Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve |
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IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
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Barataria Preserve
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 Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
Location in Louisiana
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
Location in the United States
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| Location | South Louisiana |
| Nearest city | New Orleans and Lafayette, Louisiana |
| Area | 22,421 acres (90.73 km2) 17,569 acres (7,110 ha) federal |
| Established | March 4, 1907 |
| Visitors | 456,666 (in 2017) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve |
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (French: Parc historique national et réserve Jean Lafitte) protects the natural and cultural resources of Louisiana's Mississippi River Delta region. It is named after French pirate Jean Lafitte and consists of six separate sites and a park headquarters.
Acadiana
Three sites interpret the Cajun culture of the Lafayette (southern Louisiana) area, which developed after Acadians were resettled in the region following their expulsion from Canada (1755–1764) by the British, and the transfer of French Louisiana to Spain in the aftermath of the French and Indian War.
- Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette
- Prairie Acadian Cultural Center in Eunice, obtained through the work of Mayor Curtis Joubert
- Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Thibodaux
Nature preserve
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Barataria Unit of Jean Lafitte Historical Park Historic District
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| Area | 1,855 acres (751 ha) |
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| NRHP reference No. | 66000966 |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
The Barataria Preserve in Marrero interprets the natural and cultural history of the region. The preserve has trails and canoe tours through bottomland hardwood forests, swamps, and marsh. An Education Center provides curriculum-based programming for school groups and a visitor center with a film and exhibits. The 1,855 acres (751 ha) Barataria area comprises 63 contributing properties and was added as a historic district on October 15, 1966.
Chalmette unit
Chalmette, Louisiana is six miles (10 km) southeast of New Orleans, the site of the Chalmette Battlefield and National Cemetery where the 1815 Battle of New Orleans took place. The national cemetery was established after the American Civil War and holds the remains of Civil War casualties and veterans, as well as the remains of soldiers from the Indian Wars of the late 19th century, the Spanish–American War, the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. There are few graves from the Battle of New Orleans.
A visitor center offers exhibits and information and is located near the battleground obelisk. Hurricane Katrina destroyed the visitor center in 2005, but a replacement has since been constructed.
New Orleans unit
The park operates a French Quarter Visitor Center at 419 Decatur Street (New Orleans), in the historic French Quarter. It interprets more generally the history of New Orleans and the diverse cultures of Louisiana's Mississippi River Delta region.
The headquarters of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve are located in New Orleans.
Administrative history
Chalmette Monument and Grounds were established on March 4, 1907, to commemorate the site of the Battle of New Orleans. It was transferred from the War Department to the National Park Service on August 10, 1933, and re-designated as Chalmette National Historical Park on August 10, 1939.
The Chalmette site and the Barataria Preserve were both listed on the National Register of Historic Places October 15, 1966.
The Chalmette site was later incorporated into the multi-site Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, which was authorized on November 10, 1978.
