Places & Faces
Take a Step Back in Time on the River Parishes Plantation Trail
Oak Alley Plantation
by Madelaine Brauner Landry
Are you fascinated with history, discovery, and a fondness for old things? You might consider exploring Louisiana’s River Road for tours of its unique plantation homes. There are various compelling reasons to visit. The importance of sightseeing properties from the Deep South’s antebellum past is hard to ignore. Human beings were held in bondage, a slave experience we cannot deny or ignore. The lives of wealthy plantation owners are also enlightening, and these sites offer a treasure trove of archives containing art, photography, books, and music that help reveal many mysteries. The following is hardly an exhaustive list. River Road boasts approximately 12 plantations, most open to the public. Whether you choose a day trip, or one that evolves over a few days, allow yourself to slow down and explore other historical sites you will find along the way. Some are in ruin; some are recognizable from film and television. This journey can be an eye-opening historical and personal experience that will provoke many emotions. Its diversity will not disappoint. Magic is instilled in the traveler who realizes that what initially compelled them to take the trip will not necessarily be what they take away when it comes to an end.
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Thrive Magazine for Better Living • July 2021
1811 Kid Ory Historic House (LaPlace)
Promoted as one of the oldest structures in St. John the Baptist parish, the 1811/Kid Ory Historic House tells the story of an 1811 slave rebellion, as well as the dawn of jazz, two noteworthy historical events. Using diverse media to engage visitors, these museum walls share tales from the “big house” from which it was created. This site was home to a variety of owners from 1797-1922, but it is currently not furnished as a residence. It serves as a repository of artifacts, historical musical instruments, interactive displays and panels for art and photography. Testimonies of the enslaved, as well as an archive of Kid Ory Creole jazz memorabilia are its primary features.
Laura Plantation (Vacherie)
The exciting part of this site is its ongoing contribution to research to the story of enslaved people in Louisiana’s Creole past, as well as its home’s history that includes four generations of female ownership. Laura reveals its captivating story starting with its builder, Guillaume Duparc, a French Naval veteran of the American Revolution. His sugar farming complex sat on high ground with access to the Mississippi River, and included land originally settled by Native Americans or purchased from the Acadians. Female descendants eventually became responsible for the daily operations of the original home and business. Laura’s story unfolds in a 2017 museum exhibit entitled “From the Big House to the Quarters: Slavery on Laura Plantation.”
