Convent, Louisiana
Census-designated place in Louisiana, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Convent (French: Couvent) is a census-designated place in and the parish seat of St. James Parish, Louisiana, United States.[3] It has been the parish seat since 1869. It is part of the New Orleans metropolitan area .
Convent, Louisiana | |
|---|---|
Barges in the Mississippi River near Convent | |
  Convent, Louisiana Location of Convent in Louisiana | |
| Coordinates: 30°01′15″N 90°49′47″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | St. James |
| Area | |
• Total | 5.33 sq mi (13.81 km2) |
| • Land | 3.89 sq mi (10.07 km2) |
| • Water | 1.44 sq mi (3.74 km2) |
| Elevation | 10 ft (3.0 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 483 |
| • Density | 124.2/sq mi (47.97/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code | 70723 |
| Area code | 225 |
| FIPS code | 22-17180 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2583534[2] |
As of the 2020 census, Convent had a population of 483.[4] The 2018 median household income was $52,292 above the state's average.[5]
History
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The area now known as Convent was originally settled between 1722 and 1739 and called Baron.[6] The town’s name derives from the Convent of the Sacred Heart, established in 1825 by the Religious of the Sacred Heart, who operated a girls’ school until 1932.[7]
St. Michael Parish, founded in 1809, is among the oldest Catholic parishes in Louisiana. The present church, built in 1833 and enlarged in the 1870s, features Romanesque and Gothic architectural elements and includes a Lourdes Grotto constructed in 1876.[8] The church and its associated historic district are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[9]
Jefferson College, chartered in 1831 and opened in 1834, operated under several names before closing in 1928. The campus was occupied by Union troops during the Civil War and later donated to the Marist Fathers. In 1931, it became the Manresa House of Retreats, a Jesuit retreat center that remains active today.[10] The main building, rebuilt after an 1842 fire, is an example of Greek Revival architecture.[11]
The community’s history is closely tied to sugar plantation culture, and records indicate that both the convent and college relied on enslaved labor during the antebellum period.[12]
On February 23, 2016, an EF-3 tornado struck the area, causing severe damage at the Sugar Hill RV Park, killing two people and injuring dozens.[13]
Geography
Convent is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River in St. James Parish, Louisiana, at 30°01′15″N 90°49′47″W. The census-designated place covers 5.33 square miles (13.8 km2), of which 3.89 square miles (10.1 km2) is land and 1.44 square miles (3.7 km2) is water.[14] Its average elevation is about 16 feet (4.9 m) above sea level.[15]
Convent lies approximately 35 miles (56 km) west of New Orleans and 35 miles (56 km) southeast of Baton Rouge, accessible via Louisiana Highway 44 and Louisiana Highway 3125.[16] The area has a humid subtropical climate, typical of southern Louisiana.[17]
Demographics
Convent first appeared as a census designated place in the 2010 U.S. census.[21]
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010[19] | Pop 2020[20] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 226 | 203 | 31.79% | 42.03% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 467 | 255 | 65.68% | 52.80% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 1 | 2 | 0.14% | 0.41% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 2 | 0 | 0.28% | 0.00% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 6 | 6 | 0.84% | 1.24% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 9 | 17 | 1.27% | 3.52% |
| Total | 711 | 483 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
At the 2010 census, it had a population of 711; in 2020, its population declined to 483.
Industry
Convent’s economy has historically centered on petrochemical and heavy industry along the Mississippi River. The most notable facility was the Shell Convent Refinery, which processed up to 239,000 barrels per day of crude oil and employed over 1,000 workers.[22] In 2020, Shell permanently closed the refinery after failing to find a buyer, citing market conditions and its shift toward renewable energy.[23]
Shell plans to repurpose the 4,400-acre site into a renewable fuels complex producing sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel, with construction targeted for 2025–2028.[24] Other major employers include Nucor Steel Louisiana, Occidental Chemical, and cement producers such as Holcim, supporting the region’s petrochemical and construction sectors.[25]
Notable person
- Jarvis Landry is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He also played college football at LSU.
- Pete Herman was a World Bantamweight Champion boxer (1917–1921), born in Convent, Louisiana.[26]