Lecompte

Louisiana's ghost towns are river landings, lumber and turpentine camps, and oil-boom towns that deflated.

Lecompte ( lə-KOWNT) is a town in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. Lecompte is situated along the banks of Bayou Boeuf in central Louisiana. US Highway 71, Louisiana’s major north-south route which connects Baton Rouge and Shreveport, runs through Lecompte. Lecompte is named after the famous race horse called LeComte, which was named after horse breeder Ambrose LeComte. It is part of the Alexandria, Louisiana metropolitan area. The population was 1,227 in the 2010 and had dropped to 845 in the 2020 Census.

The on-the-ground condition of Lecompte is unverified — it's listed here with unknown status. That could mean standing buildings, or an empty field. Go prepared for either, and consider sharing what you find so the record improves.

Nobody has confirmed the access situation, so treat any visit as reconnaissance: verify land ownership first, and be ready to admire from the road.

Here's the honest truth: access to Lecompte is unverified. We couldn't confirm whether the site sits on public land, private property, or something in between — so verify land ownership and local rules before visiting, and respect private property at all times.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.