Longfellow-Evangeline State Commemorative Area

Longfellow-Evangeline State Commemorative Area, historic site just north of St. Martinville, southern Louisiana, U.S. The site lies on Bayou Teche, about 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Lafayette. Established in 1934, it occupies an area of 157 acres (64 hectares). Its chief feature is Acadian House Museum, which is believed to have been the home of Louis Arceneaux after he was exiled from Nova Scotia. Arceneaux served as the prototype of Evangeline’s lover, Gabriel, in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem Evangeline (1847). Built in 1765 of hand-hewn timbers, the three-story cottage, smokehouse, and adjoining kitchen have been completely restored. Another building houses the Acadian Craft Shop.