Bienville Parish | US Courthouses

Bienville Parish is named for Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, who was the founder of city of New Orleans.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Webster Parish and Claiborne Parish

E – Lincoln Parish and Jackson Parish

S – Winn Parish, Natchitoches Parish and Red River Parish

W – Red River Parish, Bossier Parish and Webster Parish

Created: March 14, 1848

Parish Seat:

Sparta 1848 – 1893

Arcadia 1893 – present

Old Parish Courthouse – Arcadia

Location: 100 Courthouse Drive / Locust Drive

Built: 1952 – 1953

Style: Modern

Architect: C Scott Yeager

Contractor: Allen Construction Company

Description: The building faces east and is a two story yellow colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Arcadia. The east front has a high porch with six concrete pillars and a canopy over the entrance on the first story. The north and south wings are one story with few windows. The roof line is flat. The building is now closed.

Parish Courthouse – Arcadia

Location: 100 Courthouse Drive / Gap Farms Road

Built: 2011 – 2013

Style: Modern

Architect: Sutton Mitchell Beebe & Babin Architects LLC

Contractor: Lincoln Builders of Ruston Inc.

Description: The building faces south and is a two story red colored brick, glass and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds on the north side of the center of Arcadia. The south front has a three story square tower with long narrow vertical windows on the west side. On the southeast and southwest are extending sections with concrete framed large windows with semicircular windows at the top. The center section is recessed with glass walls. The roof is hipped. The interior has a wide central atrium rising two stories. The Parish District Court courtrooms are located on the east and west sides of the second story. The building houses the Parish District Court of the 2nd Judicial District.

See: The 2nd Judicial District includes Claiborne Parish and Jackson Parish.

History: The parish was created in 1848 and Sparta was selected as the parish seat. The first courthouse was built in Sparta after 1848. The parish seat was moved to Arcadia in 1893 and the second courthouse was a two story brick structure designed by William S Hull and constructed by F B Hull and W S Hull in 1895. The third courthouse was constructed in 1952 to 1953 and the fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 2011 to 2013.

Note: The highest point in Louisiana is Drisall Mountain at 535 feet ( 163 meters ) which is located in the county.