The main house was moved and is now located in Sherevport, and the plantation store is now located in Natchitoches. The Laura Plantation has more intrigue, and gossip that the French Court! Laura Locoul Gore was the owner of the plantation, which was named after her during her heyday. [15] The plantations in the vicinity of St. Francisville, Louisiana, are on a high bluff on the east side of the Mississippi River with loess soil, which was not as fertile as the river alluvium, but was relatively well-suited to plantation agriculture. Black history is important not just to talk about but to immerse ourselves in and teach those around us, and our posterity. After the United States outlawed the Atlantic slave trade in 1807, many captives came to Louisiana from the Upper South through the domestic slave trade. The slaves were technically free, but because they chose to stay, instead of a paycheck they were given an invoice of their debts to the family that owned the plantation. Our guide had just completed her master's thesis on the Haitian slave revolt. After the mother emancipated the teenaged Thophile Louis Metoyer from the disabilities of minority, creditors filed a series of lawsuits. Property ownership provided free Black people financial security and a way to build multigenerational wealth. Metoyer. To hear their stories, see where and how they lived was truly eye opening. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. Remodeled by Architect James Dakin 1837. Its a lot of fun to tour the estate because the guides are dressed appropriately for their era. Just before the Civil War in 1860, there were 331,726 enslaved people and 18,647 free people of color in Louisiana. It is a magnificent example of French Rococo architecture, with its exquisitely decorated mansion decorated with marble, crystal, and imported furniture. So if you have the time to do so, I would visit each of the plantations in the order that I have listed here. Best Time To Visit Louisiana River Parishes. Their eldest son left the plantation after his only child died and moved to the French Quarter to live. Yucca Plantation National Historic Landmark (1974), Tour guide points to a rare book in the plantation library. Research shows conclusively, through original contemporary records, that the core tract of 911 acres was granted in 1796 to Coincoin's second son, Louis Metoyer, not to Coincoin. The most iconic feature of any New Orleans plantation home is undoubtedly the grand, white-columned porch that stretches across the front of the house. They even have a German Coast Farmers Market, and Louisiana was owned by France for many many years (think way back to Junior High and High School about the purchase of Louisiana from France). Seniors, Students, & Military. Sugarcane was planted in January and February and harvested from mid-October to December. 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. . While there are no photos . Guided tours depart every 40 minutes from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and arrive every 70 and 90 minutes to complete the tour. Make sure to bring bug spray in the summer, whatever you decide to use the Mosquitos are healthy and HUGE! The museum is easily accessible from interstate 10 at the Gramercy exit, number 194. U.S. National Register of Historic Places, Louisiana African American Heritage Trail, St. Augustine Parish (Isle Brevelle) Church, List of National Historic Landmarks in Louisiana, National Register of Historic Places listings in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, "Alexandria Realtor Robert Wolf dies at age of 85", History of the National Register of Historic Places, List of U.S. National Historic Landmarks by state, List of jails and prisons on the National Register of Historic Places, University and college buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, National Register of Historic Places portal, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Melrose_Plantation&oldid=1138732672, Museums in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Louisiana, Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Louisiana, National Register of Historic Places in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, Articles using NRISref without a reference number, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with dead external links from June 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 11 February 2023, at 08:12. Click here to Learn more about plan your visit, Click here to Learn more about overview and tickets, Click here to Learn more about tours for large groups, Click here to Learn more about education tours for 5th through 12th grade, Click here to Learn more about education department, Click here to Learn more about education tours for 5th through 12th grade students, Click here to Learn more about virtual book club, Click here to Learn more about photo gallery, Click here to Learn more about filming and photography requests, Click here to Learn more about interview and media requests, Click here to Learn more about job opportunities, Click here to Whitney Plantation's Enslaved Workers. Whitney Plantation is the only former plantation site in Louisiana with an exclusive focus on slavery. Guided Tours are available on a first-come, first served-basis. There are a lot of plantations in the USA that have historically romanticized the architecture and days of Mint Juleps on sweeping verandas. The Whitney Plantation educates the public about the history and legacies of slavery in the United States. [citation needed] The Year without a summer of 1816 resulted in famine in Europe and a wave of immigration to the U.S., with New Orleans being the destination of many refugees. Cypress Trees, Sugar Cane, Satsuma trees (seedless easy to peel orange trees). Learn about how New Orleans was built on the foundation of the plantations, the outdoors, and the grand architecture of its past, but youll also learn about the regions rich history. 91001046. The Whitney Plantation, a notable example of the slave trade, is an excellent example. This was an amazing experience for my son and me. German immigrants, white indentured servants and enslaved Africans produced the land that sustained the growing city. Some of the guides are direct descendents of the slaves, some of them indirect. Circa-1850 home on former sugar plantation, scene of a, Early 19th-century plantation, joined in 1890 with, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 00:44. Learn about its significance and unravel its complex history. Many more details to come on this plantation in a future article. Laura lived to be over 100 years old, and went from being the owner of slaves, to witnessing the Civil Rights Movement before she died. It is a National Register of Historic Places listing that was built in 1787 by the Destrehan family. It really has changed my perspective on so many things. Jean Dorville Landry. The surviving plantation homes range from relatively modest dwellings to opulent mansions, some containing original furnishings and many with period furniture. The area is 30 miles long and spans both sides of the Mississippi River. The properties are both reminders of grand plantations that were built along the Louisiana River Road in the early 1800s. Marriages were relatively common between Africans and Native Americans. September tends to be their hurricane season. Artwork by New Orleans high school students made in partnership with Freedom on the Move and the University of New Orleans. Here is your EPIC itinerary for 48 Hours in Dubrovnik Croatia a UNESCO city with stunning views, rich history, and surprises around every corner. Please leave a comment below of other plantations you have visited that you feel give a balanced view of Black History and slavery. Discover what it was like to be a house slave, a field slave, the 1811 Slave Revolt at Destrehan Plantation. This mansion is the largest mansion of its type still standing in the American South. Levi Jordan (1793-1873), a Georgia-born planter, traveled in 1848 to Brazoria County, Texas, bringing with him twelve enslaved Black people. 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. Levi Jordan. Wonderful, deep, passionate and rigorous depiction of a plantation from a slaves perspective. Monday - Wednesday is reserved for groups of 10 or more who have booked their group tour at least one week in advance. The cotton plantations would often threaten to send their rebellious slaves to those down the river insinuating they would sell them to a sugar plantation. There are now public gardens and museums at the plantation. [citation needed]. There are numerous slave quarters, smokehouses, and outbuildings that are still standing on the Nottoway Plantation, which is extremely large and historically significant. 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. That's the conclusion of decades of research by historian and genealogist Antoinette Harrell, who described . This section will give you a very brief overview of the plantations in the Louisiana River Parishes area that focus on Black History. Additional photos. This collection of Plantations I visited, in the order I list them, are designed to give you an Introduction to the complex cultural history from the early 17th century up to the present day. We offer both self-guided and guided tour options. Enslaved women worked in the indigo fields growing and maintaining the crop. Cotton prices were particularly depressed.[14]. A 2002 study of Creole building practices showed that there was no evidence of African traditions in the architecture. Whitney Plantation Museum offers tours Wednesday through Monday, from 10am-3pm. Walking through the house and seeing the comfortable beds, fans over the table run by slave children, sweeping verandas and decks makes you feel a little ill appreciating how beautiful it is, because now you know where and how the home came to be, on the manual labor and backs of slaves. Steam-powered river navigation began in 1811-12, between Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and New Orleans. You can take in breathtaking views of the Mississippi River and the plantations that dot its banks when you stay at the Inn at Houmas House. During the tour, I learned that Lauras great grandparents, Guillaume Duparc and Nanette Prudhomme Duparc, ran for their lives, as they were Creole mixed with French and and settled in Louisiana. So after visiting the Laura Plantation, you have an introduction into the colorful plantation homes of the French. Enslaved workers had to time this process carefully, because over-fermenting the leaves would ruin the product. "Documenting a Slave's Birth, Parentage, and Origins (Marie Thrse Coincoin, 17421816): A Test of 'Oral History',", Mills, Elizabeth Shown. Here is the best New Orleans food to try with tips for local hot spots and real Cajun and Creole charm. Generations of Africans and their descendants were enslaved here to establish and maintain indigo, rice, and sugar crops. "Enterrements, 1793-1796 [Etc. Upland or green seeded cotton was not a commercially important crop until the invention of an improved cotton gin in 1793. It is managed by the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches (APHN) as a tourist attraction. In addition to enslaved Africans and European indentured servants, early Louisiana's plantation owners used the labor of Native Americans. Uniquely, this home was built in 1804, and was run by a long line of female owners. We were cold and being rain on, and she still kept our interest the whole way. Age 5 and under are free! Site Marker: Built in 1801 by Marius Pons Bringier as wedding gift for daughter Fanny, who married Christophe Columb, a French refugee. The site contains several buildings and structures that were originally constructed and restored to their original specifications. They also served as sawyers, carpenters, masons, and smiths. The open kettle method of sugar production continued to be used throughout the 19th century. Established circa 1815, Frogmore Plantation has a steam-powered cotton gin. Once fermented, the leaves dyed the water a deep blue. This is a list of plantations and/or plantation houses in the U.S. state of Louisiana that are National Historic Landmarks, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, listed on a heritage register; or are otherwise significant for their history, their association with significant events or people, or their architecture and design. This made much of the land in the U.S. unsuitable for growing crops other than for local consumption. Detailed guide to the best Louisiana Plantations for Black History: https://culturetrekking.com/plantations-for-black-historyThere are a lot of plantations i. In plantation kitchens, they preserved the foodways of Africa. Aillet House Plantation. House destroyed by fire in 1963. [citation needed] Contemporary descriptions cite the lack of towns, commerce, and economic development. The Metoyers were free people of color for four generations before the American Civil War. Wolf was a past president of the Alexandria-Pineville Board of Realtors and in 1984 was named "Realtor of the Year".[17][18]. In the aftermath of the Civil War, many African Americans in the South were left without land or homes of their own. It was purchased by APHN in 1978, after being purchased by Bradish Johnson for the first time in 1867. Some individuals owned no land or slaves but worked as plantation overseers. 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