Beauregard

Formed January 1, 1913 (63^rd parish)

Beauregard Parish (35,654), De Ridder (10,578)                

The stately 1912 domed, tan brick courthouse stands out along United States Highway 171 in De Ridder.  It is located on 1^st Street and Stewart Street.  First Street is United States Highway 171 through the city.  The building was renovated in 2017.  The white pillars and dome are predominant features for the Classical Revival building.  E. Stevens & Nelson provided the building designs.  An Administration building was added in 2007.  Beauregard Parish was formed on January 1, 1913 and therefore this is the only courthouse to serve the parish.  The parish was taken from Calcasieu Parish as the 63^rd and one of the final 3 parishes.  Ella De Ridder, sister-in-law to a local railroad investor is the source of the parish seat’s name.  The parish’s namesake was Confederate General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard.  Beauregard Parish was the birthplace of 1 Louisiana Governor, Sam H. Jones. 

Beauregard Parish government consists of a President, a sheriff, a clerk, a treasurer, and a coroner (executive).  It has 10 Police Jury Members (legislative.)  Two District Court Judges and Four Justice Court Judges serve Beauregard Parish (judicial.) The parish is in the southwest part of Louisiana north of Lake Charles, Louisiana and southwest of Alexandria, Louisiana.  Texas is on the western border which is formed by the Sabine River.  Other bayous cross the parish mainly from north to south.  The parish center is 7.2 miles Southwest of De Ridder.  The parish is surrounded clockwise by Vernon, Allen, Jefferson Davis, and Calcasieu parishes and Texas. 

The area of the parish is 1166 square miles.  It is 10 out of 64 in the state.  It ranks 31 out of 64 in population in the state.  It has a density of 31.3 persons per square mile making it 41 out of 64 in the state.  Beauregard Parish has 28.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 171 crosses north to south from Vernon Parish into Calcasieu Parish.  United States Highway 190 enters from the southeast, Allen Parish, go exits to the northwest, Texas.  The parish is shaped like a two-legged stool.  De Ridder is in the far north part of the parish and extends into Vernon Parish.  De Ridder is the parish seat and the largest city.  It is 27.0% of the parish population.  The parish is pronounced BOE-RE-GARD.  The parish seat is pronounced DE RID-DUR.  This parish is in the De Ridder Micropolitan Statistical Area.