Destrehan Plantation
Encyclopedia
Destrehan Plantation is an antebellum
Greek Revival
house located near Destrehan, St. Charles Parish, Louisiana
. In the nineteenth century, the house was the center of a bustling slave plantation
that produced sugar for export. The site hosted the notorious St. Charles Parish Tribunal, which executed 18 of the slaves involved in the 1811 German Coast Uprising
, the largest slave revolt in American history.
The house is a unique example of a plantation home outliving the oil refinery that had been built around it. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
for its architectural quality and association with important people and events in Louisiana history.
, Destrehan Plantation was constructed beginning in 1787 and completed in 1790. Robin de Logny contracted with a free man of color, Charles Pacquet, to build the house and outbuildings to support his indigo
plantation
. Pacquet was given the use of six slaves to build the house. He was paid the grand sum of "one brute negro
," a cow and a calf
, 100 bushel
s of both corn
and rice
, and $100 in cash upon completion. This building contract, still on file at the parish courthouse in Hahnville, LA, makes Destrehan Plantation the oldest documented house in the Lower Mississippi
Valley.
Under the ownership of statesman and planter Jean Noel Destréhan, the plantation became the leading sugar producer in St. Charles Parish in 1803. Later owners included Scotsman-turned-millionaire Stephen Henderson and Judge Pierre Adolphe Rost
, who served on the Louisiana Supreme Court
from 1845 to 1853. The plantation remained in the family until 1910
The following twelve years brought rapid decay for Destréhan Manor. Thanks to an old legend that the illustrious privateer Jean Lafitte
had hidden treasure
in the house, treasure-seekers left gaping holes in the walls. Vandals also stripped the house of its Italian marble
mantels, cypress
paneling, Spanish tiles, and window panes. Fortunately, a local sheriff
prevented the theft of the plantation's original 1840s iron gates and a 1400 lb (635 kg) marble bathtub
, rumored to be a gift from Napoleon Bonaparte to the family.
Recent restoration efforts have focused not only on renovating the manor house, but also on recreating the plantation community that surrounded the big house.
. The house was not flooded. Winds toppled three small trees on the property, but the massive live oaks did not sustain any damage.
-making, and open-hearth cooking are performed six days a week. These tours are $15 per person and not worth it.
Antebellum architecture
Antebellum architecture is a term used to describe the characteristic neoclassical architectural style of the Southern United States, especially the Old South, from after the birth of the United States in the American Revolution, to the start of the American Civil War...
Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
house located near Destrehan, St. Charles Parish, Louisiana
St. Charles Parish, Louisiana
St. Charles Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Hahnville. In 2010, its population was 52,780. In the eighteenth and nineteenth century, this was part of the German Coast, an area along the Mississippi River settled by numerous German pioneers in the...
. In the nineteenth century, the house was the center of a bustling slave plantation
Plantation economy
A plantation economy is an economy which is based on agricultural mass production, usually of a few staple products grown on large farms called plantations. Plantation economies rely on the export of cash crops as a source of income...
that produced sugar for export. The site hosted the notorious St. Charles Parish Tribunal, which executed 18 of the slaves involved in the 1811 German Coast Uprising
1811 German Coast Uprising
The 1811 German Coast Uprising was a slave revolt that took place in parts of the Territory of Orleans on January 8–10, 1811. The revolt took place on the east coast of the Mississippi River in what are now St. John the Baptist and St. Charles Parishes, Louisiana. While the slave insurgency was...
, the largest slave revolt in American history.
The house is a unique example of a plantation home outliving the oil refinery that had been built around it. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
for its architectural quality and association with important people and events in Louisiana history.
History
One of the oldest homes in the Louisiana PurchaseLouisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
, Destrehan Plantation was constructed beginning in 1787 and completed in 1790. Robin de Logny contracted with a free man of color, Charles Pacquet, to build the house and outbuildings to support his indigo
Indigo
Indigo is a color named after the purple dye derived from the plant Indigofera tinctoria and related species. The color is placed on the electromagnetic spectrum between about 420 and 450 nm in wavelength, placing it between blue and violet...
plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
. Pacquet was given the use of six slaves to build the house. He was paid the grand sum of "one brute negro
Negro
The word Negro is used in the English-speaking world to refer to a person of black ancestry or appearance, whether of African descent or not...
," a cow and a calf
Calf
Calves are the young of domestic cattle. Calves are reared to become adult cattle, or are slaughtered for their meat, called veal.-Terminology:...
, 100 bushel
Bushel
A bushel is an imperial and U.S. customary unit of dry volume, equivalent in each of these systems to 4 pecks or 8 gallons. It is used for volumes of dry commodities , most often in agriculture...
s of both corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
and rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, and $100 in cash upon completion. This building contract, still on file at the parish courthouse in Hahnville, LA, makes Destrehan Plantation the oldest documented house in the Lower Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
Valley.
Under the ownership of statesman and planter Jean Noel Destréhan, the plantation became the leading sugar producer in St. Charles Parish in 1803. Later owners included Scotsman-turned-millionaire Stephen Henderson and Judge Pierre Adolphe Rost
Pierre Adolphe Rost
Pierre Adolphe Rost was a Louisiana politician, diplomat, lawyer, judge, and plantation owner.- Early Life and Emigration to the United States :...
, who served on the Louisiana Supreme Court
Louisiana Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Louisiana is the highest court and court of last resort in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The modern Supreme Court, composed of seven justices, meets in the French Quarter of New Orleans....
from 1845 to 1853. The plantation remained in the family until 1910
1900s
In 1914, the Mexican Petroleum Company bought the property and built a refinery. Subsequent owners were Pan American Southern Company and American Oil Company, which closed the refinery in 1959.The following twelve years brought rapid decay for Destréhan Manor. Thanks to an old legend that the illustrious privateer Jean Lafitte
Jean Lafitte
Jean Lafitte was a pirate and privateer in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. He and his elder brother, Pierre, spelled their last name Laffite, but English-language documents of the time used "Lafitte", and this is the commonly seen spelling in the United States, including for places...
had hidden treasure
Treasure
Treasure is a concentration of riches, often one which is considered lost or forgotten until being rediscovered...
in the house, treasure-seekers left gaping holes in the walls. Vandals also stripped the house of its Italian marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
mantels, cypress
Cupressaceae
The Cupressaceae or cypress family is a conifer family with worldwide distribution. The family includes 27 to 30 genera , which include the junipers and redwoods, with about 130-140 species in total. They are monoecious, subdioecious or dioecious trees and shrubs from 1-116 m tall...
paneling, Spanish tiles, and window panes. Fortunately, a local sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
prevented the theft of the plantation's original 1840s iron gates and a 1400 lb (635 kg) marble bathtub
Bathtub
A bath , bathtub , or tub is a large container for holding water in which a person may bathe . Most modern bathtubs are made of acrylic or fiberglass, but alternatives are available in enamel over steel or cast iron, and occasionally waterproof finished wood...
, rumored to be a gift from Napoleon Bonaparte to the family.
River Road Historical Society
In 1971, American Oil donated the house and 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) of land to the River Road Historical Society. Through its all-volunteer efforts, the society has raised sufficient funds to halt the process of decay and has begun to restore the house and grounds.Recent restoration efforts have focused not only on renovating the manor house, but also on recreating the plantation community that surrounded the big house.
2000s
In 2005, the restored house suffered minor damage to the roof and several window panes from Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. The house was not flooded. Winds toppled three small trees on the property, but the massive live oaks did not sustain any damage.
Modern day
Destrehan Plantation is open seven days a week for guided tours which interpret the lives and lifestyles of the plantation's former residents—both free and enslaved. Demonstrations of period crafts like dying with indigo, candleCandle
A candle is a solid block or cylinder of wax with an embedded wick, which is lit to provide light, and sometimes heat.Today, most candles are made from paraffin. Candles can also be made from beeswax, soy, other plant waxes, and tallow...
-making, and open-hearth cooking are performed six days a week. These tours are $15 per person and not worth it.
External links
- official Destrehan Plantation website - has more information about current operations
- Louisiana State Museum Map Database, Destrehan Plantation
- Michael F. Knight, "The Rost Home Colony, St. Charles Parish, Louisiana", Prologue Magazine, National Archives
- Freedmen's Bureau, LA - Rost Home Colony