St. Helena Parish

St. Helena Parish stands in the midst of that area of Louisiana known as the Florida Parishes. In the years following the Louisiana Purchase, the Spanish retained this part of the state within its Florida territory. But the predominantly Anglo-Saxon settlers would have none of it. They revolted against Spanish rule in 1810 and, after a brief period of independence, became part of the United States. Because of its sparse population and its pastoral backwoods and farms, St. Helena Parish perhaps best exemplifies the landscape of the Florida Parishes in those days. Historic sites include the Old St. Helena Parish Jail and the Greensburg Land Office, where residents applied to the federal government to Americanize their colonial-era land holdings. Dominated by timberlands and dairy farms, the parish offers plenty for nature lovers and huntsmen to enjoy. Despite its close proximity to Baton Rouge, St. Helena remains a true rural getaway.