Box 18869, Philadelphia, PA 19119 - Phone (215) 848-7864 - Fax (215) 848-7893 They even put artillery on board for potential riots, and nets around the ship to catch slaves if they tried to jump overboard. The original inhabitants of the area were the Houmas Indians. Guillaume Duparc died three years after buying the property, so Nanette who strongly resembled a Native American began ruling over the slaves with an iron fist, as she was irritated with being left to run a plantation when what she really wanted was to move to a chteau in France. C. Richards and her son P.C. The nonprofit organization, created in 2019 by the Banners, serves as a resource for residents of their small town with a focus on advocating for Black community members who descended from people. The most intriguing thing I learned on the tour while being in a slave cabin was that until the late 1970s, four families from the descendants of the original slaves brought to that plantation continued to live on the property in the slave quarters until the United States government forced them to leave. go above and beyond these other six slave owners by owning over twice as many. Its the only plantation museum in Louisiana dedicated to telling the history of slavery from the perspective of the slaves. We thought we knew the history of slavery in the US, but we learned so much more. When the plantation appeared in the 2013 hit film Django Unchained, it was the most prominent example of its large screen exposure. Laura Plantation has a guided tour and they continue to recreate the events based on what they find through data research. 1825-1830 by Antoine Gosserand. The U.S. gained rights to use the New Orleans port in 1795. Examples of slave housing can be found on many of the extant plantation complexes. Its a lot of fun to tour the estate because the guides are dressed appropriately for their era. To increase their wealth, they decided that they should own slaves and run a sugar plantation. Well because of the mix of cultures that have lived here throughout the years. There were almost no improved roads in the U.S. or in the Louisiana Territory and the first railroads were not built until the 1830s. Assessment of remains of European ceramic ware indicates initial occupancy of Yucca House was post-1810, contrary to the 1796 date that historians earlier had proposed. "Marie Therese Coincoin: 1742-1816.". Here, they introduced lime to hasten the process of sedimentation. Mills as a starting point for their historic site documentation of the property, commissioned by the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches; copy held today by E. S. Mills. The tour is 90 minutes long and is all outdoors so make sure you bring water, sun protection. Please visit our Plan Your Visit tab to learn more! Established circa 1815, Frogmore Plantation has a steam-powered cotton gin. They could not fathom living anywhere else but on the plantation. Melrose Plantation, also known as Yucca Plantation, is a National Historic Landmark located in the unincorporated community of Melrose in Natchitoches Parish in north central Louisiana. Located at Patterson Street and Merrill Street, and noted for its productive truck gardens. In addition to enslaved Africans and European indentured servants, early Louisiana's plantation owners used the labor of Native Americans. Every bedroom in a home looks very similar to a movie set. ]," Section "Annee 1830---," burial date 12 March 1832; Register 15, Church of St. Franois (present Immaculate Conception), Natchitoches. Destrehan Plantation is one of our oldest major houses on the Plantation Alley tour. Historical investigations from the 1970s, together with an archaeological investigation that began at Melrose Plantation in 2001, have uncovered evidence that both confirm some aspects and challenge other elements of local tradition about the complex. After the Civil War, railroads took over most of the hauling of goods. Some of Louisiana's most prosperous planters and farmers were free African Americans, the owners of more property than free blacks in any other state. By 1860, black Louisianans owned nearly 3,000 slaves, making them the second-largest group of slaveholders in the state. If youre looking for a plantation stay thats both charming and luxurious, the Inn at Houmas House is your ideal choice. So while I have never taken the tour I would like to introduce it to you as I feel it presents an important part of the history of the plantations of the south. Because of its strong association with the Metoyer family, Melrose Plantation is the major regional site for National Park Service interpretation of the history of Creoles of color in the region. Death was common on Louisianas sugar plantations due to the harsh nature of the labor, the disease environment, and lack of proper nutrition and medical care. Lets move onto the Destrehan Plantation where you will have a better understanding of the unheard voices of the past. The new owner, an Irish immigrant merchant named Joseph Henry, had married into a prominent local family. The Pendarvis Family During the 1730s, the Pendarvis family was one of the most prominent in the South, owning the biggest rice plantations in the Palmetto region and over 123 slaves. The house was completed in 1833 after Louis' death by his son Jean Baptiste Louis Metoyer. If they didnt have some gross physical abnormality that the plantation owners remembered then they were turned away and became homeless. In the 1800s, the plantation produced over 20 million pounds of sugar per year. Whitney Plantation Museum offers tours Wednesday through Monday, from 10am-3pm. "Grif" was the racial designation used for their children. This photograph was taken in New Orleans from an Airboat Swamp Combo. [15] The Hertzogs and Bossier then operated a cotton plantation, in partnership, until 1880. They sold the building in 1970. These two plantations, built in the early 1800s along the Louisiana River Road, are excellent examples of grand plantations. Amid the financial depression that followed the Panic of 1837, the mother and son fell heavily into debt. Laura was born to them, along with two boys. Freedom's Journal, the first black-owned newspaper, appeared in . The two boys never had children, so the plantation was bequeathed solely to Laura, who did not want it once she realized her station in life benefited from being a plantation owner, and she did not like what was happening to the slaves. Agricultural commodity prices remained depressed for many years, but their eventual recovery resulted in a new wave of land clearing, which in turn triggered another depression in the late 1830s. The Association for Preservation of Historic Natchitoches owns the plantation and provides guided tours. Dianne it was an honor and a privilege to take your tour. Last edited on 25 February 2023, at 00:44, World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition, Plantation complexes in the Southeastern United States, How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, "National Historic Landmarks Survey: List of National Historic Landmarks by State", "National Historic Landmark Program: NHL Database", "Pioneer Heritage Center gives glimpse into settler life", "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Allendale Plantation Historic District", with 13 accompanying photos taken in August 1996, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_plantations_in_Louisiana&oldid=1141425990. Italianate and Greek Revival home, built about 1846. She talks about the grief and pain of the enslaved and demonstrates the types of songs used in the fields, the types of African and Cajun cuisine that shaped the south, the type of religions among the enslaved, Maroon slaves, and the path of freedom of the enslaved. This gives a great overview of how those enslaved struggled to get free from the grip of oppression. The most famous plantation in Louisiana is the Oak Alley Plantation. Comparatively speaking though, the number of people of African descent in Louisiana at the end of the 18th century was ten times the total number of Acadians who arrived over a 21-year period. Those who were caught suffered severe punishment such as branding with a hot iron, mutilation, and eventually the death penalty. My husband and I are well travelled and found the tour guide one of the best we have had in the world. In 1822, a free man of color named Elise Rillieux established the San Francisco Plantation. A must do if ever in Louisiana. If you are in a rental car - just dont do it. In each cottage, you will find an antique and country charm, with a full bath and a bedroom with a fireplace. They worked from sunup to sundown, to make life easy and enjoyable for their enslavers. My ancestors suffering and despair were all too real at Oak Alley Plantation. The tours show the real-life conditions of the time in an effort to contrast the romanticized experience of Gone With the Wind. Had been Francis Routh's cotton plantation; and the land is now part of the. The largest family of free black planters and merchants outside of New Orleans was the Metoyer family of Natchitoches Parish, which intermarried with other black planters. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. This was advantageous since ribbon cane has a tough bark which is hard to crush with animal power. You can fulfill your romantic fantasy of staying at the beautiful Oak Alley with a Mint Julep in hand. Levi Jordan. B. L.'s death in 1838,[12] his $112,761 estate (roughly $2,600,000 in 2007 purchasing power [13]) was divided between his young widow Marie-Susanne "Susette" Metoyer [14] and a minor son, neither with any experience in financial matters. That house stands today in great condition hundreds of years later. I encourage everyone to read this book as it paints a picture of what Louisiana and Creole culture was truly like during the time slavery was prominent. It was one that I may not soon forget. Whitney Plantation is the only former plantation site in Louisiana with an exclusive focus on slavery. Saint Joseph Mansion was built in 1830 as part of a 1,000-acre estate. Historic house in Louisiana, United States, harvp error: no target: CITEREFMacDonaldMorganHandleyLee2006 (. You will see pictures from that tour, and it is one I will not soon forget, because never in my wildest dreams would I imagine that people of color would purchase and own other people of color. Plantation owners, both white and black, lost huge sums of money. Artwork by New Orleans high school students made in partnership with Freedom on the Move and the University of New Orleans. How To Add Oil To Your Murray Lawn Mower For Optimal Performance, The Benefits Of Using Liquid Fertilizer After Mowing Your Lawn, Troubleshooting Your Riding Lawn Mower: Identifying And Resolving Common Issues, How To Determine The Correct Amount Of Oil To Fill Your Toro Lawn Mower After A Change, How To Troubleshoot And Repair Your Cub Cadet Riding Lawn Mower, How To Minimize The Risk Of Blowback When Using A Riding Lawn Mower. This plantation was one of my favorites, and if you get a chance to take a tour with Joseph Dunn you should. Alley Plantation, one of the most impressive collections of antebellum mansions in the country, is located in Florida. This exhibit is a brief overview about the history of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Visitors learn about this history through tours, exhibits, memorials, and artwork. Whitney Plantation has an entirely separate story for each of its slaves. To read more about me and my storyclick here. I will go into more detail on each of the plantations in separate posts so be sure to subscribe to my email list so you dont miss those articles. The guest, Colette Pichon . Destrehan Plantation is one of the oldest plantation homes in the lower Mississippi Valley and one of the oldest in the United States. [2], Buildings include the main house, the Yucca House, the Ghana House, and the Africa House, plus some outbuildings. Our guide had just completed her master's thesis on the Haitian slave revolt. Their heads were placed outside of the plantations where they were from in order to discourage future rioting. In the aftermath of the Civil War, many African Americans in the South were left without land or homes of their own. [citation needed]. White landowners enslaved black Americans for at least a century after the Civil War. In this early period, European indentured servants submitted to 36-month contracts did most of the work clearing land and laboring on small-scale plantations. Oak Alley is one of Louisianas best plantations and one of the most recognizable of the historic mansions along the River Road. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. Whitney Plantation Museum offers tours Wednesday through Monday, from 10am-3pm. Guided Tours are available on a first-come, first served-basis. It began in October. Similarly, Africa House has been shown to be of design and building techniques similar to French rural structures of the time.[3]. This is one of the largest plantations in the United States built by and for free blacks. Only one home can be used as an overnight residence: Nottoway Plantation. During the Thomas Jefferson Presidency, a high priority was to build roads to New Orleans, specifically the Natchez Trace and the Federal Road through Georgia, initially intended to facilitate mail delivery. Uniquely, this home was built in 1804, and was run by a long line of female owners. Generations of Africans and their descendants were enslaved here to establish and maintain indigo, rice, and sugar crops. Dianne tells you stories of how it was to be a slave in the fields, a house slave, stories of those from within home, and stories of her ancestors who once lived here. The first colony in (current) English America was in Jamestown in 1607 to give you an idea. Take a look inside at a plantation run by four generations of Women. Whitney Plantation Historic District has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1992.