Winnsboro, Louisiana

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City of Winnsboro
City
Country United States
State Louisiana
Parish Franklin
Area 4.1 sq mi (10.6 km²)
 - land 4.1 sq mi (10.6 km²)
 - water 0.0 sq mi (0 km²), 0%
Center
 - coordinates 32°09′48″N 91°43′24″W / 32.16333, -91.72333Coordinates: 32°09′48″N 91°43′24″W / 32.16333, -91.72333
 - elevation 69 ft (21 m)
Population 5,344 (2000)
Density 1,314.7 /sq mi (507.6 /km²)
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 - summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
Area code 318
Location of Winnsboro in Louisiana
Location of Winnsboro in Louisiana
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Location of Louisiana in the United States

The city of Winnsboro is the parish seat of Franklin Parish, in the US state of Louisiana. The population was 5,344 at the 2000 census.

Contents

[edit] Geography

Winnsboro is located at 32°9′48″N, 91°43′24″W (32.163412, -91.723293)[1].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.1 square miles (10.7 km²), of which, 4.1 square miles (10.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (1.69%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 5,344 people, 1,977 households, and 1,310 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,314.7 people per square mile (508.2/km²). There were 2,144 housing units at an average density of 527.4/sq mi (203.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 39.97% White, 58.53% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.

There were 1,977 households out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.9% were married couples living together, 27.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.28.

In the city the population was spread out with 31.4% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 76.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 67.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $17,590, and the median income for a family was $21,543. Males had a median income of $24,608 versus $15,663 for females. The per capita income for the city was $9,229. About 36.7% of families and 40.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 58.3% of those under age 18 and 33.3% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Area Attractions

[edit] Franklin Parish Catfish Festival

This annual “Spring Party” started as a Chamber initiative 20 years ago and now draws some 20,000 people to Winnsboro each year. The festival offers a tremendous opportunity for local groups and organizations to raise funds for their various endeavors, as well as showcase their products to the huge crowds that attend each year. The festival is held the second Saturday in April unless Easter falls on that particular week-end and then it would be on the first Saturday. This is the largest one-day festival in Louisiana.

[edit] Economy

Winnsboro is the corporate location for NewBirth Creative design agency.

[edit] Place of interest

[edit] Princess Theatre

[edit] History

The Princess Theatre was originally established in 1925 by George Elam. Two years later he moved his theatre into a building on Prairie Street, where it stands today. Leasing the building from Rowena Ramage, Elamworked to improve the building which was built in 1907.

A new world of entertainment was brought to the citizens of Winnsboro. White silent movies were shown on a screen while live piano music brought the films to life. A few years later Elam bought records to play along with the movies. In 1930, a sound track was added to films and Elam put a sound system in the theatre.

Right before World War II, in the early 1940's, Elam added on to the building, making it longer. In 1960, Elam sold the theatre to Jack Pope. Pope continued leasing the building from Ramage while keeping the Princess operating just as Elam had done. The opening of Monroe's Pecanland Mall in 1985 forced Pope to close the Princess as the Mall Cinema had ten screens compared to the Princess' one.

[edit] Today

In 1992, Rowena Ramage gave the Princess Theatre building to the city of Winnsboro. A Board of Directors was appointed to take care of the building. In 1993, the board announced renovation plans to begin immediately on the Princess Theatre.

The Governor's Arts Award program in May 2002 carried the following statement. "The Princess Theatre is an inspiring example of what can happen when a community believes in itself and the value of the arts to quality of life. The theatre has contributed substantially to the life and economy of Winnsboro and Franklin Parish. The restoration of the turn-of-the-century Princess Theatre to a live performance venue was the catalyst for the development of historic downtown Winnsboro. Further, the theatre's programs include a full series offering international, national, and local performances as well as a coffee house series that is free to the community. The Princess functions as both a performing arts venue and a forum for educational programming; it has transformed cultural opportunities in Northeast Louisiana and continues to be a model for success throughout the region."

[edit] Notable people born here

[edit] Notable current and former residents


[edit] References

  1. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.

[edit] External links


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Municipalities and communities of
Franklin Parish, Louisiana
Parish seat: Winnsboro
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Winnsboro
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