Lawtell, Louisiana

Lawtell is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. The name is a portmanteau of the names of its two founders: Lawler and Littell.^[3]

Lawtell, Louisiana
Unincorporated community
Lawtell, Louisiana Show map of Louisiana Lawtell, Louisiana Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 30°30′27″N 92°11′04″W
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	St. Landry
Area [1]
• Total	4.15 sq mi (10.74 km2)
• Land	4.15 sq mi (10.74 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	62 ft (19 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,066
• Density	257.05/sq mi (99.25/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code	337
GNIS feature ID	2586692[2]

State Representative Dustin Miller is a native of and a businessman in Lawtell.^[4]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the community has an area of 4.145 square miles (10.74 km²), all land.^[5] U.S. Route 190 passes through the community.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2020	1,066		—
U.S. Decennial Census[6]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 1,198 people living in the CDP. The racial makeup of the CDP was 49.6% Black, 45.1% White, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 1.2% from some other race and 1.4% from two or more races. 12.4% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Culture

Lawtell was home to Richard's Club, which opened in 1947. It was a venue of the Southern Chitlin' Circuit, particularly as a stop between New Orleans and Houston. Later it became a well known and historically significant zydeco venue.^[7] In 2012, Dustin and Nichole Miller purchased the building and reopened it as a dancehall called Miller's Zydeco Hall of Fame. However, in 2017, the building burned down overnight due to arson.^[8][9]

Notable people

• Calvin Carrière (1921-2002), Creole and zydeco fiddler
• Roy Carrier (1947-2010), zydeco accordionist
• Dustin Miller, Louisiana State Representative