St. John Parish site could be designated a national landmark

By Safura Syed
Contributing Writer

(Veritenews.org) — A study published by the National Park Service on Friday (Oct. 25) recommended that an 11-mile stretch of River Road on the west bank of the Mississippi River in St. John the Baptist Parish be designated a National Historical Landmark after a year of researching the area. Officials in the National Park Service began their study because of requests from local stakeholders, like the director of the Evergreen Plantation, which is located along the stretch.

The land in question includes the formerly proposed construction site for a grain terminal by Greenfield Louisiana, which pulled out of the project after what they called a delayed permitting process from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The controversial terminal would have been built in a predominantly Black area of the parish and only 300 feet from a burial site of enslaved people. In an environmental review of the site, the Army Corps of Engineers said the terminal would harm the gravesites and the historic character of Wallace.

The report highlights the complexity of the area, including the existence of a landholding group of descendants of formerly enslaved people and their ethnic heritage. The report also discusses possibilities for future analysis, including investigations into unmarked graves that have been at the center of lawsuits against industrial development in the region.

There are currently 54 national historic landmarks in Louisiana and over 2,000 nationwide. The designation gives local organizations access to grant opportunities, tax incentives and preservation funds and assistance. This can also help boost the local economy, according to the National Park Service.

Jo Banner, the co-director and co-founder of environmental and historic preservation organization The Descendants Project – which sued St. John the Baptist Parish over zoning laws that designated plots of residential land in majority-Black Wallace for industrial use, including the proposed land for Greenfield’s grain terminal project – said she worked with the Evergreen Plantation to ensure that the history of the region was well represented to researchers from the National Park Service.

“I think this is just an example of how plantations can work alongside descendant communities and how we all can contribute from all these different ways, and really just flesh out all the different layers of history,” Banner said. “So I think that report is really beautiful and just representative of our area.”

Banner said the designation would help recognize the contributions of descendant communities to the area and preserve the histories of everyone living along the river while bolstering the heritage and cultural economy of Louisiana. She said she is excited to explore opportunities that the designation may open up for organizations like hers.

“This is a designation that can just roll into what Louisiana has been known for in so many ways, which is being a cultural center,” Banner said. “This is really an enhancement and a great economic opportunity for our community and for the state.”

Banner said she wants to ensure that descendant communities are represented in decision-making processes for future development and can benefit from any sort of economic growth in the region.

This article originally published in the November 4, 2024 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.