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Evergreen is only one of eight major Greek Revival style plantation
houses remaining on the historic River Road. These "Gone
With the Wind" era houses lined River Road on the eve of
the Civil War, but many more have been lost over the years than
have survived. Characteristic of these homes, Evergreen's original
French Creole farmhouse was completely remodeled in 1832 by
Pierre C. Becnel. As a result of this expansion, the "big
house" features stuccoed-brick Doric columns that extend
from the ground to the roof on the wide double galleries, and
boasts two remarkable fanlight doorways at the head and foot
of the winding double stairway servicing the galleries.
Evergreen is significant not only because of the existence of
its main building along River Road, but also because of the
remains of the plantation complex. With two pigeonniers (structures
used by upper-class French for housing pigeons), two garconieries
(dwellings for a family's young boys), a privy, a kitchen, a
guesthouse, an overseer's house, and a double row of 22 slave
cabins, Evergreen is unique. It is one of only a handful of
plantations that evoke what major plantations resembled in the
antebellum period of America's history. Usually only the main
house of the planter's family have endured the ravages of time.
The standard row pattern of slave quarters,
lost throughout much of the South, can still be seen at
Evergreen
Photograph from the National Historic Landmarks collection
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Over the decades, the most serious change to Evergreen as
a plantation complex has been the extensive fabric replacement
evident in the slave quarters. Some noteworthy original features,
such as chimneys, shutters, and doors remain, but nearly 150
years of patching, repairs, and reconstruction have caused
alterations. It is surprising that these quarters, retaining
their original appearance and double row configuration, have
survived at all.
There is very little documentation on these buildings, although
it is clear that they are indeed antebellum. The 1860 census
lists Lezin Becnel and his brother, the then owners of the
plantation, as having 103 slaves in 48 dwellings. The only
known historic map of the plantation is the Mississippi River
Commission map of 1876, which shows 22 cabins in the same
configuration and location.
Evergreen Plantation, a National Historic Landmark, is located
on State Hwy. 18, in Wallace. The house is open to the public,
but only by arranging a tour with either the New Orleans Tours
company (504-592-0560) or Airboat Adventures (504-382-8767).
Both tour companies charge a fee.
Return to the Main "Plantations"
Page
Information
provided by The Louisiana Office of State Parks
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