Prairieville is an unincorporated community in Ascension Parish, Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is south of Baton Rouge and north of Gonzales, Louisiana

Gonzales, Louisiana

Gonzales is a city in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,156 at the 2000 census. It has been called the "jambalaya capital of the world" and is famous for its annual Jambalaya Festival. Gonzales is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area.State...

. The latitude of is 30.302N. The longitude is -90.971W. Elevation is 23 feet (7 m).

Prairieville is an expanding bedroom suburb of Baton Rouge. Its name comes from the once plentiful pastures and prairies that were visible from Highway 73 (Jefferson Hwy.) and U.S. 61 Airline Highway

U.S. Route 61

U.S. Route 61 is the official designation for a United States highway that runs from New Orleans, Louisiana, to the city of Wyoming, Minnesota. The highway generally follows the course of the Mississippi River, and is designated the Great River Road for much of its route. As of 2004, the highway's...

 which is now covered with development. Prairieville started off as a quiet community with few people.

In recent decades, Prairieville has benefited from immigration out of Baton Rouge, with new residents particularly drawn to the area by its high-performing public schools and low crime rate. Prairieville has an estimated population of 30,000. If it incorporated it would likely be the largest city in Ascension Parish. Prairieville is in one of the fastest growing areas in Louisiana. Prairieville's estimated population is bigger than Donaldsonville and Gonzales together.

The retail development is growing at one of the fastest rates in the state of Louisiana. Oak Grove Primary School is one of the most reliable schools in the state. The Commerce Center in Prairieville is a big mixed development center on Airline Highway. Behind that is going to be Bullion Crossing with hundreds of homes and town homes including a school. This will connect to Swamp Rd. The Prairieville Walmart is soon going to be remodeled. Most of the Parish's growth is in Prairieville, which has no official boundary line.

Prairieville is vulnerable to hurricanes and tropical systems due to its close location to the coast of southeast Louisiana. Hurricane Gustav caused major damage to the Prairieville area. Many trees and power lines were down for weeks.

Phillips Farm

The most notable local property was the Phillips Farm. The farmhouse is still a local landmark in Prairieville, although the original owner died in 2005. The house is lined with live oaks and a white planked fence surrounds the grounds. The pasture was sold off in 1992 at the start of the suburban development and a 250-resident subdivision named "Seven Oaks" surrounds the farm where the pastures were.

In 2006, the farmhouse was sold at auction following the death of Dr. Carey A. Phillips. The 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) tract of land (including the house) has been made into a cemetery now called Oak Lane Memorial Park.

Notable residents

State Representative

Louisiana State Legislature

The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...

 Eddie J. Lambert

Eddie J. Lambert

Eddie Joseph Lambert is an attorney from Prairieville, Louisiana, who is a second-term member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 59 in Ascension Parish.-Background:...

 and his wife, Judge Marilyn Montgomery Lambert, reside in Prairieville.
Rapper Mystikal

Mystikal

Michael Lawrence Tyler , better known by his stage name Mystikal, is an American rapper, and actor from New Orleans.-1993-1994: Early career:...

currently resides in Prairieville.