Destrehan, Louisiana

Destrehan
Census-designated place
Destrehan Plantation est.1780-1790
Country United States
State Louisiana
Parish St. Charles
Elevation 10 ft (3 m)
Coordinates 29°57′44″N 90°22′09″W / 29.96222°N 90.36917°WCoordinates: 29°57′44″N 90°22′09″W / 29.96222°N 90.36917°W
Area 7.9 sq mi (20.5 km2)
 - land 6.9 sq mi (18 km2)
 - water 1.0 sq mi (3 km2), 12.66%
Population 11,535 (2010)
Timezone CST (UTC-6)
 - summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
Area code 985
Location of Destrehan in Louisiana
Location of Louisiana in the United States

Destrehan is a census-designated place (CDP) in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 11,535 at the 2010 census, an increase of 275 over the 2000 tabulation of 11,260.

The community is named after Jean Noël Destréhan (1754–1823), who was twice President of the Orleans Territory's legislative council during his service there in 1806 and 1811. He was elected to the United States Senate when Louisiana became a state in 1812, but he resigned after a month. He served in the Louisiana State Senate from 1812 to 1817.[1]

Destrehan Plantation, his former home, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The main house has been restored and is one of the attractions on the Great River Road along the Mississippi River.

Geography

Destrehan is located at 29°57′44″N 90°22′9″W / 29.96222°N 90.36917°W (29.962307, -90.369160).[2]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 7.9 square miles (20 km2), of which 6.9 square miles (18 km2) are land and 1.0-square-mile (2.6 km2) (12.41%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 11,260 people, 3,629 households, and 3,073 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,628.7 people per square mile (629.2/km²). There were 3,742 housing units at an average density of 541.3 per square mile (209.1/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 84.64% White, 12.78% African American, 0.12% Native American, 1.04% Asian, 0.57% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.81% of the population.

There were 3,629 households out of which 52.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.9% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.3% were non-families. 12.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.05 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 32.4% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $63,425, and the median income for a family was $68,870. Males had a median income of $49,839 versus $27,605 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $25,435. About 4.0% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 1.2% of those age 65 or over.

George Prince tragedy

Before the Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge was completed connecting the communities of Destrehan and Luling, automobile ferries connected the towns. On October 20, 1976, one of these ferries, the George Prince, was struck by a tanker and capsized as it crossed the Mississippi River. Seventy-eight passengers and crew died.

Gary Tyler case

Destrehan was briefly notorious in 1974 for the case of Gary Tyler, a black student who was accused by local officials of a shooting, convicted and sentenced to prison. The case was highlighted by New York Times columnist Bob Herbert in 2007 as an egregious example of a racially motivated abuse of the justice system, as Tyler was unjustly imprisoned.[4]

In popular culture

Destrehan Plantation was used as a set in the film 12 Years a Slave (2013).[5]

Notable residents

See also

References

  1. ↑ Dictionary of La. Biography
  2. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  3. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. ↑ Bob Herbert, "Gary Tyler’s Lost Decades", New York Times, 5 February 2007
  5. ↑ Scott, Mike (September 9, 2013). "Following in the real footsteps of '12 Years a Slave' figure Solomon Northup: Mike's Movie Mailbag". The Times-Picayune. Advance Publications. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
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