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Spirit of St. Francisville |
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Page 1 of 4 ST. FRANCISVILLE
CELEBRATES BICENTENNIAL
By Anne Butler
The quaint little Mississippi River town of St. Francisville, LA, has always been a happy marriage of residential and commercial structures, its gingerbread-trimmed Victorian dwelling houses co-existing shoulder-to-shoulder with vibrant small businesses, houses of worship, schools and other structures. Thus it is no surprise that its 200th birthday celebration this month should be just such a mixture, an appreciation of the past joined with enjoyment of the present and anticipation of the future.
Highlight of the bicentennial observation will be an Open House on Sunday, November 11, at Julius Freyhan School just off Royal St. in St. Francisville. A splendid sturdy brick structure overlooking the Mississippi River, it was opened in the early 1900s as the first public school in town, its construction funded initially by a bequest in the will of one of the area’s earliest Jewish immigrants, Julius Freyhan. Freyhan had arrived in this country a penniless peddler in the 1850s and prospered sufficiently as a supply merchant to the cotton empire that he was considered one of the wealthiest men in the state at the time of his death.
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For half a century the Freyhan School educated several generations of St. Francisville students, some even riding horseback from the surrounding countryside to attend classes, from which they were dismissed early on stormy days to get home safely before the creeks swelled with rainwater and became impassable. Other country students caught the train carrying cotton and passengers to the riverport beneath the school’s hilltop location, and one intrepid fellow even rowed across the Mississippi River every day for class. Today the alums of J. Freyhan School gather monthly in ever-dwindling numbers to share memories, and many of them will be present in person for the Open House November 11 in “their” school.
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CC's Greetings
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The Voice of West Feliciana Business |
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Happy New Year!!
It has been my pleasure to serve the members and board of the Greater St. Francisville Chamber of Commerce as your President, over the last year and a half. Our Past President, Hamilton Willis, laid the groundwork, recognized the needed direction and rapidly organized the chamber into a valuable resource for our members.
With the hard work of our board and an increased level of cooperation throughout the parish, many significant events occurred during my tenure. The Chamber hosted Political Forums, After-hour functions, and Ribbon Cuttings. We continue to enhance the newsletter and website on a regular basis. Through the Swing for Scholarship Golf Outing, we have provided scholarships to numerous students from our area. Most recently, we hosted the Discovery Trip to Madison to learn from their challenges and successes. The Comprehensive Plan has the potential to be the vehicle that will provide the necessary direction and focus for our local leaders. It is important that we continue to ensure that our leaders act on the plan and begin to implement its recommendations. I encourage our President Elect, Mike Smith, and the board to work closely with our officials towards this endeavor. |
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Read more...
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Welcome to Our Chamber
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Welcome to the Greater St. Francisville Chamber of Commerce. We are a membership driven organization with over 200 active members.
The Chamber is here to be the catalyst for business success and growth throughout our community. We believe that business prosperity contributes to the vitality of St. Francisville and West Feliciana Parish. |
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Read more...
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New Chamber Members
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New Chamber Member
The Greater St. Francisville Chamber of Commerce welcomes Daniel Clinic to the chamber. The medical clinic opened in July of 2000 and now employs 25 employees. Thank you for serving the needs of the community! |
Chamber Activities
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Business Recognition Dinner |
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Chamber of Commerce "Business Recognition Dinner"
The Greater St. Francisville Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the "Business Recognition Dinner" on Thursday, January 15, 2009 at Sage Hill Reception Center at 6 pm. Tickets are $35 per person and will be available beginning December 1, 2008. For more information, please call the chamber office at 225-635-6717. MARK YOUR CALENDAR TODAY- Limited seating available.
Purchase your tickets online. |
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Chamber of Commerce 2009 Membership Drive
The 2009 Membership Invoices have been sent out to all businesses that were members in 2008. The chamber asks that you complete the form and send the invoice with your check before November 27th. If you are not a member, and would like to join the Chamber, please call the office at 225-635-6717, and we will send you a form. An online membership form can be found on the Chamber of Commerce, click here. We remind everyone that not only businesses can join- individuals are welcome also! |
Area Events
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6th Annual Taste of the Felicianas
The Women's Service League and Feliciana Restaurants and Caterers are preparing for the 6th Annual- Taste of the Felicianas. It is truly "A Night of Glitz and Glamour" that everyone will enjoyed.
The date for the event is Friday, January 23, 2009 at 7:30pm at Hemingbough in St. Francisville. For more information call 225-784-1704. Don't miss this event!! |
Chamber Features
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Moving to St. Francisville |
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Relocation Packets are now Available
If you know of anyone who is moving to St. Francisville, they can call the Chamber office at 635-6717 and request a re-location packet. Information about the parish and parish facilities along with phone numbers they will need and some brochures from Chamber businesses and maps of the town and parish are enclosed in the packets. |
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Information on West Feliciana Parish government, services, offices, elections, utilities, police jury and location maps can be found at wfparish.org. Plenty of links to parish information on this "Gateway to the Parish"
As a tourist destination, St. Francisville Louisiana attacts visitors from around the world. Rich in civil war history, nature, historic sites and parks; people also come for the quaint town where time slows down just a bit.
