Historic Site· 1831· St. James Parish

Manresa House of Retreats (Jefferson College)

National Register of Historic Places

Jefferson College opened in 1831 to teach the sons of Creole planters the classical curriculum their fathers had studied in France. The Marist Brothers took over in 1859. When the Jesuits arrived in 1931, they closed the school and converted the property into a silent retreat house — the name changed to Manresa. What survived is the formal gardens on the Mississippi bluff. They are the finest example of institutional antebellum landscape design still functioning on River Road, intact through successive occupants and a complete shift in purpose. The retreat house still operates under the Jesuits. You cannot visit on a whim. Manresa is a working retreat house, not a tourist site. Check the retreat calendar at manresa-retreat.org — retreatants have access to the grounds.

Quick facts

·Founded in 1831 to educate the sons of Louisiana's Creole planter class in the classical tradition their fathers received in France.
·The Marist Brothers ran it from 1859; the Jesuits converted it to a silent retreat house in 1931.
·Formal gardens on the Mississippi bluff remain intact.
·The finest example of institutional antebellum landscape design still functioning on River Road.
·A Jesuit retreat house, not a tourist attraction — but the grounds are extraordinary.
·Not open to general public. Check manresa-retreat.org for retreat calendar.