Saint James

Formed March 31, 1807 (12^th parish)

Saint James Parish (20,194), Convent* (483), Lutcher (3,138)                 

The Modern concrete and masonry 1971 courthouse sit on the banks of the Mississippi River.  The structure is located on Louisiana State Highway 44 at Courthouse Street.  Hamilton, Meyer and Associates are the architects.  A 1904 courthouse was also in Convent and underwent significant remodeling.  As an original parish (12^th parish), it was created on March 31, 1807 with Convent as the only parish seat.  A Judicial Building was added in 2011.  The Roman Catholic establishment for housing the nuns, the convent, is the source for the parish seat’s name.  The Bible disciple, James, is the source of the parish name. 

Saint James Parish government consists of a President, a sheriff, a clerk, a treasurer, and a coroner (executive).  It has 7 Council Members (legislative.)  Five District Court Judges serve Saint James, Ascension, and Assumption parishes and Seven Justice Court Judges serve Saint James Parish (judicial.) The parish is south of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and northwest of New Orleans, Louisiana.  The Mississippi River crosses through the middle of the parish.  The parish center is 4.9 miles East of Convent nearer Hester.  The parish is surrounded clockwise by Livingston, Saint John the Baptist, Lafourche, Assumption, and Ascension parishes. 

The area of the parish is 258 square miles.  It is 63 out of 64 in the state.  It ranks 45 out of 64 in population in the state.  It has a density of 78.3 persons per square mile making it 21 out of 64 in the state.  Saint James Parish has 30.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 10 comes from Saint John the Baptist Parish, east, and goes into East Baton Rouge Parish, west.  United States Highway 61 parallels Interstate Highway 10 from Saint John the Baptist to East Baton Rouge parishes.  A pitcher shape best describes the parish.  Convent is in the southwest quarter of the parish on the Mississippi River.  Lutcher is in the far eastern part of the parish.  Convent is the parish seat and Lutcher is the largest city.  Convent is 2.4% of the parish population while Lutcher is 15.5% of the parish population.