Music, food and Cajun culture are the cornerstones of Church Point
In the rural space outside Lafayette, Church Point is a small town rooted in Cajun culture — a reputation it earns with a number of sausage producers, musicians and a well-attended Courir de Mardi Gras. "One of the big things that I love in the area is the community. Everyone is always willing to step up and help others — that's been a huge thing I've noticed particularly for that area," says Jessica Lafitte Landry, Realtor with NextHome Cutting Edge Realty and a Church Point resident since 2012. "And they love to have a good time when it revolves around music and food and culture." In the "Buggy Capital of the World," the once-popular vehicles still make appearances in the town parades and museum. Rice and crawfish farms and Church Point Wholesale, a grocery distributor, anchor the industry, among other local businesses. Lafayette, a city of over 120,000, is about 25 miles south.
Acadian architecture and raised pier foundations define the area
Homes range from modest bungalow, Minimal Traditional and ranch-style properties to more ornate Victorians in the town core. Unique to Southern Louisiana is Acadian architecture, which usually incorporates deep front porches with columns and steeply pitched roofs with dormer windows. Regardless of style, says Landry, raised pier foundations are common to help protect against moisture and movement. "Our soil retains a lot of moisture, and so in this area one thing that was very popular, and even more than just in this area, homes weren't built on slabs . . . they were built on piers elevated off the ground so the draft of air could go underneath the home," Landry says. Large parcels, including agricultural land, can be found in the surrounding rural Acadia Parish. The median single-family price is about $190,000 — lower than Lafayette's $260,000.
Courir de Mardi Gras puts Church Point on the map
Church Point's Courir de Mardi Gras draws out-of-state, and even out-of-country visitors, according to Landry. The celebration involves a chicken run — a Cajun Mardi Gras tradition outside of the standard New Orleans affair. "It's a lot different from what most people think in comparison to like New Orleans . . ." Landry says. "Live chickens are thrown in the air and what we call revelers, which are men dressed in full Mardi Gras costumes, they chase after these chickens. Then they collect all the chickens and make a big pot of gumbo and the entire community comes together to enjoy it." The town was built around its original Jesuit church, and churches are still popular gathering spots for Sunday worship and community.
Public and private schools serve local families
Church Point Elementary, Middle and High schools serve area students through Acadia Parish Schools. The elementary and middle schools earn B grades from Niche, while the high school earns a B-minus. High schoolers can participate in clubs such as Future Farmers of America and various sports teams. Locals rally behind the Battling Bears football team at Friday night games. Locals also have a private Catholic school option in Our Mother of Peace, which serves students in preschool through eighth grade and feeds into a catholic high school in nearby Crowley.
Updated parks and a history museum make up Church Point's attractions
The Church Point Community Development Corporation works with the city to help add and maintain parks, says Landry, who is a board member. One of the recent projects, Central Park, features pickleball courts, a dog park, a skate park and a splash pad. It's also a hub for group gatherings such as trunk-or-treat. Sports fields host various recreation programs near the community center. Le Vieux Presbytere Museum, once the town's catholic parsonage, today has a range of historical artifacts, including an antique buggy. The building itself is a unique attraction. "It's made of moss and mud and it's one of the few that are very like it," Landry says.
Local groceries and seafood spots anchor the local business scene
Piggly Wiggly and the family-owned Rod's Supermarket cover groceries in town. Besides a small number of chains such as Sonic Drive-In, the dining scene centers around local spots along Main and Canal streets. Café Maison is a well-loved coffee shop with a wide variety of specialty flavors and a food menu of panini sandwiches. Edward's Seafood Haus is a popular roadside joint serving seasoned, boiled crawfish, shrimp and crab via drive-through.
Highways connect to Lafayette and beyond
Locals mainly rely on cars to get in and out of this rural area. Fixed bus routes aren't available, but the Acadia Parish Council on Aging offers demand-response rides for qualifying individuals. Louisiana Highways 95 and 754 connect to nearby Interstates 49 and 10 toward Lafayette. Acadia St. Landry Hospital, one of the parish's two main hospitals, offers a range of services in town, including 24-hour emergency care. Other primary care and pediatric clinics are available around town. Lafayette Regional Airport, less than 30 miles south, offers commercial flights to Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Atlanta and Charlotte.
Flood mitigation efforts are underway
The area is prone to flooding, and has experienced major flooding events in recent years. Areas around the Bayou Plaquemine Brule may be more susceptible, according to FEMA maps. A major drainage project is underway to help mitigate future events, according to the Louisiana Watershed Initiative.
