Things To Do
Acadian Memorial
The Mural “The Arrival of the Acadians in Louisiana” by Robert Dafford, measures 12 x 30 feet and is part of an interactive online feature you don’t want to miss. The Wall of Names Our Wall of Names lists approximately 3000 Acadian refugees from early Louisiana records. Names are engraved on twelve bronze plaques and framed in granite. The Eternal Flame Our Eternal Flame symbolizes the ability of a culture to rekindle itself despite great hardship. The flame rises from the center of a polished granite oval in the Acadian Memorial garden. The Deportation Cross Our replica of the Grand-Pré Deportation Cross marks the site of embarkation of over 2,000 Acadian farmers and tradesmen and their families in 1755.
The Evangeline Oak
The park centers on an ancient live oak tree on the Bayou Teche that has been the most visited spot in St. Martinville since the late nineteenth century. The tree is named for the heroine of the poem Evangeline, written and published by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1847. Because of the lack of historical research prior to that time, Evangeline was long believed to be a true account of the exile of the Acadians from Nova Scotia by the British beginning in 1755. The epic poem was immediately popular and read worldwide. Since it is partly set in south Louisiana and names local places such as the Atchafalaya, Bayou Teche, and "the towns of St. Martin and St. Maur", St. Martinville citizens made it their own.
Longfellow-Evangeline Historic Site
Once part of the hunting grounds of the Attakapas Indians, this site became part of a royal French land grant first used as a vacherie, or cattle ranch. The first Acadians to settle in Louisiana established themselves here, on the banks of Bayous Teche and Tortue, on the edges of this vacherie. When the grant was sold and subdivided, this section was developed as an indigo plantation. In the early 1800s, Pierre Olivier Duclozel de Vezin, a wealthy Creole, acquired this property to raise cotton, cattle, and eventually, sugarcane. He built the Maison Olivier, the circa 1815 plantation house which is the central feature of Longfellow-Evangeline SHS. His son, Charles, made improvements to the home in the 1840s. The structure is an excellent example of a Raised Creole Cottage, a simple and distinctive architectural form which shows a mixture of Creole, Caribbean, and French influences.
St. John Restaurant
At St. John Restaurant, nestled in the heart of St. Martinville, Louisiana, culinary tradition meets modern flavor. The inviting atmosphere and dedicated service make every visit a memorable culinary journey, truly capturing the essence of Louisiana cuisine.
Parish Brewing Co.
Located in the heart of Cajun Country in Broussard, Louisiana, our simple goal is to make awesome craft brewed beer. Our story begins around 2003 when our founder Andrew moved from Louisiana to Pittsburgh and discovered a thriving craft beer scene. Returning home a few years later, he recognized a lack of breweries in Louisiana and set out to create part of what is now a thriving craft brewing industry.
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