# Baskin, Louisiana
**Baskin** is a village in Franklin Parish, Louisiana, United States, located north of the parish seat of Winnsboro in the northwestern part of the parish. Its population was 143 in the [American Community Survey](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-community-survey) 2024 five-year estimates, making it one of the smallest incorporated places in the state.[1](https://censusreporter.org/profiles/16000US2204615-baskin-la/) • [2](https://www.geostat.org/data/baskin-la) The village is governed under the Lawrason Act, the Louisiana statute under which most small municipalities in the state are incorporated.[3](https://app.lla.la.gov/publicreports.nsf/0/001551899d381028862587cf005f8985/%24file/00025910.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Status | Village in Franklin Parish, incorporated under the Lawrason Act[3](https://app.lla.la.gov/publicreports.nsf/0/001551899d381028862587cf005f8985/%24file/00025910.pdf) |
| Population | 143 (ACS 2024 5-year estimates); 238 at the 2010 census[1](https://censusreporter.org/profiles/16000US2204615-baskin-la/) • [4](https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-1/cph-1-20.pdf) |
| Area | 1.3 square miles, about 107.3 people per square mile[1](https://censusreporter.org/profiles/16000US2204615-baskin-la/) |
| Namesake | Dr. Adolphus McDuffie Baskin, a pioneer settler buried in the village's Union Cemetery[5](https://visitfranklinparish.org/baskin/) |
| Government | Mayor George "Layton" Curtis; chief of police Roger Grayson[5](https://visitfranklinparish.org/baskin/) |
| Notable resident | Country singer Lainey Wilson, Grammy winner in 2024, born and raised on her family's farm in Baskin[5](https://visitfranklinparish.org/baskin/) |
## Name and early economy
The village was named in honor of Dr. Adolphus McDuffie Baskin, a pioneer settler of the area, who is buried in Union Cemetery in Baskin.[5](https://visitfranklinparish.org/baskin/) In its earlier years the community was a milling center surrounded by timber farms, and the parish tourism authority describes it as once having been heavily populated, with thousands of residents in that period.[5](https://visitfranklinparish.org/baskin/) Long-time residents of Baskin and other Franklin Parish communities were interviewed in 1972 and 1973 for an oral history project at [Louisiana State University](https://www.edgepedia.org/louisiana-state-university) covering family life, education, religion, and economic conditions in the early 1900s.[6](https://lib.lsu.edu/sites/all/files/oralhistory/resources/oh_guide.pdf)
Baskin sits in Franklin Parish, which was created on March 1, 1843 from portions of Ouachita, Catahoula, and Madison parishes and named for [Benjamin Franklin](https://www.edgepedia.org/benjamin-franklin).[7](https://visitfranklinparish.org/about-franklin-parish/) The parish remains a farming area; its gross farm value in 2022 was $222,516,368, with field corn the major plant enterprise.[7](https://visitfranklinparish.org/about-franklin-parish/)
## Population and economy
The village has lost population steadily in recent decades. American Community Survey five-year estimates show 251 residents in 2009, a peak of about 343 around 2012, and 143 by 2024, a decline of about 43 percent over the period.[8](https://www.geostat.org/data/baskin-la/trends) The 2010 decennial census counted 238 residents.[4](https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-1/cph-1-20.pdf)
**Income and housing.** Median household income was $61,667 in the 2024 five-year estimates, close to the Louisiana figure of $60,756, while per capita income of $25,559 was about three-quarters of the state amount.[1](https://censusreporter.org/profiles/16000US2204615-baskin-la/) The poverty rate was 24.5 percent, similar to Franklin Parish's 24.1 percent and above the national rate of 12.5 percent.[1](https://censusreporter.org/profiles/16000US2204615-baskin-la/) Median home value rose from $38,100 in 2009 to $129,200 in 2024, and homeownership reached 86.0 percent of occupied homes.[8](https://www.geostat.org/data/baskin-la/trends) The village had 50 households and 74 housing units, with about 2.7 persons per household.[1](https://censusreporter.org/profiles/16000US2204615-baskin-la/)
**Commutes.** Workers in Baskin face long travel times: the mean commute was 37.1 minutes in the 2024 estimates, about 1.4 times the state and national figures, and the village has no public transit system.[1](https://censusreporter.org/profiles/16000US2204615-baskin-la/) • [9](https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/la/baskin)
## Community and government
The village hall and police department are at 1325 LA-15, and the council meets on the third Tuesday of each month.[5](https://visitfranklinparish.org/baskin/) The mayor is George "Layton" Curtis, whom the parish tourism site describes as the second youngest mayor in Louisiana, and the chief of police is Roger Grayson.[5](https://visitfranklinparish.org/baskin/) A local audit report notes that the village receives USDA Community Facilities funds, which are treated as major funds in its financial reporting.[10](https://app.lla.la.gov/publicreports.nsf/0/82aed3a3276612d6862570ec0077abcf/%24file/000011aa.pdf)
Baskin's best-known native is the country singer and songwriter [Lainey Wilson](https://www.edgepedia.org/lainey-wilson), who was born and raised on her family's farm in the village. She won a Grammy Award in 2024 and was the most awarded artist at the 2023 CMA Awards, with five wins including Entertainer of the Year.[5](https://visitfranklinparish.org/baskin/)
## References
1. [Baskin, LA – Profile data, Census Reporter](https://censusreporter.org/profiles/16000US2204615-baskin-la/)
2. [Baskin, Louisiana Statistics and Demographics, GeoStat.org](https://www.geostat.org/data/baskin-la)
3. [Village of Baskin audit report, Louisiana Legislative Auditor](https://app.lla.la.gov/publicreports.nsf/0/001551899d381028862587cf005f8985/%24file/00025910.pdf)
4. [Louisiana: 2010, Census Summary Population and Housing Characteristics](https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-1/cph-1-20.pdf)
5. [Village of Baskin, Visit Franklin Parish](https://visitfranklinparish.org/baskin/)
6. [Oral History Collections in Louisiana, LSU Libraries](https://lib.lsu.edu/sites/all/files/oralhistory/resources/oh_guide.pdf)
7. [About Franklin Parish, Visit Franklin Parish](https://visitfranklinparish.org/about-franklin-parish/)
8. [Trends and Changes in Baskin, Louisiana, GeoStat.org](https://www.geostat.org/data/baskin-la/trends)
9. [Baskin, LA 71219, NeighborhoodScout](https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/la/baskin)
10. [Village of Baskin audit report, Louisiana Legislative Auditor](https://app.lla.la.gov/publicreports.nsf/0/82aed3a3276612d6862570ec0077abcf/%24file/000011aa.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Places and geography › Settlements and neighborhoods › Villages, hamlets, and rural localities › Villages and rural localities of the Americas › US incorporated villages and NY villages/hamlets › Louisiana villages*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license