Destrehan Plantation facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Destrehan Plantation
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Destrehan Manor House
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 Location in Louisiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | 13034 River Road, Destrehan, St. Charles Parish, Louisiana |
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| Built | 1787–1790 |
| Architect | Charles Paquet |
| Architectural style | French Colonial, Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 73002132 |
| Added to NRHP | March 20, 1973 |
Destrehan Plantation (which means Plantation Destrehan in French) is a very old and beautiful house in Louisiana. It's built in a style called French Colonial, but it also has some Greek Revival features. You can find it near the town of Destrehan in southeast Louisiana.
Long ago, in the 1800s, this plantation grew a lot of indigo plants, which were used to make blue dye. Later, it became a big producer of sugarcane. The house is most famous for its second owner, Jean Noel Destréhan. He was one of the first Senators from Louisiana when it became a state in 1812. He helped Louisiana join the United States.
What's really cool about Destrehan Plantation is that it survived even when an oil refinery was built all around it! Today, it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historical site because of its unique architecture and its connection to key people and events in Louisiana's past.
History of Destrehan Plantation
Building the Plantation Home (1787-1790)
Destrehan Plantation is one of the oldest homes in Louisiana. Its construction began in 1787 and finished in 1790. This was when Spain ruled the area. Robert Antoine Robin de Logny hired Charles Pacquet, a skilled carpenter, to build the house.
The house was designed in the West Indies or Creole style. It was a "raised house," meaning it stood on tall supports. Outbuildings were also constructed to help with the indigo plantation. Charles Pacquet used six enslaved people to help build the home. For his work, Pacquet received various payments, including money and supplies. The original building contract is still kept in St. Charles Parish. This makes Destrehan Plantation the oldest documented house in the lower Mississippi River Valley.
Jean-Noël Destréhan's Ownership (1792-1823)
When Robert Antoine Robin de Logny passed away in 1792, his son-in-law, Jean Noël Destréhan, bought the plantation. Jean-Noël had married Marie-Claude Céleste Eléonore Robin de Logny in 1786. They had 14 children! Because of their large family, they added two small wings to the house. These were called garçonnières and were for their sons. They also enclosed the ground floor of the house.
In the 1790s, the indigo crops started to fail. So, Destréhan began growing sugarcane instead. His brother-in-law, Étienne de Boré, had found a way to make sugar profitable. By 1803, Destrehan Plantation was the top sugar producer in St. Charles Parish.
After the Louisiana Purchase, when Louisiana became a U.S. territory, Destrehan Plantation was involved in a major event. This was the 1811 German Coast Uprising, a revolt by enslaved people. Jean-Noël Destrehan was chosen to be part of a local court. This court questioned the people accused of being involved in the revolt.
Three quick trials were held in different parishes. The one for St. Charles Parish took place at Destrehan Plantation. The local laws at the time were based on an old French system. This system did not allow for fair trials or appeals. The judges were also slave owners. The court at Destrehan decided to execute eighteen of the accused. This included three enslaved people who had belonged to Jean-Noël.
Stephen Henderson's Time (1825-1838)
After Jean-Noël Destréhan died in 1823, the plantation was sold again. Two years later, his son-in-law, Stephen Henderson, bought it. Henderson was from Scotland and had become very rich. In 1816, he married Marie Eléonore "Zelia" Destréhan, who was Jean-Noël's daughter. Destrehan Plantation was Zelia's childhood home. Zelia passed away in 1830 without children. Stephen Henderson died eight years later, very sad.
Henderson's will caused a lot of discussion at the time. He wanted all the enslaved people he owned to be freed. He also offered to pay for them to travel to Liberia if they wished. For those who stayed, he planned to set up a factory for them to make shoes and clothes. He even wanted a city named Dunblane to be built on the plantation grounds 25 years after his death. However, his family challenged the will in court. After 12 years of legal battles, the will was overturned due to a legal detail.
Pierre Adolphe Rost and the Civil War (1839-1910)
Pierre Adolphe Rost, a judge on the Louisiana Supreme Court, bought the plantation in 1839. His wife, Louise Odile Destréhan, was another daughter of Jean-Noël Destréhan. They started to update the house to the popular Greek Revival style. They added Greek Revival details to the doors and windows. The wooden columns on the front were covered in plastered brick. The back porch was enclosed to create an entrance hall. They also moved the winding staircases to the center hall. Outside, the stucco was made to look like stone.
When the American Civil War began, Rost offered his help to the Confederate States of America. He became a diplomat for the Confederacy in Spain. He stayed there with his family for most of the war. After the war ended in 1865, the plantation was taken over by the Freedmen's Bureau. This organization created the Rost Home Colony there. The idea was to help newly freed people by giving them medical care and education. They could also work for wages or a share of the crops. The Rost Home Colony was very successful in Louisiana.
In 1865, Pierre Rost returned from Europe. He received a pardon from President Andrew Johnson and demanded his property back. The Colony continued for another year, paying rent to Rost. The last colonists left in December 1866.
Pierre Rost died in 1868. His wife and son, Emile Rost, continued to live at Destrehan Plantation. Emile Rost sold the plantation in 1910 to the Destrehan Planting and Manufacturing Company. This ended 123 years of family ownership.
The American Oil Company Era (1914-1971)
In 1914, the Mexican Petroleum Company bought the property. This company later became part of the American Oil Company. They built an oil refinery on the land. They tore down many of the smaller buildings around the main house. They also built homes for their employees. The mansion itself was used for different things, including as a clubhouse.
In 1959, American Oil closed down the refinery and left the site. For the next 12 years, Destrehan Plantation house quickly fell apart.
There was an old story that the famous privateer Jean Lafitte had hidden treasure in the house. Because of this, people looking for treasure left big holes in the walls. Vandals also stole many valuable parts of the building. They took Italian-marble mantels, cypress paneling, Spanish-style ceramic tiles, and glass window panes. Luckily, a local sheriff stopped the theft of the plantation's original iron entrance gates from the 1840s. He also saved a very heavy, 1,400 lb (640 kg) marble bathtub. This bathtub is rumored to have been a gift from Napoleon Bonaparte to the family.
Saving Destrehan Plantation (1971-Today)
In 1971, American Oil gave the house and 4 acres (16,000 m2) of land to the River Road Historical Society. This is a group that works to preserve history. The oil company continued to help. In 1990, they donated money for a new fire sprinkler system and a new roof. They also gave another 12.8 acres (52,000 m2) of land around the house.
Thanks to the hard work of volunteers, the historical society raised enough money to stop the decay. They restored the house and its grounds to their original beauty. Recently, they have been working to accurately rebuild the plantation community. This includes the buildings that would have surrounded the main house.
Today, Destrehan Plantation is open every day for guided tours. These tours teach visitors about the lives of everyone who lived there, both free and enslaved. You can often see demonstrations of old crafts. These include dyeing with indigo, making candles, and cooking over an open fire.
Images for kids
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Destrehan Plantation Store
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Old Live Oak at Destrehan Plantation
