Jefferson Parish | US Courthouses

Jefferson Parish is named for Thomas Jefferson, who was President of the United States from 1801 to 1809.

Created: February 11, 1825

Parish Seat:

Lafayette ( New Orleans ) 1825 – 1852

Carrollton 1852 – 1874

Harvey 1874 – 1884

Gretna 1884 – present

Old Parish Courthouse – Grenta

Location: 740 2nd Street / Huey P Long Avenue

Built: 1907 – 1908

Style: Classical Revival and Renaissance Baroque

Architect: R S Soule of New Orleans

Contractor: F B Hull Construction Company.

Description: The building faces north and is a three story buff colored brick and stone structure. The building is located in the center of Gretna. The north front has a large portico with three arches and recessed entrance on the first story and four columns rising to a pediment at the roof line. A cornice runs between the first and second stories and below the flat roof line. The building extends south with lower center section. The annex on the south side was built in 1929. The building was the former Jefferson Parish Court House until 1956 and is now the City Hall.

Note: The first courthouse was built in 1834 at Jackson Avenue and Rousseau Street in Lafayette which became part of New Orleans in 1852. The second courthouse at 2219 Rousseau Street was built in 1836 as a jail and became the courthouse in 1843. The parish seat was moved to Carrollton in 1852 and the third courthouse was built in 1854. In 1874, the county seat was moved to Harvey and the fourth courthouse was located in Harvey Castle, a Gothic Revival mansion along the Harvey Canal on Destrehan Street and 50 Street built by Nicholas Destrehan in 1844. The building was demolished in 1924 when the canal was widened. The fifth courthouse was the William Tell Fire Hall at Newton Street and Street in Gretna from 1889 to 1907 which building is still standing. The sixth courthouse was constructed in 1907 and became the City Hall when the seventh courthouse was designed by Claude Hooton and constructed by R D Farnsworth in 1958 as a nine story green colored glass skyscraper located at Dolhonde Street and Third Streets. The eighth and present courthouse was constructed in 2007.

Parish Courthouse – Grenta

Location: 200 Derbigny Street / 2nd Street

Built: 2004 – 2007

Style: Modern

Architect: Sizeler Thompson Brown Architects

Contractor: Brice Building Company

Description: The buildings face east and are glass, brick, concrete and steel structures. The buildings are located in the center of Gretna and the complex consists of three buildings. The east front has a one story semi-circular entrance with a six story Administration Building on the south side, a five story rectangular Courthouse Building on the west side and a five story dark red colored brick District Attorney Building on the north side. The south building is constructed of buff colored brick with horizontal windows. The roof line is flat. The west building is constructed of buff colored brick and has a flat roof line. The building was originally constructed in 1969 as a two story structure and three more stories were constructed in the 1970’s. The building is the Thomas F Donelon Courthouse. The north building has large glass paneled sections on the north and south side. The first story has a recessed porch. The complex is named as the Jefferson Parish Government Center.

Note: The previous courthouse was designed by Claude Hooton and constructed by R D Farnsworth in 1958.

First Parish Courthouse – Metairie

Location: 924 David Street / West Metairie Drive

Built: Unknown

Style: Modern

Architect: Unknown

Contractor: Unknown

Description: The building faces west and is a one story buff colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Metrairie. On the west side ate two entrances with canopies. The roof line is flat.

Second Parish Courthouse – Grenta

Location: 200 Huey P Long Avenue / 1st Street

Built: 2002 – 2004

Style: Modern

Architect: Rozas Ward Architects

Contractor: Woodrow Wilson Construction Company, Inc.

Description: The building faces east and is a three story glass, concrete and steel structure. The building is located in the center of Gretna. The south section of the east front has an entrance on the first story with canopy above and a large recessed arch above. The windows are vertical. The roof line is flat. The building houses the Second Parish Court.

Other Branch Courthouses

Carrollton – Old Jefferson Parish Courthouse

See: Louisiana Fifth Court of Appeal

Courthouses:

N – Tangipahoa Parish and Saint Tammany Parish

E – Orleans Parish and Plaquemines Parish

S – Gulf of Mexico

W – Lafourche Parish, Saint Charles Parish and Saint John the Baptist Parish