It is unknown whether the massive trees were planted before the plantation was even established, or if they were planted at all. will bring visitors to the museum, but will often not drive back out to pick up. It was purchased by APHN in 1978, after being purchased by Bradish Johnson for the first time in 1867. 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. [16], Analysis of glass and nails from the site confirms three major periods of occupancy of Yucca House, c. 18071821, c. 1874-1888 (renovation likely after the 1884 purchase by Joseph Henry), and c. 1916-1930 (renovation by Henry's son John and his wife Carmelite "Miss Cammie" Henry). The stark difference of the skilled slaves that built these homes were forced to live in shanty shacks that provided no protection from things like Malaria, Yellow Fever and many other diseases in this area. The Metoyers were free people of color for four generations before the American Civil War. Today, many of these historic homes are open to the public, and they offer a glimpse into the opulent lifestyle of the Louisiana elite. Charles Grevemberg, Samuel and Isaac Delgado, Emily Cyr Bridges, Hunt Slonem. Under French rule (1699-1763), the German Coast became the main supplier of food to New Orleans. Plantation tours are among the best available in and around New Orleans. It was at the eastern edge of the plantation settled by his elder brother Augustin Metoyer. Those who were caught suffered severe punishment such as branding with a hot iron, mutilation, and eventually the death penalty. Natchitoches Parish, La., Deed Book 33:133, recorded 22 March 1847. This invention used vacuum pans rather than open kettles. It includes information about how the trade began, which European countries were involved, and where Africans were captured and forcibly migrated along routes of trade that extended both to the west and east of the African continent. Age 5 and under are free! However, there is no concrete evidence to support this claim. There is also a cemetery on the property. The AC works really well and there is a HUGE shower! 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. 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. 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. Managing Editor Teresa A. Emerson - [emailprotected] The majority of black inmates were subleased to land owners to replace slaves while others continued levee, railroad, and road construction. Field hands cut the cane and loaded it into carts which were driven to the sugar mill. It was during the period of expanding steam transportation that plantation agriculture dominated the Southern economy, with two-thirds of the millionaires in the U.S. living in Louisiana, mostly between Natchez, Mississippi, and New Orleans. Black history is important not just to talk about but to immerse ourselves in and teach those around us, and our posterity. Enslaved workers had to time this process carefully, because over-fermenting the leaves would ruin the product. Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, a French nobleman who named the palace after his friend, the French duc dOrlans, a French regent at the time, founded it in 1777. Enslaved workers dried this sediment and cut it into cubes or rolled it into balls to sell at market. Of the 8,000-10,000 refugees, 3,000 of them settled into the Louisiana area. The languages you will encounter the most are French and English in the Louisiana River Parishes. by Louisa | Nov 4, 2022 | Plantations In the aftermath of the Civil War, many African Americans in the South were left without land or homes of their own. These ships, which originated in the West Coast of Africa, carried captive rice farmers who brought the agricultural expertise to grow Louisianas rice plantations into profitable businesses for their European owners. The tours show the real-life conditions of the time in an effort to contrast the romanticized experience of Gone With the Wind. 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 Africa House, a unique, nearly square structure with an umbrella-like roof which extends some 10 feet beyond the exterior walls on all four sides, may be of direct African derivation. [citation needed]. . After the mother emancipated the teenaged Thophile Louis Metoyer from the disabilities of minority, creditors filed a series of lawsuits. If they didnt have some gross physical abnormality that the plantation owners remembered then they were turned away and became homeless. "Marie Thrse Coincoin (17421816): Slave, Slave Owner, and Paradox," Chapter 1 in Janet Allred and Judy Gentry, ed., Mills, Elizabeth Shown. Here is your EPIC itinerary for 48 Hours in Dubrovnik Croatia a UNESCO city with stunning views, rich history, and surprises around every corner. 83000554. There are a lot of plantations in the USA that have historically romanticized the architecture and days of Mint Juleps on sweeping verandas. A few free blacks also owned slave holding plantations in Louisiana, Virginia, and South Carolina. Destrehan Plantation is one of the oldest plantation homes in the lower Mississippi Valley and one of the oldest in the United States. My ancestors suffering and despair were all too real at Oak Alley Plantation. The Laura Plantation was established one year after the Louisiana Purchase, in 1804. Construction began on the "Big House" at Melrose before the 11 March 1832 death of Louis Metoyer. This was an amazing experience for my son and me. It wasnt until France came in and claimed the area in 1682 that we started to see Europe establish colonies in Louisiana. In order to create the dye, enslaved workers had to ferment and oxidize the indigo plants in a complicated multi-step process. Then in 1687 the Tunica Indians drove the french out and lived there for some time until the 1730s when St Francis was settled by the French. Historically sugar cane plantations were often much more brutal and back breaking to work on than the cotton plantations. They also have dinner service. Louisiana's first State penitentiary, called "The Walls," was located in the present-day downtown of Baton Rouge. During the 90-minute walking tour, visitors will get a unique look at how slave laborers lived on a Louisiana sugar plantation. By the time the story ends, we learned that these Creoles owned up to 400 slaves, even as the United States Census only counted 175 for taxpaying purposes, because Black people were considered 3/5 of a human being back in the 1800s. Some early twentieth-century traditions associated with the plantation, such as its first owner and origins of architectural style, have been disproved by historic research since the 1970s. Italianate and Greek Revival home, built about 1846. There are also some guides who are direct descendents of the owners so please be sensitive and respectful in your questions. 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. The plantation was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974. Raised plantation home along False River representing the early Creole Greek Revival period. Both of these places are 40 minutes away from Baton Rouge. I specialize in solo female travel, cultural connections, sustainable adventures, food and history to help make your travel experiences fun, meaningful, and delicious. Lauras uncles left the plantation with no heirs after their children died and lost their rights to inherit the land. Education tours are one hour in length and are conducted by a trained member of the education department. 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. The film contains many shots of the slave quarters on the propertys back. Learn about the HISTORY of the River Parishes! Louisiana (New Spain) was transferred by Spain to France in 1800, but it remained under Spanish administration until a few months before the Louisiana Purchase. Some of the plantations early twentieth century traditions, such as its first owner, have since been discredited by historical research. 1825-1830 by Antoine Gosserand. After the planting season, enslaved workers began work in other areas on the plantation, such as cultivating corn and other food crops, harvesting wood from the surrounding forests, and maintaining levees and canals. 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. He gave the property the name Melrose, by which it is still known. [16] After the American Civil War in 1865, the United States of America had abolished slavery, and the architecture changed for laborers on plantations to include more space, one example of this is found at the Allendale Plantation in Port Allen.[16]. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. There are numerous slave quarters, smokehouses, and outbuildings that are still standing on the Nottoway Plantation, which is extremely large and historically significant. Wonderful, deep, passionate and rigorous depiction of a plantation from a slaves perspective. Discount Admission:$23 He was very involved and well known in both the slave trade and sugar production. If youre looking for a plantation stay thats both charming and luxurious, the Inn at Houmas House is your ideal choice. The artistic representation of slave children, adult slaves, and the beheaded slaves from the 1811 Slave Revolt really bring the stories to life, and help you to realize that humans were traded like animals and objects. Its a lot of fun to tour the estate because the guides are dressed appropriately for their era. Open to the public. This plantation was one of my favorites, and if you get a chance to take a tour with Joseph Dunn you should. She spoke from a very informed place, and didn't gloss over the horrors of slavery and how it funded this country's start. I am a huge supporter of long term travel, but if arent retired yet (like me) then I would say a week at minimum to truly explore, learn and connect to the incredible culture in the Parishes. 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 Inn at Houmas House also features a garden courtyard as well as a wonderful bed and breakfast setting. She was incredibly knowledgeable and knew how to convey her knowledge in a refreshing, interesting, clear and concise manner. Simeon Patout was a "rather substantial slave owner for the time", wrote Michael G Wade in . I found myself thinking about what she had to say days after we left and telling the story of what we heard to many friends and family members. Property ownership provided free Black people financial security and a way to build multigenerational wealth. If you like to be outdoors, the big city entertainment, and peace and quiet on soft sandy beaches - well Lake Charles is for YOU! However, Antoine had married well back in the 1830s. 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. She shows you the small shed where the slaves who were being put on trial were kept for two weeks. [10], Real estate broker Robert Andrew Wolf, Jr. (19302016) of Alexandria, Louisiana, and his partner, John Wasson designed the current Melrose Plantation structure. Many slaves were skilled blacksmiths, masons, and carpenters who were often contracted out. The core zone of sugar production ran along the Mississippi River, between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Important: Rideshare services (Uber, Lyft, etc.) Enslaved workers siphoned this liquid into a second vat called a beater, or batterie. The de La Fayette family and the Talleyrand-Prigord family eventually purchased the plantation. We learned that the plantation owners bought slaves that were master builders from Senegal who built the entire plantation home the kitchen and everything in between without a single nail or a screw. Louisiana's plantations offer a fascinating look at lifestyles of the past and a crucial period in the history of the United States. Many old south plantations have been turned into museums, and they offer tours to visitors. The new owner, an Irish immigrant merchant named Joseph Henry, had married into a prominent local family. Never fear I will compare the top two rated Luxury Hotel Casinos in Lake Charles for you to make it easy. There is an entire room dedicated to a visual representation of what happened that day, and what came afterwards. Here, they introduced lime to hasten the process of sedimentation. The Oak Alley Plantation is indeed gorgeous and one of the plantations who see on every postcard you see when talking about Louisiana Plantations because of the remaining 28 Oak trees along the walkway to the entrance to the big house. The tour guide at Oak Alley jokingly said that he was trying to out-do his brother who was still in France. 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