Claiborne

Formed March 15, 1828 (31^st parish)

Claiborne Parish (14,168), Homer (2,746)

The small, unique Greek Revival courthouse sets in the middle of the city square in Homer.  It is made of white painted brick and features large white two-story columns all around.  W. C. Crutcher provided the building designs.  The structure is located on Main Street which is United States Highway 79.  Russellville had the first courthouse from 1828 to 1836 followed by Overton and Athens.  Homer got the parish seat in 1849 and has had two courthouses.  The current courthouse was built in 1860.  A 1921 bank building was purchased for the Annex.  On March 15, 1828, Claiborne Parish was formed as the 31^st parish.  The parish was originally part of Natchitoches Parish.  First Louisiana Governor William C. C. Claiborne is the source name for the parish.  The Greek poet Homer provided the idea for the parish seat’s name. 

Claiborne Parish government consists of a President, a sheriff, a clerk, a treasurer, and a coroner (executive).  It has 12 Police Jury Members (legislative.)  Three District Court Judges serve Claiborne, Bienville, and Jackson parishes and Three Justice Court Judges serve Claiborne Parish (judicial.) The parish is in the northwest on the border with Arkansas.  The parish center is 4.1 miles Southeast of Homer.  The parish is surrounded clockwise by Arkansas and Union, Lincoln, Bienville, and Webster parishes. 

The area of the parish is 768 square miles.  It is 26 out of 64 in the state.  It ranks 53 out of 64 in population in the state.  It has a density of 18.4 persons per square mile making it 55 out of 64 in the state.  Claiborne Parish has 37.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 79 enters from Arkansas on the north and goes into Webster Parish on the southwest.  United States Highway 167 enters the extreme northeast tip of the parish from Arkansas and exits into Union Parish, east.  The parish is shaped like a stemmed drinking glass.  Homer is slightly west of the parish center.  Homer is the parish seat and the largest city.  It is 19.4% of the parish population.  Shreveport, Louisiana is southwest and Monroe. Louisiana is southeast of the parish.  The parish is pronounced CLAE-BORN.