Houmas House Plantation Know Louisiana Cultural Vistas
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He collected great furnishings and great works of art to appoint both his city estate, later named “Burnside Place”, and his country estate, “The Houmas”. He shared his time between the two grand properties and entertained lavishly. At the age of 71, John Burnside, feeling ill, traveled to White Sulpher Springs, West Virginia for what he hoped would be a restful recovery. Mr. Burnside left one of the largest estates in America to his boyhood friend, Oliver Beirne. Guided mansion tours are offered daily and offer a glimpse of plantation life.
Little Girl Spotted By Houmas House Work Crew
She was laid to rest in the family cemetery, which was located down by the river. The historic Houmas House showcases what life was like on a sugarcane plantation in the 1800s and provides insight on the families who once lived there. I’ll be back next week to share all the inside of the house with lots more pictures.
FAQs About Houmas House Plantation
Drive the breathtaking Great River Road between New Orleans and Baton Rouge to escape to Houmas House Plantation and Gardens in Darrow, one of the top plantations in Louisiana. Overall we were very impressed with the Houmas House and cannot wait to visit again someday. The next morning we started our our day with breakfast at the Dixie Cafe. The food was delicious, they offer a mix of New Orleans style food, seafood and more. Some of our favorite parts were the oriental gardens and the sculptures gardens.
A Guide To Houmas House: A Haunted Louisiana Plantation
The Carriage House offers fine dining on the property in a beautiful room filled with historical artifacts and decor. After we got all settled in we went for a stroll through the gardens. It was amazing to see so many different garden areas with a variety of sculptures, water features, plants and historic artifacts. John Burnside was born in Tyrone County, Ireland around 1810 of a poor family. At the age of twelve or thirteen, he somehow managed to obtain passage to America, with only a few pennies in his pocket. He began his young career in the grocery house of Talbot Jones in Baltimore.
Here’s everything you need to know about Houmas House Plantation.
The guided mansion tour walks through the 250 year history, showing the architectural evolution of this manor house and how it became a grand estate. Rare and period artwork and artifacts are displayed and used to explain plantation life. This particular Antebellum plantation house doesn’t cover slavery as much as some of the other houses in Louisiana.
Tour the Crown Jewel of Louisiana’s River Road!
I love that the ladies and gentlemen’s parlors are mirrored reflections of one another, being identical in size and both exhibiting magnificent open pierced freizework molding. Most people say that Myrtles Plantation is the most haunted plantation in Louisiana. If you enjoy Southern Plantation and Garden tours as much as I do, you may want to read The Splendor of Middleton Place in South Carolina. The Houmas House Plantation is located about 20 miles from Oak Alley Plantation, which is famous for its photographic appeal. The engineers assigned to the project cited a change in the water table, damage from heavy equipment and other construction factors for the overnight transformation.
Houmas House, a Hollywood-filming favorite, once was an epicenter of Louisiana’s sugar trade - NOLA.com
Houmas House, a Hollywood-filming favorite, once was an epicenter of Louisiana’s sugar trade.
Posted: Tue, 24 Aug 2021 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Oak Alley where I visited before, has rebuilt the slave cabins that once were part of the plantation grounds. They reverently share memorabilia and artifacts in these cabins, telling the stories of the slaves that once lived there. I looked up some critical reviews of the plantation and found this one where someone was wondering why Houmas House didn’t mention slavery more often. The reply back from Houmas House on Trip Advisor was very well stated and in my opinion, a good explanation of why they do not make slavery more prominent in their tours. I appreciated what they said, there are many other plantations you can visit where slavery is covered more fully in a reverent manner, and is much more a part of the tours.
Houmas House Plantation
To move at your own pace, opt for the self-guided tour of the gardens, where the seasons are reflected by the ever-changing plants and flowers. You’ll see the herbs, fruits, and vegetables used in the restaurants at Houmas House Plantation, like basil, lemon balm, dill, mint, and edible flowers. Allow the tranquility of this oasis embrace you as you rest near the gardens’ many water features and listen to birds chirping nearby. For those seeking a truly immersive experience, Houmas House offers luxurious cottages for overnight stays. Nestled within the lush gardens, these cottages provide a tranquil escape and a chance to experience the Southern charm of the plantation after hours.
Dr. George Crozat engaged architect, Douglass Freret, to remodel and redesign the Classic Revival Mansion into a Williamsburg federal-style country home. The house was stripped of its belvedere railings and cupola ornaments, along with the decorative ornate entablature over the columns as well as removing the second floor rear bedroom wing. Numerous out buildings, located just behind the main house, were demolished. They included an old kitchen, a pair of pigeonnieres, five large Moorish water cisterns, a school house, stables, green houses, service quarters and dozens of small service buildings. Dr. Crozat redesigned and remodeled the interior of the mansion then furnished the mansion with federal and early Louisiana antiques. We took the guided tour, and our guide (Darren) was not only very knowledgeable, but also quite amicable.
The mighty Mississippi River gave birth to this land over the millennium, creating the fertile lands which became the great fields of Sugar Cane, Cotton, Corn, Indigo, tobacco and more. The richness of the land, great forests of cypress, and the abundance of wildlife for hunting attracted settlers in the early 1700’s and eventually into the hands of the Great Sugar Barons in the early 1800’s. In 1803 Donaldson and Scott built a new center hall cottage directly in front of the1700’s French House. In 1829, General Wade Hampton began the task of enlarging the Donaldson Cottage and transforming it into the Classical Revival Mansion that stands today.
In the hustle and bustle of bringing the house back to life and opening it up to the public, the mystery of the little girl was forgotten for the time being. Located near New Orleans, the 250-year-old house is just one of the estates located in Louisiana’s River Parishes that is open to the public. This particular live oak really caught my eye and I can’t even adequately share it here without lots of pics. It sprawled out from the mother tree way over to the building in the distance.
Café Burnside is popular for lunch and Sunday brunch for its delectable shrimp po’boys, crab cakes, and crawfish and brie omelets. Whether you’re a history enthusiast, a nature lover, a food connoisseur, or simply seeking an escape from the ordinary, Houmas House Plantation promises an unforgettable journey into the heart of Louisiana’s heritage. After our museum visit we packed up and took a view of the river before hitting the road home. The museum provides historical information about life on the Mississippi. The rooms provided a variety of artifacts across many decades and many styles. Each room was amazing to explore and our guide knew so much about everything.
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