| Magnolia Plantation | |
|---|---|
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| U.S. National Historic Landmark | |
Magnolia Plantation
|
|
  |
|
| Nearest city: | Derry, Louisiana |
| Coordinates: | 31°32′59″N 92°56′26″W / 31.54972°N 92.94056°WCoordinates: 31°32′59″N 92°56′26″W / 31.54972°N 92.94056°W |
| Built/Founded: | 1840 |
| Architectural style(s): | Acadian Cottage |
| Governing body: | Private |
| Added to NRHP: | March 07, 1979 |
| Designated NHL: | January 3, 2001[2] |
| NRHP Reference#: | 79001071[1] |
Magnolia Plantation is a site in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2001.[2][3] The plantation is included in the Cane River Creole National Historical Park. This is a destination on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.
Contents |
The plantation traces its roots back to Jean Baptiste LeComte II, who received French and Spanish land grants in the mid-1700s. This was the beginning of the plantation's history, although the structures were not built until the 1800s, and the plantation was not officially in use until 1830. Ambrose LeComte, son of Jean Baptiste, married Julia Buard and began a tradition of community and cultivation on a vast piece of property. Their two daughters, Laura and Ursula Atala, married two sons from the Hertzog family: Bernard Theophile Henry and Matthew Hertzog, respectively. Atala and Matthew Hertzog took over the plantation shortly after their marriage in 1852, thus linking the Hertzog name to Magnolia.
Magnolia Plantation is exceptional because of the farming technology, such as the cotton picker tractors and two cotton gins (both steam- and animal-powered). It also has 21 buildings contributing to the site, an unusual number for surviving plantations. Among these are the eight quarters, rare brick cabins used by workers who lived and worked on the plantation for 100 years after the Civil War.
The plantation was also exceptional for its effect on the community and the Cane River area. La Côte Joyeuse became home to many, including writer Francois Mignon. He claimed to have come to visit Magnolia on Cane River for a week and stayed sixty years. For 100 years after the US Civil War, "the Hertzogs", as the place was familiarly known, was the center of a community of Creoles of color and blacks who lived and worked on the plantation as tenant farmers and laborers.[4] Changes in agriculture led people to urban jobs in the mid-20th century.
The area is owned by the National Park Service and the Allan family, among them Danielle Allan and her cousin Holly Guinard, Verity Cushman, Christina Elder, Christopher Navia, Robert Freeman, Mr. Atwood, and Mrs. Gibson. The Park Service has acquired 16 buildings. It continues to improve their condition so that they may be preserved for future generations.
The Cane River Creole National Historical Park is open Monday - Friday, 8am to 4:30pm. For more information about the plantation and for tour information, contact the
Curation Facility 400 Rapides Dr. Natchitoches, Louisiana 71457 (318) 352-0383
It is located at 5487 Louisiana Highway 119. The closest town is Derry, Louisiana.
|
||||||||||
   | National Register Information System - NRIS Search by location |
| | Cane River National Heritage Area, a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' Travel Itinerary - Cane River National Heritage Area: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary |
|
|
Wikis
Quiz
Map
Search
