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The Little Town With the Big Heart:
St. Francisville, Louisiana
In the wake of the 9-11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D. C., the little Mississippi River town of St. Francisville, Louisiana, offered a taste of southern hospitality to New York City rescue workers, providing one firefighter and his wife with a week’s vacation in this scenic and historic area, complete with free lodging, free meals, free recreation and entertainment and even a free car with free gas. For 200 years this little town has known how to dispense hospitality and generosity, and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina brought out that same spirit once more.
St. Francisville had some wind damage and power losses from the storm, but within a few days its residents had cleaned up and were back in the business of helping others. More than 400 evacuees from the New Orleans area and farther south along the coast were temporarily housed in shelters in St. Francisville, with space provided in the Best Western Motel, First Baptist Church, West Feliciana Community Center, West Feliciana Parish Health Unit, and Faith Hope and Love Fellowship Church.
In addition, the dozen Bed & Breakfasts in the area were filled to capacity and beyond, many stretching rules and waiving requirements to accommodate as many evacuees as possible. B&Bs that normally prohibit pets and children relaxed those rules, cancellation policies were thrown out the window, and regular tourist reservations were cancelled to make room for evacuees. Said one B&B owner, “These folks have lost everything they have, and we are not going to put them out on the street. Some of them who arrived with one-night reservations will not be leaving for a month, and we are working with them on fee reductions however is necessary. Some of the guests were even out helping with the storm clean-up.”
The entire town of St. Francisville got into the spirit and pitched in to help the evacuees during their stay in the area. Free meals were provided daily, cooked by local individuals from all walks of life, from attorneys to school administrators and local law enforcement officials. The parish Clothes Closet helped to make available donated clothing for evacuees who left with just the shirts on their backs. Local pharmacies assisted with obtaining medications. The parish library offered computer stations with free internet access. The St. Francisville Main Street program sponsored a free Movie Under The Stars in the downtown public park one evening, and concerts were held, admission being donations for hurricane victims. Ordinary citizens donated suppies and necessities, and the new 911 Emergency Operations Center organized efforts to help, providing information and referrals on shelter and assistance programs. The state historic sites, Audubon and Rosedown, waived entrance fees through the month of September, and the St. Francisville-New Roads ferry which provided the only means of crossing the Mississippi River was sacrificed for the rescue evacuation efforts and sent down to New Orleans.
As things began to return to normal, the little historic town of St. Francisville, Louisiana, with a sigh of relief returned to dispensing its famous hospitality more to tourists and other visitors, for it is after all a popular year-round tourist destination area. Located on US Highway 61 between Baton Rouge, LA, and Natchez, MS, the area boasts six historic plantation—Rosedown and Audubon State Historic Sites, Butler Greenwood, the Myrtles, the Cottage and Greenwood—open for daily tours, and magnificent Afton Villa Gardens open seasonally. Reasonably priced meals are available in a nice array of little restaurants in St. Francisville, eclectic shops fill restored 19th-century structures throughout the National Register-listed downtown Historic District, and some of the state's best Bed and Breakfasts offer overnight accommodations ranging from golf clubs and lakeside resorts to historic townhouses and country plantations; a modern motel has facilities to accommodate busloads. The scenic unspoiled Tunica Hills region surrounding St. Francisville offers excellent biking, hiking, fishing, birding, horseback riding and other recreational activities. For online coverage of tourist facilities, attractions and events in the St. Francisville area, see www.stfrancisville.us, www.stfrancisville.net or www.stfrancisvilleovernight.com, or telephone (225) 635-6330 or 635-3873.
During the disastrous aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the little town with the big heart has been grateful for expressions of concern and offers of help that poured in from former visitors from around the world. And one of the first, of course, came from a firefighter in New York City with a soft spot in his heart for St. Francisville, Louisiana.
For high resolution photographs for media use, please email photos ; by Patrick Walsh.
The St. Francisville B&B is an 1880 Victorian Gothic Bed and Breakfast located in the historic district of river town, St. Francisville, La. Ten guest rooms open onto New Orleans style courtyard with pool. All rooms have cable tv, telephone and private baths. Stroll down main street to antique & gift shops, historic churches and cemeteries, gardens, restaurants and historic homes.
