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Situated on River Road between Baton Rouge and New Orleans,
the Laura Plantation complex is located just upriver from
the west bank community of Vacherie. The plantation is significant
for its raised Creole plantation "big house" and
its rare collection of outbuildings, including six slave quarters,
that illustrate the development of a sugar cane plantation
from the antebellum period well into the 20th century.
Two slave quarters at Laura Plantation
Photo: Lagniappe Tours, Foundation for Historical Louisiana
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The land on which Laura plantation stands was originally
owned by André Neau, who obtained it through a French
royal land grant in 1755. In the late 1700s, the plantation
became the property of the Dupare family and was divided between
two family members in 1876. The house continued in the hands
of Dupare heirs until 1891, when Dupare descendant Laura Locoul
sold the property to A. Florian Waguespack. A condition of
the sale was that the plantation and house continue to be
called "Laura". Constructed c.1820, the main house
at Laura has a raised brick basement story and a riquette-entre-poteaux
(brick between posts) upper floor.
The house is special because of its Federal style interior
woodwork and Norman roof truss. In Louisiana, far more Creole
houses with Greek Revival woodwork have survived than have
those showing Federal influence. Few examples of the Norman
roof truss construction technique survive, and they are usually
found in very early Creole houses.
Although Creole residences once dominated the rural landscape
of central and southern Louisiana, today perhaps only 300
to 400 examples of these buildings remain standing outside
New Orleans. Of these, the majority are small or moderately
sized one-story houses, while only approximately 30, including
the main house Laura, are members of the distinct group of
substantial raised plantation houses regarded as the apex
of the Creole style. Little attention has been given to preserving
the coterie of dependencies that were the "workhorses"
of cotton and sugar production on Louisiana plantations. Historically
the state was dotted with hundreds of plantation complexes
such as Laura, but today they are rare survivors. One of about
15 surviving plantation complexes in the state, Laura might
be compared to Whitney or Evergreen plantations in St. John
the Baptist Parish. Thus, it is a very important visual reminder
of the large agricultural enterprise common in antebellum
and post-war Louisiana.
Laura Plantation is located on River Road midway between
Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The home is open for tours daily
from 9:00am to 5:00pm, except for Creole holidays (New Year's,
Mardi Gras, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). There is
a fee for admission and groups are encouraged to call ahead.
Call 225-265-7690 or visit www.lauraplantation.com for more
information.
Information
provided by The Louisiana Office of State Parks
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