Church of the Nativity - Episcopal Church - Rosedale, Louisiana
Rosedale is just one of those places. You find yourself there and are not really sure why you are there nor how you got there. Thus it is with many places in Louisiana. They are just off the beaten path so to speak.
Although Rosedale is a small place there are some things around that make one think that the place at one time was much more active than it is today. I mean active in a community sense. Rosedale is situated on the banks of Bayou Grosse Tete and that has to count for something. The bayou served as the main artery of transportation before highways were established. Still this place is interesting. There are older homes and businesses along the bayou. Some of these are being claimed by the vegetation along the bayou but many nice and interesting homes and churches and structures exist as one explores up and down the bayou.
Built in 1859 a Civil War Skirmish was Fought on the Grounds in 1864
One of those interesting places is The Church of the Nativity. It is a small Gothic style Chapel that was built in 1859. It must have been a place of some note as Bishop Leonidas Polk consecrated the small Episcopal Church on April 22, 1860. Some remember the fighting Bishop from Louisiana during the War Between the States. He was killed in 1864 during the Atlanta Campaign – and I have seen his bust on the Confederate Memorial in Greenwood Cemetery in New Orleans. It was also in 1864 that a skirmish was fought in Rosedale. In fact it was fought on the grounds of the church. It is hard to envision that happening as today the church reminds me of a land of fairies. It is just such a calm, comfortable and beautiful setting.
Home in Rosedale On Bayou Grosse Tete
Homes of all types can be found along the bayou near Rosedale and I have included some photos of a couple. On my last visit I also spotted an old smoke stack along the bayou and as of yet I have not tried to find out why it is there. It just seems that it belongs there so no big deal.
Shotgun Type Home More Commonly Found Around Rosedale
Now one place that I stumbled upon was an old syrup mill. When I look at the photo I can smell the smoke and taste the syrup. I can also envision that hundreds of cans of syrup must have been produced here every year – in the not so distant past. I can imagine the cane carts and wagons that must have been around this place during the cool and wet winter days. The sucrose content of the cane goes up in cooler weather. A frost can really help to make the cane sweeter as long as it doesn’t kill the stalks. I bet the roads were busy then too. In my mind I can see the bustle associated with Rosedale in the past. It is mostly a “sleepy” place now but the bayou and the church and the houses and other things around there can sure stir up the imagination. That makes a visit to this place worthwhile.
Abandoned Syrup Mill in Rosedale Along the Banks of Bayou Grosse Tete
A Southerly Flow 