About

In 1974 a group of interested citizens proposed to the Police Jury (later to be known as the Parish Council) that St. John the Baptist Parish needed a cultural center.

By 1975 the group had joined the 1976 Bicentennial Committee and had begun a publicity campaign seeking endorsements to convince the public of the need. By 1976 an official feasibility study had concluded that the parish did indeed need a cultural center. A referendum was put on the ballot for September 1978, but the center lost by 21 votes. The group members felt that with harder campaigning, the January 19, 1980 bond election could be won, but in the end, the proposal was soundly defeated.