Monday, May 6, 2024

Houmas House Plantation Know Louisiana Cultural Vistas

houmas house plantation

In June 1807, Clark and territorial Governor William C. C. Claiborne fought a duel on the property, in which Claiborne sustained a gunshot wound to his leg. If you don’t feel like walking, you can do a small group haunted history carriage tour and let the horse do all of the work. This haunted Louisiana plantation house features a 125-foot long veranda, which is well known for its ornamental ironwork. It also has a stained glass entrance that was hand-painted, etched and patterned after the French cross to ward off evil. At this point in time, only a caretaker and his wife lived on the Houmas House property because the plantation was out of the sugarcane business. (The couple lived in what is now used as the plantation’s Bridal Cottage).

Guided Tours in Darrow, LA

The Crown Jewel of Louisiana's River Road features antiques and Louisiana artwork, three award-winning restaurants, gardens, ponds and oaks. Guided mansion tours are offered daily and offer a glimpse of plantation life. A collection of boutique wines have been selected to accompany our Nouvelle Louisiane Menus. The Wine Cellars at Houmas House are as unique as the Plantation itself. Unique bottle holders are attached to the masonry walls, allowing each label to be read without having to touch the bottle. The white wine cellar is also home to our selection of fine champagnes, it is kept at exactly 56 degrees F.

Houmas House Mansion and Gardens Tour

Antebellum Homes on Southern Plantations - Architectural Digest

Antebellum Homes on Southern Plantations.

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In 1882, Oliver enlisted his son-in-law, William Porcher Miles (widower of Elizabeth Beirne, Oliver’s daughter) to manage his Louisiana Estates. In 1888, at the age 77, he died in New Orleans, leaving as estate valued at over five million dollars. The Houmas was inherited by his five grandchildren, the children of William Porche Miles. In 1892, the children transferred all their interests to the Miles Planting Company and William P. Miles was appointed President. Sometimes called “Burnside Plantation” after its location, or simply referred to as “The Houmas,” this 10-acre spread draws its name from the native Houma people who once resided in the New Orleans area. The plantation features a main house completed in 1840 along with eight other structures.

Southern belles - The Spokesman Review

Southern belles.

Posted: Sun, 30 May 2004 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Little Girl Spotted By Houmas House Work Crew

Luxurious cottage accommodations are also available for an overnight stay. With its historic mansion, enchanting gardens, educational museum, delightful dining options, and even the opportunity to stay overnight, it’s a destination that caters to a wide range of interests. For those seeking a truly immersive experience, Houmas House offers luxurious cottages for overnight stays.

houmas house plantation

Choose Your Tour!

They included an old kitchen, a pair of pigeonnieres, five large Moorish water cisterns, a school house, stables, green houses, service quarters and dozens of small service buildings. Dr. Crozat redesigned and remodeled the interior of the mansion then furnished the mansion with federal and early Louisiana antiques. The Inn at Houmas House is a collection of quaint cottages nestled along an ancient oak alley and surrounded by lush gardens, allowing guests to get lost in the tranquility of the South. The Mighty Mississippi River is just steps away and a peaceful setting to watch the sun rise or set. The cottages depict historic structures that once graced Uncle Sam Plantation, which was located downriver from Houmas House.

Each room was amazing to explore and our guide knew so much about everything. Pricing for this experience starts at $100 per person for dinner with the option to add wine pairings and any other upgrades. The slave girl appeared in the breezeway between The General’s Store and the Butler’s Pantry of the mansion. The Houma House Plantation is located at Highway 942, Darrow, Louisiana, which is about an hour’s drive from New Orleans.

Houmas House Historic Estate

Unfortunately, when the levee was built after a major flood in 1927, several of the gravesites were disturbed and the cemetery pretty much disappeared. Today the graveyard would be located under the levee and out onto the batture. In the hustle and bustle of bringing the house back to life and opening it up to the public, the mystery of the little girl was forgotten for the time being. Located near New Orleans, the 250-year-old house is just one of the estates located in Louisiana’s River Parishes that is open to the public. Soon after the death of Wade Hampton II on February 10th, 1858, John Smith Preston decided to sell the Houmas Plantation. On April 15th, 1858, the Houmas Plantations were sold to John Burnside, of the firm of J.

Houmas House and Gardens

Mr. Burnside left one of the largest estates in America to his boyhood friend, Oliver Beirne. This two-and-one-half-story Greek Revival mansion is constructed of stucco-covered brick and shaded by a monumental Tuscan columned gallery along the front and sides. The house has a wide central hall and is three rooms deep, with a spiral staircase set in a rear vestibule. Wide doors connect the dining room and parlor, which have black marble mantles. On each side of the house is a hexagonal two-story brick garçonniere (ca. 1840) with an ogee-shaped roof, but these are more ornamental than functional, as they measure only ten feet on each side. A short allée of four live oaks leads to the house; the other trees were destroyed for a setback of the Mississippi River levee.

Antebellum History: The Story of Houmas House and Oak Alley Plantation

The 1840 portion is three rooms deep with a wide central hall plan. It has a graceful helix staircase set in a rear vestibule opposite a corresponding curving wall. Significant exterior features include the handsome colossal Doric galleries, the Federal arched dormers, the cupola, and the movable louvered shutters. The axial formal garden, which extends to the sides and rear of the house, is largely the result of work done by former owner Dr. George Crozat in the 1940s. In the 1940s Dr. Crozat demolished a pair of rooms which had connected the older portion with the 1840 portion, and built a glazed breezeway with an arch at each end. He also installed a modern kitchen and bathrooms in the 1840s portion.

The Carriage House offers fine dining on the property in a beautiful room filled with historical artifacts and decor. Despite the national economic depression and decline in plantation life, “The Gentlemen” stood as a reminder of a more opulent time. The 24 stately trees leading from the river to the house continued to stand guard and provide cooling breezes. John Burnside was born in Tyrone County, Ireland around 1810 of a poor family.

Dixie Café, located inside The Great River Road Museum, serves breakfast and lunch daily, and dinner with live music every Friday night. This casual restaurant offers counter service with a full breakfast and lunch buffet. It was during the 1890’s that the Miles Family enlarged the mansion by connecting the 1829 mansion to the French House, to the rear. The carriageway was created between the two buildings and two additional bedrooms and a center hall were added to the 2nd floor of the mansion. In 1899, at the age of 77, William Porcher Miles died, and the Houmas Estate and Company was inherited by William P. Miles, Jr., and his sisters.

houmas house plantation

At the age of twelve or thirteen, he somehow managed to obtain passage to America, with only a few pennies in his pocket. He began his young career in the grocery house of Talbot Jones in Baltimore. He quickly excelled, became a junior partner, and moved to Roanoke. John Burnside and Oliver Beirne, Andrew Beirne’s son, were the same age and matured together in Mr. Beirne’s business, becoming very close friends, a friendship that lasted through the years. John Burnside arrives in New Orleans with Oliver Beirne in 1837 to open a dry goods store named Beirne and Burnside. After the death of Andrew Beirne in 1845, Oliver returned to Virginia to manage the family interests and the business Beirne and Burnside became J.

Hwy 22 bends to the right in a long arc before you come to the light at LA HWY 44. Turn left on Hwy 44 and proceed a short distance to the River Road. Turn right at the levee and look for the entrance to Houmas House Plantation and Gardens parking area, about half a mile down the road just at the end of the white fence that spans the front of the property.

Another supernatural story told at the Houmas House plantation is close to my heart since it has to do with the impressive old live oak trees on the property. After doing research into the history of the house, the Houmas House staff thinks they may know the girl’s identity — though it remains somewhat of a mystery. Some say that all of that activity is what led one of the workers to see a young girl descending the beautiful freestanding stairway in the house. The crewman’s natural reaction was to express concern that a little girl was in a construction zone because it was not safe for children. The charm of the house, the land and the stately old oak trees is eternal and so are the memories you will make there.

Please support this magazine of trusted historical writing, now in its 75th year, and the volunteers that sustain it with a donation to American Heritage. Movies that feature Houmas House famously include the 1964 Bette Davis thriller Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte, as well as episodes of All My Children, The Bachelor, and Top Chef. By 1803, Houmas House was already a working sugar plantation when it was purchased by Louisiana representative Daniel Clark. Notably, Clark suffered a leg wound on the property in an 1807 dual with governor William C. Claiborne.

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