known birding destination, and offers eco-tourism nature-related events such as the annual Spring Audubon Pilgrimage, Audubon Country BirdFest and the Feliciana Hummingbird Celebration.
We've also been on the Tour of Homes and Christmas in the Country and highly recommend those events.
The area offers a number of bed & breakfast opportunities, in town and in the countryside, including, among others:
"The Bluffs" is a country club style, upscale residential and golfing community located just east of St. Francisville. Other accomodations are available in nearby Baton Rouge.
In December 2010, the construction of the John James Audubon Bridge reached a historic milestone with the connection of the two spans, creating the longest cable-stayed bridge in the Western Hemisphere. The bridge was opened on May 5, 2011. more about the bridge from DOTD
The opening of the bridge closed a St. Francisville icon at the end of the main street: the St. Francisville ferry, which offered regular service across the Mississippi River to west bank communities including New Roads for decades.
For more information, visit the official tourism website for St. Francisville and West Feliciana Parish
Shown below are a few historic images, and photographs, of St. Francisville. |
