Whitney Plantation Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Whitney Plantation Historic District
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Front of the Big House
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 Location in Louisiana
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Wallace, Louisiana |
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| Area | 40 acres (16 ha) |
| Built | 1790 |
| Architectural style | Federal, French Creole |
| MPS | Louisiana's French Creole Architecture MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 92001566 |
| Added to NRHP | November 24, 1992 |
The Whitney Plantation Historic District is a special place in Louisiana. It is a museum that teaches people about the history of slavery in the Southern United States. The museum is located near Wallace, in St. John the Baptist Parish. It sits along the Mississippi River.
The plantation was first started in 1752 by Ambroise Heidal. He was a German immigrant. His family owned the land until 1860. Later, in 1867, a businessman named Bradish Johnson bought it. He renamed it Whitney.
Contents
Exploring the Whitney Plantation Museum
The Whitney Plantation was once a very large property. Today, about 200 acres are part of the museum. It first opened to visitors in December 2014.
A man named John Cummings from New Orleans created the museum. He spent many years and a lot of his own money on this important project. The museum's research director is Dr. Ibrahima Seck. He is a scholar from Senegal who studies the history of slavery.
Remembering Enslaved People
The museum has several special places to remember the people who were enslaved. These memorials honor more than 100,000 women, men, and children. They were enslaved in Louisiana.
The museum also has original art, like life-size sculptures of children. These sculptures help tell the stories of people born into slavery. Many of these people were interviewed as adults. This happened during the Great Depression. Their stories were collected by the government. This helped to save their memories for the future. You can find these stories at the Library of Congress.
In 2019, Mr. Cummings gave the entire museum and its land to a non-profit group. This means it will continue to educate people for a long time.
Historic Buildings and Architecture
The main house at Whitney Plantation was built in 1790. It is a great example of French Creole raised-style architecture. This style is very important in Louisiana.
The plantation has many other old buildings. These are called "dependencies." They include:
- A pigeonnier, which is a dovecote (a home for doves).
- A plantation store.
- The only French Creole barn left in North America (from around 1790).
- A separate kitchen building.
- An overseer's house.
- A mule barn.
- Two slave dwellings, where enslaved people lived.
There are also three archaeological sites on the property. These sites have been explored to learn more about the past.
Later Additions and Recognition
The 1884 Mialaret House was added to the plantation later. This house and its buildings show how the plantation was used over many years. Some of the land is still used to grow sugarcane today.
The Whitney Plantation historic district was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1992. It is also one of 26 places on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.
Who Owned the Whitney Plantation?
The land for Whitney Plantation was first bought in 1752. It was purchased by Ambroise Heidal, who came from Germany. His family later changed their name to Haydel.
When Ambroise died, his youngest son, Jean Jacques Haydel, took over the land. In 1820, Jean Jacques Jr. and Marcellin, his sons, also became owners. They even bought more land next to the original property.
A Powerful Sugarcane Business
After Marcellin died in 1839, his wife Marie Azélie Haydel managed the plantation. Under her care, it became one of Louisiana's most successful sugarcane businesses. Marie was one of the largest slaveholders in Louisiana when she died in 1860.
Later, in 1867, after the American Civil War ended, Bradish Johnson bought the plantation. He renamed it Whitney. He chose this name to honor his daughter.
John Cummings owned the Whitney Plantation from 1999 to 2019. He spent over ten years making it ready to open to the public. In 2019, he donated the Whitney. Now, it is a 501(c)(3) organization. This means it is run by a board of directors.
Images for kids
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The Whitney Plantation Slave Memorials, with recorded names of many slaves
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Rear of the Big House
See also
- Evergreen Plantation, another historic site nearby
- History of slavery in Louisiana
- Louisiana African American Heritage Trail
- List of plantations in Louisiana
- National Register of Historic Places listings in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana
- Plantation complexes in the Southern United States
- Rural African American Museum, Opelousas
