Jean Lafitte, Louisiana

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Not to be confused with Lafitte, Louisiana.
Jean Lafitte, Louisiana
Town
Town of Jean Lafitte
A portion of Jean Lafitte, Louisiana, along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and Bayou Barataria
A portion of Jean Lafitte, Louisiana, along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and Bayou Barataria
Official logo of Jean Lafitte, Louisiana
Logo
Location of Jean Lafitte in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Jean Lafitte in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Coordinates: 29°44′10″N 90°07′36″W / 29.73611°N 90.12667°W / 29.73611; -90.12667Coordinates: 29°44′10″N 90°07′36″W / 29.73611°N 90.12667°W / 29.73611; -90.12667[1]
CountryUnited States
StateLouisiana
ParishJefferson
Government
 • MayorTimothy P. Kerner (D)[2][3]
Area
[4]
 • Total6.21 sq mi (16.09 km2)
 • Land5.85 sq mi (15.15 km2)
 • Water0.36 sq mi (0.93 km2)
Elevation
[1]
3 ft (0.9 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total1,903
 • Estimate 
(2020)[5]
1,996
 • RankJE: 5th
 • Density341.88/sq mi (132.00/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code(s)504
FIPS code22-38092
Websitewww.townofjeanlafitte.com
  • Town is on former site of Manila Village which was destroyed by hurricane in 1965

Jean Lafitte is a town on Bayou Barataria in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located in Jefferson Parish, it is named after the privateer Jean Lafitte. The population was 1,903 at the 2010 U.S. census,[6] and 1,996 at the 2020 population estimates program.[7] It is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner metropolitan statistical area.

History[edit]

Jean Lafitte was originally settled by Native Americans, then explored and settled by the French who established the area as a harbor for large vessels coming in and out of New Orleans.[8] Today, the communities along Bayou Barataria are made up of Jean Lafitte, Lafitte, Crown Point and Barataria.[8]

The town of Jean Lafitte was officially incorporated in 1974, an effort led by Leo E. Kerner Jr., who became the town's first mayor. His son, Tim Kerner Sr., later served 7 terms as mayor from 1992 to 2020. In 2020, his son Tim Kerner, Jr. was elected as mayor.[9]

Under the leadership of Tim Kerner Sr., the town built a number of civic and infrastructure improvements, including: a visitor center, museum, 1,300-seat auditorium, library, civic center, baseball park, senior center, medical clinic, art gallery, and nature trail.[10] One of the mayor's major accomplishments was the creation of the Lafitte Area Independent Levee District that eventually secured over $300 million in funds to build tidal protection levees and flood walls.[10]

In 2012, a historical marker for the community of Manila Village was placed in Jean Lafitte.[11] Since mid-2013, Manila Plaza, located in front of Jean Lafitte Town Hall, has held several historical markers and commemorative plaques acknowledging important individuals in the area's Filipino American history.[12] The Philippine-Louisiana Historical Society participated in the dedication ceremony.[12][13]

While there were several settlements of Filipinos (sometimes called Manilamen or Tagalas) along the Louisiana coast in the late 19th century, Manila Village was the largest. The residents there implemented a system of platforms on which they dried shrimp, as forerunners of Louisiana's 21st-century dried shrimp industry. This community-on-stilts thrived for nearly a century, until it was destroyed by Hurricane Betsy in 1965.[12]

In 2014, the town of Jean Lafitte unveiled a historical marker sponsored by the Jefferson Parish Historical Commission at the town's visitor center. The historical marker reads: "Named for legendary privateer Jean Lafitte, who helped the United States win the Battle of New Orleans and used area bayous for his smuggling operations. Home to a thriving seafood industry. Incorporated in 1974 as a village. Became a town in 1977. First mayor of village and town was Leo E. Kerner, Jr., 1974-1991."[14]

Geography[edit]

The town of Jean Lafitte is located at 29°44′10″N 90°07′36″W / 29.73611°N 90.12667°W / 29.73611; -90.12667 (29.735587, -90.122053).[6] According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16 km2), of which 6.0 square miles (16 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) (4.47%) is water.

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1980936—
19901,46956.9%
20002,13745.5%
20101,903−10.9%
2020 (est.)1,996[5]4.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[15]

At the 2020 U.S. population estimates program, 1,996 people lived in the town,[7] up from 1,903 in 2010. At the 2019 American Community Survey, the racial and ethnic makeup of Jean Lafitte was 95.4% non-Hispanic white, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.7% American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.5% some other race, and 3.4% two or more races.[16] The median age of the town in 2019 was 39.7 and the median household income was $55,671 with a poverty rate of 17.1%. Of the 656 housing units in the township, males had a median income of $54,400 versus $39,830 for females.

Education[edit]

Lafitte residents are zoned to Jefferson Parish Public Schools.

Residents from K-6 are zoned to Leo E. Kerner Elementary School (formerly Lafitte Elementary School). 7-12 are zoned to Fisher Middle-High School.

The Leo. E. Kerner Jr. City Park Multi-Purpose Complex is located in Jean Lafitte. Jefferson Parish Library operates the Lafitte Library inside the complex. The over 4,500 square feet (420 m2) facility, which is almost three times larger than the previous library facility, opened on March 4, 2010. The previous library facility sustained damage during Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, and the library contents were destroyed. The American Library Association donated $200,000 to the State of Louisiana, and the Louisiana Library Association's Disaster Relief Program awarded $20,000 of that to Jefferson Parish Library; the funds were used to rebuild the Lafitte Library. The previous library building became the Sheriff Harry Lee Police Station.[17]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Jean Lafitte, Louisiana". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. November 8, 1995. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  2. ^ Mayor Timothy Kerner is listed among the state and local officials who have endorsed the reelection in 2014 of Democrat U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu.
  3. ^ "Landrieu's GOP Endorsements Pale In Comparison To 2008 Election". thehayride.com. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  4. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  7. ^ a b "City and Town Population Totals: 2010-2020". The United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  8. ^ a b "About Us". Town of Jean Lafitte. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
  9. ^ "Jean Lafitte's legend lives on in town | Access Code 70067". wwltv.com. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
  10. ^ a b Sack, Kevin; Schwartz, John (2018-02-24). "Left to Louisiana's Tides, a Village Fights for Time". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-08-27.
  11. ^ Pia Lee-Brago (1 July 2012). "Pinoy fishermen honored at marker unveiling in Louisiana". Philippine Star. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
    Shirley Laska; Kristina Paterson; Michelle E. Alcina; Jonathan West; Ashley Volion (2010). "Enhancing Gulf of Mexico Coastal Communities'Resiliency Through Participatory Community Engagement". CHART Publications. University of New Orleans. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
    "Historical Marker for Manila Village in Louisiana Unveiled". Department of Foreign Affairs. Republic of the Philippines. 30 June 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  12. ^ a b c Arceneaux, Lara L (12 July 2013). "Filipino contributions to Lafitte remembered with historical marker". Times-Picayune. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  13. ^ Welch, Michael Patrick (27 October 2014). "NOLA Filipino History Stretches for Centuries". Retrieved 24 April 2017.[failed verification]
  14. ^ "WWL TV: Town of Jean Lafitte honored with historical marker". Town of Jean Lafitte. 2014-07-17. Retrieved 2021-08-27.
  15. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  16. ^ "Geographic Profile of Jean Lafitte, Louisiana". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  17. ^ "Lafitte Library." Jefferson Parish Library. Retrieved on September 28, 2010.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jean_Lafitte,_Louisiana&oldid=1041024892"