St. Joseph's Catholic Mission at Bayou Derbonne
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St. Joseph's Catholic Mission at Bayou Derbonne | |
   | |
| Location | Montrose, Louisiana |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 31°32′23.5068″N 92°59′53.45″W / 31.539863000°N 92.9981806°W |
| Area | Montrose Creole Community |
| Built | 1800s |
| Architect | Francois Brevelle |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
St. Joseph's Catholic Mission at Bayou Derbonne is a historic Catholic mission founded in the 1800s along the banks of Bayou Derbonne near Montrose and Isle Brevelle in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, serving the Montrose and Cloutierville Creole community. It was the cultural and religious center of the area's Louisiana Creole people, predominantly of French descent.[1]
The remnants of the church and cemetery are located on Highway 493 on the banks of Bayou Derbonne near the Cane River Waterway Commission. Nearby are the historic Magnolia Plantation (Derry, Louisiana) and Melrose Plantation.
History
The chapel was founded by French Creole families in the 1800s as a mission of St. Augustine Catholic Parish Church of Isle Brevelle. During this period, St. Augustine Catholic Parish Church founded 3 other missions: St. Anne Church (Spanish Lake) (serving the Adai Caddo Indians of Louisiana), St. Charles Chapel at Bermuda, and St. Anne Chapel at Old River.[2]
Notable Creole founding and patron families include Rachal, Longlois, Lacaze, Metoyer and Brevelle. The mission was initially under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Natchitoches, which is now part of the Diocese of Alexandria.[3]