Saint Bernard Parish | US Courthouses

Saint Bernard Parish is named for Saint Bernard, who was the patron saint of Bernardo de Galvez, who granted land to the Canary Islanders who settled in the area in 1778 while Louisiana was under Spanish rule.

Created: March 31, 1807

Parish Seat:

St. Bernard 1807 – 1939

Chalmette 1939 – present

Parish Courthouse – Chalmette

Location: 1101 East Bernard Highway / Jackson Boulevard

Built: 1939 – 1940

Style: Art Deco

Architect: Weiss, Dreyfous & Seiferth

Contractor: R P Farnsworth & Company, Inc.

Description: The building faces south and is a three story cream colored stone and concrete structure. The building is located on Courthouse Square with landscaped grounds in the center of Chalmette. The south front has five recessed vertical sections with entrances on the first story and glass panels above. There is a wide header below the roof line. The east and west wings are lower and recessed. The roof line is flat. The large courtroom is located on the north side of the second story. The building was damaged by hurricane Katrina in 2005 and was renovated from 2005 to 2013. The architect was Beazley Moliere Architects and the contractor was Landis Construction Company. The building is named as the Jack F Rowley Courthouse. On the north side is Courthouse Square constructed in 2010 to 2012. The architect was Fauntheroy, Latham, Weldon, Barre Architects and the contractor was F H Myers Construction Company.

Note: The courthouse was the brain child of architect Solis Seiferth and was inspired by the grand temple of Mesopotamia, an ancient building in Iraq. Construction was completed by laborers under the works Progress Administration during the Great Depression.

Old Parish Courthouse – St. Bernard

Location: 1201 Bayou Road / Beauregard Lane

Built: 1915 – 1916

Style: Classical Revival

Architect: Toledano and Wogon

Contractor: Unknown ( J C Bourg )

Description: The building faces south and is a three story cream colored poured concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds and was part of the Beauregard High School, The courtroom is located on the second story. The building was damaged by hurricane Katrina in 2005 and was renovated from 2005 to 2013.

Note: The first courthouse was built on the site in 1848 and was destroyed by fire in 1884. The second courthouse was built by Harmon Turner in 1884 and the building was destroyed by a hurricane in 1915. The third courthouse was constructed in 1915 and the fourth and present courthouse was constructed in Chalmette in 1940.

Courthouses:

N – Orleans Parish, Hancock County, Mississippi and Harrison County, Mississippi

E – Gulf of Mexico

S – Gulf of Mexico

W – Plaquemines Parish and Orleans Parish