The state's only World Heritage Site to receive $1.8M in grant funding for improvements

Ian Robinson, Monroe News-Star
·2 min read

Governor John Bel Edwards was in West Carroll Parish to announce million dollar funding for the state's only World Heritage Site.

Edwards and Rep. Francis Thompson (R-Delhi) announced a $1.8 million federal grant Tuesday to help with construction of a modern interpretive center highlight the profound significance of the Poverty World Heritage Site.

"... that is a significant investment in this site," Edwards said. "There'll be a masterplan to modernize the visual experience here so that they'll be the modern-day bells and whistles of 360 degree view, in terms of what we're looking at. The world will impact on history, culture, archaeology, anthropology... I mean you just name it."

Poverty Point, located in Pioneer, is an earthwork comprised of mounds and ridges created by indigenous people who lived in the area between 1700 and 1100 BCE.

More: What is Poverty Point? Ancient history discovered in real time in West Carroll Parish

Governor John Bel Edwards announced a $1.8 million grant for improvements at the Poverty Point World Heritage Site in West Carroll Parish.
Governor John Bel Edwards announced a $1.8 million grant for improvements at the Poverty Point World Heritage Site in West Carroll Parish.

The site attracts 100,000 visitors a year and generates $766,000 in revenue, according to Thompson.

The site was named a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site in 2014. Louisiana Commissioner of Admission Jay Dardenne said the specialized agency is going to be heavily involved in the future of the site, which he described as an "exciting partnership."

$380,000 of the grant was used to purchase an additional 72 acres, Edwards said. Edwards said additions, which includes a new visitors' center, will match the significance of the property and not taken away from it.

"People a lot smarter than I am have to figure out what things should look like," Edwards said. "Where they should be placed and more so that they actually add to the experience and don't detract from it. I think we got the right people who will be making all of those decisions. At the end of the day, we're just trying to transport people back 3,400 years."

Poverty Point World Heritage Site is located at 6859 LA−577, Pioneer and is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Entrance is $4 per person but is free to seniors ages 62 and over, and free to kids ages 3 and under.

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This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Poverty Point World Heritage Site to receive $1.8M for improvements