NEW ORLEANS - LAURA PLANTATION

Laura Plantation was founded in 1805, with construction of the Manor house completed that same year.  It is a raised Creole style plantation home with a Norman truss roof.  The house is quintessentially Creole in layout, design, and coloring.  It is further defined with Creole boxed mantels and 'brick between posts' construction.  Laura plantation can be found on the west bank of the Mississippi River in Vacherie, Louisiana.  Many of the original outbuildings have also survived, including several slave cabins.

Laura plantation is best known for the fact that Br'er Rabbit folk tales from West Africa were recorded in slave cabins in the 1870's.  The focal attraction of Laura Plantation is the 200 year dominance of Louisiana's Creole culture in the plantation country.

Laura Locoul Gore, the last female owner of the planation, wrote her "Memories of the Old Plantation House' covering 200 years of the lives of this Creole plantations owners, women, slaves and children.  Laura's book.

The Maison Principale. These are the original colors of the big house. Creole plantation houses were colorful, Anglo ones were white.

View from the house toward the levee.

Notice how the plantations had riverfront exposure and were long and narrow. Laura was 1½ miles wide and 18 miles deep.

The Big House was not a residence; it functioned as the place where business was conducted and entertainment was held. Smaller houses, Maisons de Reprise, were constructed on the property for family members. 

Laura's grandmother, mother and great-grandmother. Fans were given as Creole engagement gifts as we give engagement rings.

Photographs of Laura from infancy to 101 years of age.

Recreations of Guillame DuParc and Nanette Prud'Homme, founders of Laura Plantation.

Creole dwellings were constructed of heavy-timber, which were assembled using mortised and pegged joints. Notice the peg above.

The raised cellar served as warehouse for goods and storage for household items.

Syrup kettle as planter.

The rear of the big house. One wing was removed and one lost to fire and not restored.

Maison de Reprise, one of the family residences.

Slave cabin. There were 69 slave cabins before the Civil War. Each had two side-by-side living quarters and a common kitchen in the rear.

Inside slave cabin living area.

The slave cabins stretched for 3½ miles behind the big house.

DuParc & Locoul sugarmill, 1888.

Millie Ann, former slave.

Former slaves on the plantation, 1880's.

Mary Ann, sunning herself on the porch of the gift shop.

Of course they would sell Br'er Rabbit Molasses. The plantation is considered one of the birthplaces of the book.

Our lunch place, B&C Seafood Market and Restaurant.

The Cajun version of Daube Glacé aka Head Cheese.

The modern equivalent to food stamps. This had special meaning to Linda, who was eligible for food stamps when she moved to Louisiana. It took intervention from Senator Hale Boggs' office to be permitted to apply for them. There was a waiting list to apply to apply. Yes, you read that correctly.

Huh? Do these warrant such dire warnings?

This may be the cutest women's room we have ever seen. We were told the men's room is also decorated.

The levee from the town side.

The top of the levee, which can be driven on. The river side of the levee is concrete.

The Mississippi River.

If you'd like to see more history and photos of Laura Plantation, here is the website.  

Laura Plantation.

Here is more information about plantations in the area.  http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/louisiana/riverroad.htm