Caldwell Parish

With some 32 lakes, Caldwell offers plenty for fans of fishing and water sports, while a local economy based on farming, cattle ranching and lumber means much of the parish retains a tranquil rural atmosphere. Columbia is the parish's cultural center, and its downtown core has been meticulously restored. Today it offers a postcard vision of early 20th century Southern town life, from the courthouse square to its Ouachita River landings. Historical gems line the streets, like the Schepis Building, from 1916, built in grand European style and now open as a museum, and the First Methodist Church, built in 1911 and modeled after a Scandinavian chapel. Another attraction, just across the Ouachita, is the Martin Homeplace, a late 19th-century farm preserved as a living history museum of folk arts. The Louisiana Art and Folk Festival in October and the Riverboat Festival in May are the area's biggest annual events.