Destrehan’s post office opened in 1916, and 2 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 20% of U.S. towns · #109 of 161 in Louisiana. What drives it
Most of Destrehan was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1986. Its Register listings are the Destrehan Plantation and the Ormond Plantation House. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1891 on, and the census since 1980.
The Destrehan post office opened in 1916, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Ormond (1832), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 2,382 in 19802020 census: 11,340110 years
How historic is Destrehan?
C−
More historic than 20% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Destrehan post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).
History grade
What drives Destrehan’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Destrehan is more historic than 20% of U.S. towns, #109 of 161 in Louisiana. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Destrehan’s overall grade.
Louisiana towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Louisiana town has 3.8 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Destrehan’s 1.7 sits near the middle of its state (46% of Louisiana towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C. The pre-1940 share (±1.9 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Destrehan’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Destrehan. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1891Hahnville sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Destrehan.
The story so far
Destrehan, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Destrehan yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Destrehan is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, United States. At the 2020 census, its population was 11,340. It is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River. Destrehan is part of the New Orleans—Metairie—Kenner metropolitan statistical area.
Its first post office opened in 1916. Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 11,535 in 2010, 11,340 in 2020.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Destrehan, 1832 to 1994
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The Destrehan post office opened in 1916, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Destrehan rank for history?
Destrehan is more historic than 20% of U.S. towns, #109 of 161 in Louisiana. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Destrehan?
Two places: the Destrehan Plantation (listed 1973) and the Ormond Plantation House (1990).
How old are the homes in Destrehan?
3% of Destrehan’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.9 points), against a typical 3.4% for a Louisiana town; the median home was built in 1986.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From the Library of Congress (6), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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