St. Anne Church (Spanish Lake)

The St. Anne Church (Spanish Lake) in the vicinity of Robeline, Louisiana is a historic church founded in the 1800s as a mission from the St. Augustine Parish Church of Isle Brevelle. The current building was built in 1916. It is located at the southwest corner of the intersection of LA 485 and Blosmoore Road. It was added to the National Register in 1994.^[1]

St. Anne Catholic Church (Spanish Lake)
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Show map of Louisiana Show map of the United States
Location	Southwest corner of the intersection of LA 485 and Blosmoore Road, in vicinity of Robeline, Louisiana
Coordinates	31.786359°N 93.285663°W / 31.786359; -93.285663
Area	less than one acre
Built	1916
Architectural style	Late Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No.	94001271[1]
Added to NRHP	October 28, 1994

It was deemed notable "because it is a rare example of the Gothic Revival style within Natchitoches Parish."^[2]

History

In the 18th century, Spanish Lake was known as Laguna de los Adaes, so named because the Adai Indians lived around it. After the Spanish left in 1773 due to the closure of the Presidio at Los Adaes (the area was put under the jurisdiction of Fort St. Jean Baptiste des Natchitoches), the community became known as Spanish Lake. ^{[3] [4]}

On March 11, 1856, the mission of St. Augustine at Isle Brevelle was decreed by Bishop Auguste Martin, the first Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Natchitoches, to be a parish in its own right and assigned his brother, Fr. Francois Martin to be its first resident pastor.^[5] Now as a Parish Church, St. Augustine (also known as the Isle Brevelle Church) expanded and founded four other missions in the area, St. Charles Chapel at Bermuda, St. Joseph's Catholic Mission at Bayou Derbonne, St. Anne Chapel at Old River, and St. Anne's at Spanish Lake serving the Adai Caddo Indians of Louisiana. Notable Creole founding and patron families include Metoyer, Rachal, Longlois, Lacaze and Brevelle. ^{[6] [7]}

After a reorganization in the Roman Catholic Church, the Natchitoches Diocese became the Alexandria Diocese. The St. Anne mission was transferred under the St. Francis of Assisi Church, Powhatan.^[8]

Notable People

• Jean Baptiste Brevelle (1698-1754), early 18th century explorer, trader and soldier of Fort Saint Jean Baptiste des Natchitoches. Father of the namesake of Isle Brevelle and patron family of the St. Augustine Church (Isle Brevelle) and St. Anne Church (Spanish Lake).

See also

• Natchitoches, Louisiana
• Cane River Creole National Historical Park
• El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail
• St. Genevieve Catholic Church of Brouillette

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. National Register Staff (July 1994). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Church of St. Anne". National Park Service. Retrieved November 13, 2017. With 10 photos in 1994.
3. "Los Adaes". Texas Beyond History. Texas Archeological Research Laboratory at the University of Texas. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
4. "The Adaeseños". Los Adaes. Louisiana Dept. of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
5. "Bishop Auguste Martin". Diocese of Alexandria. Roman Catholic Church. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
6. "History of St. Augustine Catholic Church". St. Augustine Catholic Church. Roman Catholic Church. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
7. "Church once featured in Steel Magnolias was first Black-founded, financed, and attended church for Catholics in the U.S." KTALnews.com. December 19, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
8. "St. Anne Church (Spanish Lake)". Diocese of Alexandria. Roman Catholic Church. Retrieved December 2, 2023.