Allen

Formed January 1, 1913 (62^nd parish)

Allen Parish (22,751), Oberlin (1,399), Oakdale (6,689)                

The traditional masonry Classical Revival courthouse was built in 1914 at the end of Main Street next to the high school.  It is located on Main Street at 4^th Street and Court Street.  Main Street is Louisiana State Highway 26 in this part of the city.  This is the only courthouse to serve the parish.  The parish was formed on January 1, 1913 from Calcasieu Parish as the 62^nd and one of the final 3 parishes.  Favrot & Livaudais are the architects for this courthouse.  Oberlin was named for Clergyman Johan Friedrich Oberlin.  The parish was named for American Revolutionary Ethan Allen.  He is also the namesake for the parish seat of West Baton Rouge Parish. 

Allen Parish government consists of a President, a sheriff, a clerk, a treasurer, and a coroner (executive).  It has 8 Police Jury Members (legislative.)  Two District Court Judges and Four Justice Court Judges serve Allen Parish (judicial.) The parish is situated in southeastern Louisiana, southeast of Alexandria, Louisiana and northwest of Lake Charles, Louisiana.  The parish center is 5.3 miles Northwest of Oberlin.  The parish is surrounded clockwise by Rapides, Evangeline, Jefferson Davis, Beauregard, and Vernon parishes.  The parish has the shape of a capital J.  The Bayou Calcasieu crosses the parish from north to southwest.  Oberlin is in the southern third of the parish.  Oakdale is located in the northeast quarter of the parish.  Oberlin is the parish seat and Oakdale is the largest city.  Oberlin is 6.2% of the parish population while Oakdale is 29.4% of the parish population.  The parish seat is pronounced O-BUR-LIN. 

The area of the parish is 766 square miles.  It is 27 out of 64 in the state.  It ranks 39 out of 64 in population in the state.  It has a density of 29.7 persons per square mile making it 44 out of 64 in the state.  Allen Parish has 47.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 165 crosses northeast, Rapides Parish, to southwest, Jefferson Davis Parish.  United States Highway 190 crosses the southern tip of the parish from Jefferson Davis Parish, on the east, to Beauregard Parish, on the west.