I recently visited my family that lives in Southeast Louisiana and got the chance to walk around downtown Plaquemine one morning. It's a small town but rich in history. I wish I would have had more time there, but really enjoyed the time I had.
The Plaquemine Lock was completed in 1909 and was significant for having the highest freshwater lift of any lock in the world — 51 feet — and a unique engineering design that used a gravity flow principle. The lock served its purpose well by providing a shortcut from the Mississippi River into Louisiana’s interior. Increased river traffic during and after World War II put a severe strain on the lock’s capacity and demand increased for a larger lock at Port Allen. In 1961, a larger set of locks began operating at Port Allen and the Plaquemine Lock was closed after 52 years of service. In 1972 the Plaquemine Lock structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, an honorary designation for significant historic sites. More info can be found at the Iberville Parish Tourism site.
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church was first built at its location in 1850 as a wooden structure. This original structure was the culmination of about 30 years of devoted efforts of Catholics in the Plaquemine area to establish their own church parish with permission of the diocese of New Orleans which at that time had jurisdiction. A fire in 1927 destroyed the original structure, and the current brick and stone structure was completed which represents “Romanesque Royal” architecture designed by New Orleans architect, Albert Bendernagel. More info can be found at http://www.stjohnchurchplaq.org
A simple brick is used for a makeshift doorstop at this historic home in downtown Plaquemine, Louisiana.
Along the walking paths of Waterfront Park, you can look across the water and see Historic Downtown Plaquemine.
Several fishing piers are installed in Waterfront Park, allowing an up close view of the Historic Lock structure. A greater appreciation of the scale of the locks can be had from below.
