Laura Plantation

By Bebaychna Rai on November 22, 2011 in Places To Visit

The oldest plantation of the United States, the Laura Plantation is located at the Mississippi river’s western bank in St. James Parish, Louisiana. The nearest airport to the Laura plantation is the International Airport New Orleans. Laura plantation is a historic plantation set up in 1805 and is one amongst the 15 plantation with such a complete Creole structure. This plantation also stands out amongst the other historic plantation because it was the only sugar plantation which was run by women for almost 200 years. This plantation started with just few handfuls of slaves which later expanded and gradually had 185 slaves working for the plantation and some of the descendants of those slaves still live near the plantation.

Laura Plantation History

The history of this plantation dates back to the early 1700’s when the nomadic group was wandering through the banks of Mississippi river. Each year the Amerindian nomads wandered in search of a good and fertile land, and they found the western bank of the Mississippi river a suitable land and hence the Tabiscania, meaning long river view village was established.

In the year 1804, the Big house was built in the plantation along with several other Indian huts for the slaves in the midst of the sugarcane field. The year following that, the sugar plantation started functioning with just seven slaves of who six were West African and an Amerindian. The plantation flourished and gradually expanded and by the time civil war broke out, the plantation had already 185 slaves working under them.

Since 1750’s there were attempts by the Frenchmen to take control of the plantation but were unsuccessful. However, the land was finally granted to a French person named Guillaume Duparc, who was a veteran during the American Revolution. Mr. Thomas Jefferson helped him to acquire the land.

Guillaume Duparc dies soon after hence could not run the plantation for very long leaving the responsibility of the plantation to the women of his family. The sugar plantation was then run by them. And the fact is that the plantation was run by women of that family for almost 200 years. Laura, the great granddaughter of Duparc, finally sold off the plantation to Florian Waguespack family in 1891. They were the Creoles of German descents.

Elizabeth, who was the daughter of Duparc, had two children. The plantation was then divided between the two of her children. Laura’s father got the half of the plantation with the house but the mill was on the other half of the plantation. He had to construct a new mill. After the completion of the mill, he decided to throw a party. Laura was 13 years old then. Her father had invited guest for the party including Laura’s friends and cousins. He had asked his guest to suggest a name for the mill, it was then that the name Laura’s mill was suggested by one of Laura’s Friend and cousin; hence the plantation was named Laura Plantation.

Laura Plantation Tour

This historic plantation which is located at the bank of Mississippi river is surrounded by a sugarcane field. The tour starts with the Big House which was built in 1805, it has a raised basement, has office for men and women. As the visitors enter the plantation, one can imagine the life at that period of time. The plantation itself signifies the development of the earlier antebellum period and its course into the 20^th century of the sugarcane plantation. The plantation which had 185 slaves working for the plantation had a rare collection of building with a Big House and several other small quarters for the slaves. A visit to this plantation makes you go back to the past. In 1891 when Laura who was the heir of the plantation sold off the plantation to A. Florian Waguespack she sold it off on a condition that the name of the plantation and of the House would continue to be named Laura.

The Big House in the Laura Plantation had been constructed in a federal style. As you stand in front of the House one can see the raised basement made of bricks and the upper floor of the house has post with bricks between them. The interior of the house is of federal style, with the woodwork and the Norman roof truss. The Laura house that we see in the plantation with the federal style, is one amongst the very few such examples of the federal style these days. In fact the Greek revival woodwork has survived more than the federal style.

The Norman roof truss were very common in every Creole houses, but these days we hardly get to see such examples. In earlier days the central and the southern part of Louisiana were mainly inhabited by the Creole residences. Nowadays, outside the New Orleans, there are hardly 300 to 400 examples of these buildings remain; of this majority of the houses are small so the distinct group of the Creole style is getting extinct. Few which still remain includes the main house Laura. There are hardly 15 working plantation in the state and Laura plantation is one of them which reminds the visitors of the process through which it grew from the antebellum period to the 20^th century.

Laura Plantation Tickets

Children under 5: free
Children between 6 to 17: $5
Adult: $18
AAA Adult: $16
Nat’l trust adult: $16
Military adult: $16
We save adult: $16

Laura Plantation Visiting Hours

Laura Plantation is open throughout the year except for the following holidays:

Thanks giving day
New Year’s Day
Christmas Day
Mardi gras day
Easter Sunday

Laura Plantation is one amongst the 15 working plantation in United States and a visit to the plantation reminds the visitor of the years gone by during the antebellum period to the present day. The days when the plantation used to run with 185 slaves working for the plantation are reflected in the plantation. Dive into the past with a trip to Laura Plantation.