Tell the Army Corps of Engineers to Protect the West Bank of St. John the Baptist Parish
photo by: Brian M. Davis/Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation
West Bank of St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana. A new grain elevator and terminal are proposed for a site near the village of Wallace, Louisiana. The highest point of the terminal complex would be approximately the same height as the Louisiana Superdome. A coalition of local and national advocates, including many descendants of people enslaved in the area, is advocating against construction of the terminal.
Each year, the list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places shines a light on the threats facing significant sites of American history. It continues to be a powerful, galvanizing tool for historic preservation, with over 350 sites listed and only a handful lost.
On this year’s list is the West Bank of St. John the Baptist Parish.
This 11-mile stretch along the Mississippi River in St. John the Baptist Parish includes historic villages, agricultural fields, and two plantations where the lives of enslaved people are studied and interpreted. But now port facility Greenfield Louisiana LLC has applied to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a permit to build one of the largest grain elevators in the world amid the area’s nationally significant cultural resources. A coalition of local and national advocates, including many descendants of people enslaved in the area, is advocating for the Army Corps to deny the permit or for the developer not to build the terminal.
Contact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and ask them to deny the permit for Greenfield Terminal to ensure protection of this nationally significant place.