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Architecturally, the Judge Poche Plantation House stands as
a fine example of a raised plantation house built under the
influence of the Victorian Renaissance Revival. This can be
principally seen in its large front dormer with its oeil-de-boeuf
motifs and in its arcaded front gallery. This decorative treatment
is unusual because most plantation houses were characterized
by Greek Revival styling. The Judge Poche Plantation House is
locally significant because of its association with Felix Pierre
Poche, Civil War diarist, Democratic Party leader, and prominent
jurist.
Poche built the house around 1870 and maintained it as his residence
until 1880 when he moved to New Orleans. It served as his summer
house from then until 1892, at which time he sold the property.
Poches Civil War diary is regarded as an important source for
scholars, especially those studying the war east of the Mississippi
in the waning months of the conflict. Poche, who was bilingual,
kept his journal in French. It has since been translated and
published and is one of the few Confederate diaries describing
the war in Louisiana that is in print.
After the war Poche returned to St. James Parish, resumed his
law practice, and assumed an active role in the Democratic Party.
In January 1866, he was elected to the Louisiana Senate to fill
a vacancy occasioned by a resignation and served in this capacity
until the adoption of the new state constitution in 1868. He
attended the biannual Democratic party conventions from 1868
to 1876 and was a member and president of the 1879 party convention
which nominated Governor Wiltz. Poche was also a member of the
1879 constitutional convention. On the national level he was
an alternate delegate to the 1872 and 1876 Democratic conventions
and was a Tilden elector in 1876. In addition to these accomplishments,
Poche was a well-known jurist. In 1880 he was appointed associate
justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court and served in this position
until 1890 when his term expired. Poche was also one of the
founders and charter members of the American Bar Association.
At a social reunion in 1876 at Saratoga he originated the idea
of a national association for his profession and proposed it
to several others there. The idea was adopted and in 1877 the
association met for the first time. Today the house had been
adapted into a bed and breakfast.
The Judge Felix Poche Plantation is located at 6554 State
Hwy. 44, in Convent. Tours are available Monday-Sunday at
10:00am and by appointment; there is a fee. Groups are encouraged
to call ahead. For further information, or to make reservations
at the bed and breakfast, call 225-562-7728 or visit www.plantation.poche.com.
Information
provided by The Louisiana Office of State Parks
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