After almost 150 years of Catholic dominance, the emergence of Protestant churches on the German Coast began. New Catholic and Protestant churches continued to be established in the 20th Century.
1806 — Original St. Charles Log Church in Destrehan burns and is replaced by wood-framed church painted red (Little Red Church). [St. Charles Church in Destrehan is the Mother Church of the Catholic Church in St. Charles Parish.]
1859 — First Protestant church is organized on Old Spanish Trail.
1862 — St. James Methodist Church is established in Hahnville.
1865 — Bethlehem Baptist Church in Hahnville is founded by African American missionaries.
1866 — L’Eglise Notre Dame du Rosaire (Our Lady of the Rosary) Chapel is established in Taft.
1866 — Baptist Church, Killona, is established.
1895 — Mount Airy Baptist Church of Boutte is established.
1897 — St. Matthew Baptist Church, New Sarpy, is established.
In 1887, 40 arpents were added to the 1770 land grant donated to St. Charles Borromeo Church for religious purposes. The Church now held 617.68 acres. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1821, these lands were registered with the United States government. In 1890, the “Little Red Church,” built in 1806 on this land grant, entered a period of interdiction, losing pastoral support of the archbishop due to conflicts with the church charter and wardens. During this period, the parishioners worshipped at St. Charles Parish west bank and Kenner churches.
This text is copyright © material by Marilyn Richoux, Joan Becnel and Suzanne Friloux, from St. Charles Parish, Louisiana: A Pictorial History, 2010.
