Houmas House & Garden Tour in LA: Part 2 The House
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Houmas House has a museum and 3 restaurants on the grounds, so it’s a great way to spend the day. The Houmas House has elegant architecture, captivating gardens, and a wealth of attractions, a visit to this enchanting estate offers an immersive journey into the past. It was a working sugarcane plantation by 1803, when the United States obtained the area through the Louisiana Purchase.
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Houmas was the inspiration for The Antebellum, an 8,212 sqft estate and gardens in Grogan's Point. We are still in the middle of our trip but I had to take a moment to review this team. We are currently staying in the deluxe suite on the grounds and it is perfect. We had dinner at Latils last night and not only was the food fantastic but Josh and Phyllis were inviting and provided great service.
Houmas House & Garden Tour in LA: Part 2 The House
Behind the mansion is the original home for the property. It’s a French Provincial house built by Maurice Conway and Alexander Latil who purchased the land from the Houmas Indians in the mid 1700’s. The house has been through many renovations over it’s 250 year history on this property and the inside has been meticulously perfected with beautiful antiques and artifacts of the age. The house definitely looks the part of a Southern plantation. P. Miles Jr., at the age of 45, married Harriet Waters, age 25, of New Orleans. They also enjoyed a large circle of friends that visited frequently, often staying weeks or months at a time.
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In fact the plantation — once called “the crown jewel of Louisiana’s River Road” had lost its luster and fallen into disrepair in the 1990s. Here are two of the ghostly tales that reveal why the Houmas House is definitely a haunted Louisiana plantation. Along with deep ties to the land comes stories passed down from generation to generation.
Little Girl Spotted By Houmas House Work Crew
They entertained with dinner parties, garden parties, buggy races and hunting excursions. In the 1920s, a failed sugar crop forced the family to sell off the plantation piece by piece. Finally, the family moved to New Orleans, and the Houmas was used mostly for weekend and Holiday retreats. It was during the 1890’s that the Miles Family enlarged the mansion by connecting the 1829 mansion to the French House, to the rear. The carriageway was created between the two buildings and two additional bedrooms and a center hall were added to the 2nd floor of the mansion. During the Miles period, the 2nd floor housed seven bedrooms.
La. plantation removes sign saying slaves were 'happy' and 'taken care of' - Houma Courier
La. plantation removes sign saying slaves were 'happy' and 'taken care of'.
Posted: Wed, 20 Mar 2019 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The Inn at Houmas House and Gardens
In A Field Guide to American Houses, Virginia Savage McAlester writes that rooftop cupolas are common to Federal, Italianate, Octagon, Second Empire, and Greek Revival buildings. You’ll find them on many Victorian- and Georgian-era structures. At this point in time, only a caretaker and his wife lived on the Houmas House property because the plantation was out of the sugarcane business. (The couple lived in what is now used as the plantation’s Bridal Cottage). Around 1900, another daughter of Houmas House died, this time on the plantation.
Houmas House Plantation features breathtaking gardens that captivate for hours. The landscape design is an exquisite display of lily pads, ponds, lotus flowers, and exotic blooms. The gardens are a phenomenal sight, adorned with lighted archways, wood-carved sculptures, and elegant water fountains.
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According to McAlester, traditional detailings were common additions to these more modern homes, including the use of decorative, rather than functional, cupolas. This unique plantation definitely has plenty of history and lore that has been passed down for generations. The estate also had a formal English garden with a central walkway, as well as carriage pathways meandering off through the older oaks. But when the renovated house opened to the public, sightings of the little girl began again. Both guides and guests have seen her and say she seems curious about all the activity. 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.
Historic Plantations Everyone In Louisiana Must Visit
There are water features in each courtyard, with fish ponds and plant life. 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.
This particular Antebellum plantation house doesn’t cover slavery as much as some of the other houses in Louisiana. 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.
She enjoys exploring the back roads of the USA and uncovering stories about unique destinations, cultures and almost-forgotten history. In its early years, Houmas House plantation had an oak alley leading from the river’s edge to the house. These “allees” were (and still are) common in Louisiana because the trees help funnel the cooler air from the river straight to the residence. It feels like a real home in this view where people live and work (which it is since the owner does live there) and not just an historic home that’s open for tours.
These tours offer a deeper understanding of the plantation’s significance and its place in Louisiana’s cultural tapestry. What a lovely afternoon we spent walking around the beautiful gardens then touring the mansion . Our tour guide was a young girl who was very knowledgeable and brought the house to life ( sorry forgotten her name ) . Finished the day with a mint julep very nice indeed .Worth a visit. The Inn at Houmas House is a collection of quaint cottages nestled along an ancient oak alley and surrounded by lush gardens, allowing guests to get lost in the tranquility of the South.
Louisiana’s River Road boasts the jewel of the 1840 Houmas House Plantation—a timeless attraction blending history and promise. Travel through time, envisioning the splendor it held and still exudes 250 years later. Houmas House remains a preeminent sugarcane plantation in Louisiana. Here’s what to expect when visiting Houmas House Plantation. The Crown Jewel of Louisiana's River Road features antiques and Louisiana artwork, three award-winning restaurants, gardens, ponds and oaks.
Despite the national economic depression and decline in plantation life, “The Gentlemen” stood as a reminder of a more opulent time. The 24 stately trees leading from the river to the house continued to stand guard and provide cooling breezes. John Burnside, 48 years old when he acquired the Houmas, immediately began enlarging his holdings and purchasing other sugar plantations along the Mississippi River. In a very short time he was dubbed “The Sugar Prince,” by attaining the largest sugar empire in the South. Along with his properties on the Mississippi, Burnside also purchased the largest estate in the City of New Orleans, then known as the Robb Mansion.
They never returned to Houmas House, but those back in Louisiana who knew of the child’s love for the plantation mourned the loss. 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. You can see the carriageway here added on in the 1890’s to connect the original French cottage to the main house. Horses and carriages were brought in here to deliver guests. The home owner still lives here, but allows tours of the home.
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