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Convent, Louisiana
Convent, Louisiana is located in Louisiana
Convent, Louisiana
Convent, Louisiana
Location in Louisiana
Country United States
State Louisiana
Parish St. James
Area
 • Total 5.33 sq mi (13.81 km2)
 • Land 3.89 sq mi (10.07 km2)
 • Water 1.44 sq mi (3.74 km2)
Elevation
20 ft (6 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 483
 • Density 124.26/sq mi (47.97/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code
70723
Area code(s) 225
FIPS code 22-17180

Convent (French: Couvent) is a census-designated place in and the parish seat of St. James Parish, Louisiana, United States. It has been the parish seat since 1869.

As of the 2010 census, its population was 711, and 2018 estimates put the parish at 2174 people, 61% of whom were African American. The 2018 median household income was $52,292 above the state's average.

History

Convent, LA Jefferson College (Manresa House of Retreats) ~ 1937
Manresa House of Retreats (formerly Jefferson College) in 1934

Community was originally named Baron when first settled 1722 to 1739. It was the location of the St. Michael's Convent (Order of the Sacred Heart) from 1825 to 1932 and the location of Jefferson College, 1831 to 1931.

St. Michael's Church Historic District and Jefferson College (now a Jesuit retreat center called Manresa House of Retreats), along with several historic homes in Convent, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The former Jefferson College operated in Convent. Among its alumni was Etienne J. Caire, who owned the E. J. Caire Store in Edgard and was the Republican gubernatorial nominee in 1928 against Huey Long.Caire in 1922 had been the founded of the Manresa retreat center.

The town sustained damage during Hurricane Katrina, disrupting parish government activities for several months.

On February 23, 2016, an extremely large wedge tornado hit the Sugar Hill RV park with two dead and several people injured.

Geography

Located on the east bank of the Mississippi River, the town is only 16 feet (5 meters) above sea level. Convent has an area of 5.331 miles (8.579 km), of which 3.887 miles (6.256 km) is land and 1.444 miles (2.324 km) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
2020 483
U.S. Decennial Census

Notable person

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Convent para niños

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