Ormond Plantation House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Ormond Plantation House
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Ormond Plantation House
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 Location in Louisiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | River Rd. (LA 48), Destrehan, Louisiana |
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| Built | 1789 |
| Architectural style | French Colonial, West Indies style |
| NRHP reference No. | 90001748 |
| Added to NRHP | November 8, 1990 |
The Ormond Plantation House is a beautiful old home in Destrehan, Louisiana. It was built in the French Colonial style, which was popular in Louisiana long ago. This type of house is also known as a Creole plantation house.
The house was built in the late 1700s. It was made using a special method called briquettes entre poteaux, which means "brick between posts." This involved using bricks between strong cypress wood posts for the front and back walls. The side walls were filled with a type of adobe material. The front porch, called a gallery, was supported by round columns made of cement and brick. Wooden columns held up the roof on the second floor.
Contents
History of Ormond Plantation House
Building the Plantation Home
The first owner of Ormond Plantation was Pierre Trepagnier. He was a sugar planter who received a large piece of land in the early 1780s. This land was given to him by the Spanish Governor Don Bernardo de Gálvez for his service during the American Revolutionary War. Trepagnier helped fight against the British at Natchez, Mississippi.
The main house was finished around 1789. Pierre Trepagnier, his wife Elizabeth, and their eight children lived there. The family grew indigo (a plant used for blue dye) and later sugarcane on the property.
Mysteries at Ormond Plantation
Ormond Plantation has some mysterious stories. One involves Pierre Trepagnier himself. In 1798, a servant called him from dinner to meet a man in a coach with a Spanish symbol. When the servant checked again, Mr. Trepagnier, the man, and the coach had all disappeared. They were never seen again.
New Owners and a New Name
On June 25, 1805, Colonel Richard Butler bought the plantation from Trepagnier's widow. Colonel Butler was the son and nephew of American Revolutionary War heroes. He named the house Ormond after his family's old home, the Ormonde Castle in Carrick-on-Suir, Ireland.
In 1809, Butler became business partners with Captain Samuel McCutchon, a merchant and sailor from Pennsylvania. A few years later, in 1819, Richard Butler sold all his property to McCutchon. Butler and his wife then moved to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. It's thought that Butler sold the plantation to escape a Yellow fever outbreak. Sadly, he still caught the fever and passed away at age 43.
Growing the Plantation
There's some debate about when the two side wings, called garconnieres, were built. Some say Richard Butler built them around 1811, while others believe Captain McCutchon built them in 1830. These garconnieres (which were like bachelor quarters) make Ormond Plantation House look unique. They are taller than the main house and might have been inspired by architecture from the Atlantic seaboard.
Captain McCutchon's oldest son, Samuel B. McCutchon, married Adele d'Estrehan. She was the daughter of the owner of the nearby Destrehan Plantation. This marriage connected two powerful families in the area. Samuel and his brother James William McCutchon took over the plantation after their father died, and it continued to do well.
Changing Times and New Beginnings
After the American Civil War, the plantation faced tough times. It was sold several times at public auctions. On December 1, 1898, State Senator Basile LaPlace Jr. bought Ormond Plantation. He hoped to use it for growing rice. Mr. LaPlace was a well-known public official. A sad story says that less than a year after buying Ormond, he was found dead on the property.
After the LaPlace family, the Schexnaydre family bought the plantation. Five Schexnaydre brothers shared ownership. Emilien Schexnaydre's family moved into the main house, and at one point, five Schexnaydre families lived there! This family owned the property until 1926.
Restoration and Preservation
In the late 1920s and 1930s, the house became run down. But then, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Brown, who owned Brown's Velvet Dairy in New Orleans, bought it. Starting in 1943, the Browns began a big restoration project. They added modern comforts like indoor plumbing, natural gas, and electricity.
After Mrs. Brown passed away, Mr. Brown sold Ormond to a real estate company. In 1974, Betty R. LeBlanc bought the home and 17 acres of land. She was an executive at Barq's Beverages. Mrs. LeBlanc started restoring the house again in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Sadly, she passed away in 1986 before the renovations were finished.
Present Day
Today, Ormond Plantation is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is owned by Irvin J. Carmouche. He continues to restore the house. You can visit Ormond Plantation for public tours. It's also used for weddings, luncheons, and other private events. Ormond also operates as a bed and breakfast inn, where people can stay overnight.
See also
- List of plantations in Louisiana
- National Register of Historic Places listings in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana
