Tchefuncte State Park and Conservation Reservation

Louisiana’s Historic Predecessor to Fontainebleau — Tchefuncte State Park and Conservation Reservation, Original Name of Fontainebleau State Park, Tchefuncte Culture Archaeological Type Site, North Shore Lake Pontchartrain, St. Tammany Parish

Tchefuncte State Park and Conservation Reservation was the original name of what is now Fontainebleau State Park on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain near Mandeville, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. When the state began developing this land in 1938, it was named after the nearby Tchefuncte River. The park was later renamed Fontainebleau State Park and officially opened in 1943. Features include the Tchefuncte archaeological type site (16ST1), dating to 600 BCE – 200 CE, the site of the Fontainebleau Plantation established in 1829 by Bernard de Marigny de Mandeville, ruins of a 19th-century sugar mill, the historic Alley of the Oaks, camping, beach, and nature trails on Lake Pontchartrain.

The Tchefuncte Culture

This park contains the type site for the Tchefuncte culture — the first prehistoric culture in Louisiana to produce pottery in significant quantities (approximately 600 BCE – 200 CE). Discovered during 1938 park construction, the shell midden yielded thousands of pottery shards, bone tools, and stone implements revealing early hunter-gatherer life along Louisiana’s waterways.

From Plantation to State Park

Before becoming a state park, this 2,800-acre estate was the Fontainebleau Plantation, established by Bernard de Marigny de Mandeville in 1829. The plantation produced sugar, lumber, and bricks using the labor of 153 enslaved people documented in 1840 records. Today, the brick sugar mill ruins remain as a powerful reminder of this history.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tchefuncte State Park still open?

Yes, it operates as Fontainebleau State Park — the name was changed after its 1943 opening.

What is the Tchefuncte culture?

A prehistoric Native American culture (600 BCE – 200 CE) first identified at this site, notable as Louisiana’s earliest significant pottery producers.