Terrebonne Parish, LA Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Code section
- Terrebonne Parish Code § 20-117
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. 7093, February 22, 2006
- Commission
- Houma Historic Preservation District Commission, 7 members
- Reach
- Any parish site/monument the council designates
- Demolition penalty
- $1,000 to $10,000 single fine
- Other violations
- $50 to $100 per violation (§ 20-133)
Summary
Terrebonne Parish Code § 20-117 charges the Houma Historic Preservation District Commission with preserving 'buildings, sites, monuments, and structures of historic interest or importance' and requires a certificate of appropriateness before any protected monument or site can be altered, relocated or demolished.
Purpose: The purpose of the commission shall be to promote the educational, cultural, economic, and general welfare of the public through the preservation and protection of all such buildings, sites, monuments, and structures of historic interest or importance through their protection, maintenance, and to review and issue certificates of appropriateness for all proposed alterations, relocations, and new construction within the boundaries of the historic district or on designated sites outside of the boundaries of the historic district ... No building, structure, or edifice, including fences, boundary walls, signs, light fixtures, steps and paving or other appurtenant fixtures shall be erected, altered, restored, moved or demolished within the Local Houma Historic District, or on any site, location, structure or monument designated pursuant to section 20-136, until after an application for a certificate of appropriateness as to exterior architectural features has been submitted to and approved by the commission.
Full Breakdown
Terrebonne Parish's historic-preservation framework, created by Ordinance No. 7093 in February 2006, sits in Chapter 20's Historic Preservation District article. ' The Code already lists two such designated historic sites at § 20-98, Residence Plantation and Magnolia Cemetery, and a separate Houma Cultural Historic District at § 20-99. An owner seeking to alter, move or demolish a protected monument or site must apply for a certificate of appropriateness; the commission generally must act within 45 calendar days of a completed application, following a public hearing advertised at least seven days in advance.
Violating the article, including proceeding without a certificate, brings a fine of between $50 and $100 per violation under § 20-133, except that demolishing a protected structure without a certificate carries a single fine of $1,000 to $10,000; a denied applicant has ten days to appeal to the parish council and 30 days after that to file suit.
Violations & Fines
Violating the historic-preservation article, including altering or moving a protected monument or site without a certificate of appropriateness, is punishable under § 20-133 by a fine of $50 to $100 per violation, with each day a non-demolition violation continues counted as a separate offense. Demolishing a protected structure or monument without a certificate instead draws a single fine of $1,000 to $10,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a protected monument in Terrebonne Parish?
Do I need permission to alter a designated monument?
What happens if I demolish a historic structure without approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Terrebonne Parish
Compare Terrebonne Parish to another location·View the Louisiana historic preservation overview
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