Editing Port Allen, Louisiana

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                            = Port Allen
| official_name                   = City of Port Allen
| settlement_type                 = [[List of cities in Louisiana|City]]
| image_skyline                   = Old Ferry Landing.JPG
| imagesize                       = 
| image_caption                   = The Old Ferry Landing at Port Allen
| image_map                       = File:West Baton Rouge Parish Louisiana Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Port Allen Highlighted.svg
| mapsize                         = 
| map_caption                     = Location of Port Allen in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana.
| image_map1                      = Louisiana in United States (US48).svg
| mapsize1                        = 
| map_caption1                    = Location of Louisiana in the United States
<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type                = Country
| subdivision_name                = United States
| subdivision_type1               = State
| subdivision_name1               = Louisiana
| subdivision_type2               = Parish
| subdivision_name2               = [[West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana|West Baton Rouge]]
<!-- Government -->
| established_title               = Incorporated
| established_date                = 1916
| founder                         = 
| named_for                       = [[Henry Watkins Allen]]
| government_footnotes            = 
| government_type                 = 
| governing_body                  = 
| leader_party                    = 
| leader_title                    = Mayor
| leader_name                     = 
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                       = Imperial
| area_footnotes                  = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_22.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 20, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2                  = 8.62
| area_total_sq_mi                = 3.33
| area_land_km2                   = 7.34
| area_land_sq_mi                 = 2.83
| area_water_km2                  = 1.28
| area_water_sq_mi                = 0.49
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of                = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes            = 
| population_total                = 4939
| population_density_km2          = 672.66
| population_density_sq_mi        = 1742.15
| population_demonym              = 
<!-- General information -->
| timezone                        = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset                      = -6
| timezone_DST                    = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]]
| utc_offset_DST                  = -5
| elevation_footnotes             = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft                    = 26
| coordinates                     = {{coord|30|26|44|N|91|12|35|W|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes           = <ref name=gnis/>
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
| postal_code_type                = [[ZIP Code]]
| postal_code                     = 70767
| postal2_code_type               = 
| postal2_code                    = 
| area_code_type                  = 
| area_code                       = [[Area code 225|225]]
| geocode                         = 
| iso_code                        = 
| blank_name                      = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info                      = 22-61790
| blank1_name                     = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info                     = 2404553<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2404553}}</ref>
| website                         = [http://www.portallen.org www.portallen.org]
| footnotes                       = 
}}

'''Port Allen''' is a city in, and the [[parish seat]] of, [[West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana|West Baton Rouge Parish]], [[Louisiana]], United States.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> Located on the west bank of the [[Mississippi River]], it is bordered by [[Interstate 10 in Louisiana|Interstate 10]] and [[U.S. Route 190 in Louisiana|US Highway 190]]. The population was 4,939 in 2020. It is part of the [[Baton Rouge metropolitan area|Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area]].

Port Allen is home to the Mississippi Riverfront Development, which provides a panoramic view of the Mississippi River and Baton Rouge, the West Baton Rouge Museum, the City of Port Allen Railroad Depot, Scott's Cemetery, the Port of [[Greater Baton Rouge]], and the Port Allen Lock.

== History ==

=== Pre-history ===
The village of La Ville De St. Michel or San Miguel (1790–1817) had existed in a nearby location to what is now the city of Port Allen.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Jones|first=Terry L.|date=Oct 1, 2016|title=Port Allen turns 100; celebration set Oct. 7-9|url=https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/entertainment_life/festivals/article_b5cf49ac-80e4-11e6-b98f-2f9de6d8ea27.html|access-date=2021-05-28|website=The Advocate|language=en}}</ref> Around the 1850s, a new community had started around the same location and went by the name Town of West Baton Rouge.<ref name=":0" />

=== Founding of Port Allen ===
The city of Port Allen was founded in 1878.<ref name=":0" /> The name Port Allen is in honor of [[Henry Watkins Allen]], a member of the American [[Confederate States Army]] and the [[List of Governors of Louisiana|17th Governor of Louisiana]].<ref name=":0" /> Allen was instrumental in the early years of the village, prior to the founding of the city, he had owned a slave-worked [[Plantation|sugar plantation]] in town he had started in 1855, the Allendale Plantation, and he created his own railroad that ran through the village.<ref name="nrhpdoc">{{cite web|author=Louisiana Department of Historic Preservation National Register|date=August 1987|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Allendale Plantation Historic District|url={{NRHP url|id=96001263}}|access-date=May 28, 2021|publisher=[[National Park Service]], [[U.S. Department of the Interior]]}} (with {{NRHP url|id=96001263|photos=y|title=with 13 accompanying photos taken in August 1996}})</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Louisiana's Warrior Governor|url=https://www.abbevilleinstitute.org/blog/louisianas-warrior-governor/|access-date=2021-05-28|website=Abbeville Institute}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=NPGallery Asset Detail, Allendale Plantation Historic District|url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/96001263|access-date=2021-05-28|website=NPGallery Digital Asset Management System, [[National Park Service]], [[U.S. Department of the Interior]]}}</ref>

=== Nearby Sunrise ===
Around 1878, a former slave named Alex Banes was creating a small community called Sunrise, which existed just north of what is now Port Allen.<ref name=":0" /> Many of the inhabitants of Sunrise worked at the railroad Anchorage Depot; by 1900 the depot had been moved taking much of the community's population with it.<ref name=":0" /> In 1918, Sunrise had a fire that destroyed much of the town and businesses, and as a result the area integrated into the neighboring town, which by then was known as Port Allen.<ref name=":0" />

=== Industrialization and growth ===
By 1916, the city had incorporated.<ref name=":0" /> On August 10, 1940, the [[Huey P. Long Bridge (Baton Rouge)|Huey P. Long Bridge]] at [[U.S. Route 190]] was unveiled, which joined the east and west parishes, and shaping the city towards and aiding commerce and industries.<ref name=":0" /> Over time there was economic shifts away from agricultural and towards industrial, and in the 1950s factories and manufacturing plants were built in town.<ref name=":0" /> In 1963, the town population reached 5,000 and it was renamed as a city.<ref name=":0" />

For many years the city was [[Racial segregation|racially segregated]].<ref name=":0" />

== Geography ==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of 2.6&nbsp;square miles (6.8&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which 2.1&nbsp;square miles (5.5&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) is land and 0.5&nbsp;square mile (1.3&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) (19.39%) is water. The city is adjacent to the [[Mississippi River]], which passes to the east side of the city.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1920= 920
|1930= 1524
|1940= 1898
|1950= 3097
|1960= 5026
|1970= 5728
|1980= 6114
|1990= 6277
|2000= 5278
|2010= 5180
|2020= 4939
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/|title=CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 14, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060208103743/http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/|archive-date=February 8, 2006|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref><br>2011 estimate<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2011/tables/SUB-EST2011-03-22.csv|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130217133212/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2011/tables/SUB-EST2011-03-22.csv|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 17, 2013|title=Table 3. Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Louisiana: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2011 (SUB-EST2011-03-22)|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 14, 2012}}</ref>
}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Port Allen racial composition as of 2020<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US2261790&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=2021-12-28|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
| 1,660
| 33.61%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 2,952
| 59.77%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 17
| 0.34%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
| 20
| 0.4%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
| 1
| 0.02%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 147
| 2.98%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 152
| 2.88%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 4,939 people, 2,097 households, and 1,343 families residing in the city.

As of the [[census]] of 2000, there were 5,278 people, 2,012 households, and 1,416 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|2,486.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,158 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,016.6|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 45.04% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 53.98% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.15% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.04% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.02% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.27% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.51% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.00% of the population.

There were 2,012 households, out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 25.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,254, and the median income for a family was $36,762. Males had a median income of $31,029 versus $22,333 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $14,439. About 19.2% of families and 24.2% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 34.4% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
[[West Baton Rouge Parish School Board]] operates area public schools.

Holy Family School (of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge]]) is a local private Catholic school for grades pre-K through Eight. It opened on September 5, 1949 with 146 students in Kindergarten through grade 3, with it becoming K-5 in 1950, and with one grade level per subsequent year until it was K-8, with 345 students, in 1953. Its current grade 4-8 building opened in 1961 and its library opened in 1990.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.holyfamilyschool.com/aboutus2.cfm|title=Holy Family School About Us|access-date=2010-12-01|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203051051/http://www.holyfamilyschool.com/aboutus2.cfm|archive-date=2011-02-03}}</ref>

It is in the service area of [[Baton Rouge Community College]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lctcs.edu/our-colleges|title=Our Colleges|publisher=[[Louisiana's Technical and Community Colleges]]|accessdate=2021-06-03}}</ref>

==Government==
[[File:Henry Watkins Allen.JPG|thumb|upright|[[Henry Watkins Allen]] statue]]
After incorporating in 1916, the City of Port Allen operates under the [[Lawrason Act]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.churchpoint-la.com/PDFforms/LAWRASON20ACT.pdf |title=Lawrason Act |access-date=December 7, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708153811/http://www.churchpoint-la.com/PDFforms/LAWRASON20ACT.pdf |archive-date=July 8, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The mayor is elected [[At-large|at large]]. The elected mayor is the city's chief executive officer and responsible for the daily activities and services of the city. The mayor's office includes the chief administrative officer and the chief financial officer.

There are five city council members, with four members elected from [[single-member districts]] and one member elected at-large. The council writes policies, adopts ordinances and resolutions, and appoints members to boards and commissions.

=== Mayors ===
* Demetric "Deedy" Slaughter, mayor elected 2012, recalled 2013;<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lane|first=Emily|date=March 26, 2014|title=Bill bans recalled officials like Deedy Slaughter from running in special election for same office|url=https://www.nola.com/news/politics/article_6028e037-7b1f-5fab-9e24-6139b62a5915.html|website=The Times-Picayune, Nola.com}}</ref>
* Lynn Robertson, mayor from 1993 to 2004, and in the interim mayor from December 2013 to May 2014;<ref>{{cite news|title=Terry L. Jones, Jindal taps Lynn Robertson as Port Allen's interim mayor, December 17, 2013|newspaper=[[The Advocate (Baton Rouge)|Baton Rouge Morning Advocate]]|url=http://theadvocate.com/home/7873252-125/jindal-taps-lynn-robertson-as|url-status=dead|access-date=December 18, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219020953/http://theadvocate.com/home/7873252-125/jindal-taps-lynn-robertson-as|archive-date=December 19, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
* Richard N. Lee, III (D), mayor elected April 5, 2014, re-elected 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lau|first=Maya|title=Richard Lee reelected mayor of Port Allen|url=https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/elections/article_0fd52a3e-a51b-11e6-8c97-83931a627a79.html|access-date=2021-05-28|website=The Advocate|language=en}}</ref>

==Points of interest==
[[File:Port Allen Lock Louisiana aerial view.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The Port Allen Lock. View is to the east over the Mississippi River.]]

The ''West Baton Rouge Museum'' includes the museum, the c. 1830 Aillet House, a c. 1870s Reconstruction Era worker's cabin, and a c. 1890s cabin decorated to look as it would have during the Civil Rights Era), the c. 1880s Arbroth Plantation Store, the c. 1938 Reed Farm and Ranch Shotgun House, and a reproduction early 20th-century barn.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://westbatonrougemuseum.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&layout=category&task=category&id=26&Itemid=76 |title=Exhibits |access-date=October 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905211847/http://www.westbatonrougemuseum.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&layout=category&task=category&id=26&Itemid=76 |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

The ''City of Port Allen Railroad Depot'' is a museum depicting the life of railroad workers in the 1940s. It includes a ticket booth, clothing and memorabilia from that era, along with the typewriter originally used at the depot. The 1950 caboose, which is also open for tours, is the only one in Louisiana that is nearly fully restored to its original condition.

The Mississippi Riverfront Development offers a panoramic view of the Mighty Mississippi and Baton Rouge. The area includes a pedestrian promenade with special architectural paving, viewing benches, and ornamental street lighting. On this site a ferry operated between Port Allen and Baton Rouge from 1820 to 1968.

Scott's Cemetery is the burial place of African Americans in West Baton Rouge, dating to the 1850s and slavery times. It is located at the corner of Court and Commerce streets near the Riverfront Development.

The Port of Greater Baton Rouge, located in Port Allen, is the head of deepwater navigation on the Mississippi River, serving barges and ocean-going vessels with international import and export facilities for all types of cargo, from grain to paper products, chemicals, manufactured goods, bulk ores and petroleum products. It is one of the top ten ports in the country. It handles roughly 61 million short tons of cargo each year, has {{convert|3000|ft|m}} of dock and {{convert|550000|sqft|m2}} of warehouse space. Its facilities include grain elevator storage, molasses, sugar, oil and coffee terminals.

The Port Allen Lock connects the Mississippi River to the [[Gulf Intracoastal Waterway]], shortening the distance to the Gulf of Mexico by approximately {{convert|120|mi|km}}. The Lock, a free-floating structure, is the largest of its kind. It serves as a man-made break in the levee. The massive structure has 90-ton doors and {{convert|64|ft|m}} sides. The lock was constructed in 1961 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to replace the historic Plaquemine Lock. The Intracoastal Waterway is an east–west inland waterway shortcut that connects Florida and Texas, eliminating {{convert|130|mi|km}} of shipping distance.

=== Festivals ===
Port Allen Festivals have included the [[Lagniappe]] [[Dulcimer]] Fete Festival, Port Allen Bonfires on the Mississippi River, SugarFest, West Baton Rouge Parish Fair, Kite Fest Louisiane, and the Oldies but Goodies Fest.{{When|date=May 2021}}

=== Registered historical places ===
{{main|National Register of Historic Places listings in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana}}

The [[National Register of Historic Places]] in Port Allen include the [[Aillet House]], the [[Allendale Plantation|Allendale Plantation Historic District]], Monte Vista Plantation House, [[Poplar Grove Plantation (Louisiana)|Poplar Grove Plantation]] House, Port Allen Middle School, [[Sandbar Plantation]] House, and the [[Smithfield Plantation (Port Allen, Louisiana)|Smithfield Plantation]] House.

==Notable people==
*[[Henry Watkins Allen]], slave owner and [[Plantation|planter]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Henry Watkins Allen|url=https://www.sos.la.gov/HistoricalResources/AboutLouisiana/LouisianaGovernors1861-1877/Pages/HenryWatkinsAllen.aspx|access-date=2021-05-28|website=Louisiana Department of State}}</ref>
*[[Tracy Porter]], formerly a [[cornerback]] for the [[Chicago Bears]]<ref>Tyana Williams, [http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=11953531 "City changes its name to Porter Allen"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519000521/http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=11953531 |date=May 19, 2017 }}, [[WAFB]], February 8, 2010.</ref>
*[[Arthur T. Prescott]], educator who was founding president of [[Louisiana Tech University]] in 1894.<ref>Henry E. Chambers, ''A History of Louisiana'', Vol. 2 ([[Chicago]] and [[New York City]]: American Historical Society, 1925), pp. 313-314</ref>

==See also==

* [[West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana|West Baton Rouge Parish]]
*[[National Register of Historic Places listings in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.portallen.org City of Port Allen]
* [http://www.portgbr.com Port of Greater Baton Rouge]
* [http://www.thewestsidejournal.com ''The West Side Journal'']

{{West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana}}
{{Louisiana parish seats}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Port Allen, Louisiana|*]]
[[Category:Cities in Louisiana]]
[[Category:Cities in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Parish seats in Louisiana]]
[[Category:Cities in the Baton Rouge metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Louisiana populated places on the Mississippi River]]