Point Coupee, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pointe Coupee
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 Pointe Coupee
Location in Louisiana
Pointe Coupee
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | Pointe Coupee |
| Elevation | 33 ft (10 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 515083 |
Point Coupee is the name of an unincorporated community located in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is the home of St. Francis Chapel and is located along Louisiana Highway 420, north of New Roads, the parish seat.
History
The community was founded in the 1720s by French colonists. It is one of the oldest communities in the Mississippi River Valley. Originally, it was called "Le Post de Pointe Coupée" (the Pointe Coupee Post). About 1776, a "chemin neuf" (new road) was built to connect the Mississippi River with False River. The area has since been known as New Roads and is the basis for naming the town of New Roads.
The Saint Francis Chapel at the Point Coupée settlement was originally completed in 1728. A new church building was constructed in 1760, but it was built too close to the Mississippi River. Graves in the church's graveyard were consumed by the waters of the Mississippi. The church was taken down, and a smaller version was erected using materials from the previous church. This newer structure was dedicated in 1895. The church is known as the fourth-oldest continuously operating Catholic church in Louisiana. St. Francis Chapel is now a mission church of St. Mary's of False River.
The town of St. Francisville, on the opposite (east) side of the Mississippi, is named for the St. Francis Chapel.
In 1795, when this area was part of New Spain, Point Coupée was the scene of a slave insurrection during which planters' homes were burned down. It was called the Pointe Coupée Conspiracy. This followed by just four years another, nearby uprising, the 1791 Mina Conspiracy in the vicinity of New Roads.
