Good Hope Chapel

In 1950, Our Lady of Good Hope Chapel was built by the first Black Catholic Church Parish, Saint Paul the Apostle Church. It was built to accommodate Mass services that were being held in Good Hope Hall at the time. Since 1911, Saint Paul Parish has served Black Catholics living in the areas of Freetown-Port Rico, and La Place neighborhoods. The history of Freetown-Port Rico neighborhood is of significant importance to the development of Lafayette, beginning many years before the town of Vermilionville was incorporated. When Attakapas County was a part of the District of Orleans and under French and Spanish rule, it was legal for slaves to purchase their freedom in exchange for either work or goods. Free, non-white communities like Freetown-Port Rico, emerged throughout the Southern states. After the end of the Civil War, those who had long-ago settled in the contiguous neighborhoods of Freetown, Port Rico and Cropaudville were able to assist former slaves with their knowledge on how to survive as a free person. Most of the non-white “Freetown” families were Africans, Indigenous Peoples, and people from the Caribbean. Some of their surnames were Martin, James, Mouton, Figaro, Coco, Taylor and Celestine.