Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Natchitoches, LA
Year Listed: 2005
The oldest permanent settlement in the vast expanse of the Louisiana Purchase territory, Natchitoches (pop. 18,500) is a vibrant community dedicated to preserving its incredibly rich and diverse heritage. Established in 1714 as a center for trade between local Indians and French colonists, Natchitoches has known the imprint of French, Spanish, African, American Indian, Creole and American cultures. Highlights among the area’s historic treasures are the vibrant downtown, a participant in the National Trust’s Main Street program that offers shopping, restaurants, and trolley and horse-and-buggy tours; the 33-block historic district, rich in handsome buildings that house a number of Bed and Breakfast establishments; Melrose Plantation, a National Historic Landmark, which showcases both the antebellum lifestyle and the work of famed artist Clementine Hunter; and the Cane River National Heritage Area and Cane River Creole National Historical Park, encompassing an array of historic sites and living communities.
View of Downtown Natchitoches.
Credit: Natchitoches Main Street
The area’s evocative rural landscape, picture-book architecture and Southern-style charm have lured the makers of such films as Steel Magnolias, The Horse Soldiers and Man in the Moon - as well as throngs of visitors who enjoy fishing, paddle-boating, golfing, and the many delights of the annual Jazz/R&B Festival and the spectacular displays - including a lighted barge parade - that highlight the acclaimed Natchitoches Christmas Festival. For these reasons, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the country's largest private, nonprofit preservation organization, today named Natchitoches, La., to its 2005 list of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations, an annual list of unique and lovingly preserved communities in the United States. It was selected from nearly 80 destinations in 44 states that were nominated by individuals, preservation organizations and local communities.
You can learn more about Natchitoches by visiting www.caneriverheritage.org.
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