Laurel Valley Sugar Plantation
Laurel Valley Sugar Plantation | |
 Ruined mill at the plantation | |
  | |
| Location | Along Laurel Valley Road, about 2.3 miles (3.7 km) east of Thibodaux |
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| Nearest city | Thibodaux, Louisiana |
| Coordinates | 29°48′04″N 90°46′45″W / 29.80124°N 90.77915°WCoordinates: 29°48′04″N 90°46′45″W / 29.80124°N 90.77915°W |
| Area | 1,230 acres (500 ha) |
| Built | 1850 |
| Architectural style | American Renaissance, Queen Anne Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 78001426[1] |
| Added to NRHP | March 24, 1978 |
Laurel Valley Sugar Plantation is located in Thibodaux, Louisiana. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
History[]
The plantation was owned by Joseph Tucker, a Virginian, who bought more than 50,000 acres of land along Bayou Lafourche. The earliest structures on the property date to the 1830s. It was at one time the largest producer of sugar in Lafourche Parish, and a mill was built on the property for this purpose.
As many as 135 slaves lived and worked on the property prior to the Civil War. While the main house built by Tucker was destroyed during the Civil War, shotgun houses (slave quarters) and Creole cabins remain on the property. The mill stopped production in the 1930s, and sustained significant damage during Hurricane Betsy in 1965.[2] It is named after where it is located.
Laurel Valley today[]
With over fifty original structures remaining it is the largest surviving 19th- and 20th-century sugar plantation complex left in the United States[3] and is still a working sugarcane farm.[2] The general store on the property is open to the public, displaying tools and farm implements used in the cultivation of sugar cane as well as locally made arts and crafts.[3] The store wasn't originally at the plantation, it had to be moved there. Its proprietor was Leon Z. Boudreaux.
Laurel Valley Plantation was added as a historic district to the National Register of Historic Places on March 24, 1978.[1]
Contributing properties[]
The historic 1,230 acres (500 ha) district comprises about 80 buildings and structures dating from c.1850 to c.1910:[4][5]
Along LA 308[]
- Plantation Church, also known as Old Fountain Missionary Baptist Church, 29°47′11″N 90°47′01″W / 29.78633°N 90.78352°W, comprises the adjacent cemetery.
- Double Creole House #1, 29°47′15″N 90°47′04″W / 29.78759°N 90.78452°W, built c.1890.
- Double Creole House #2, 29°47′21″N 90°47′11″W / 29.7893°N 90.7864°W, built c.1890.
- Plantation Store, 29°47′24″N 90°47′12″W / 29.78995°N 90.78671°W, built c.1890.
- Double Creole House #3, 29°47′25″N 90°47′13″W / 29.79033°N 90.78683°W, built c.1890.
- Creole House #1, 29°47′25″N 90°47′14″W / 29.79016°N 90.78732°W, built c.1900.
- Creole House #2, 29°47′26″N 90°47′15″W / 29.79043°N 90.78741°W, built c.1910.
- Shotgun House #1, 29°47′27″N 90°47′14″W / 29.79076°N 90.78723°W, built c.1890.
Main House Complex[]
- Plantation House, 29°48′33″N 90°46′16″W / 29.80926°N 90.77123°W, built c.1880.
- Servants' Quarters, 29°48′32″N 90°46′16″W / 29.80899°N 90.77101°W, built c.1880.
Single family Creole houses area[]
- Double Creole House #4, 29°48′37″N 90°46′19″W / 29.81018°N 90.77184°W. No more standing.
- School House, 29°48′38″N 90°46′19″W / 29.81059°N 90.77196°W. No more standing.
- Shotgun House #2, 29°48′41″N 90°46′17″W / 29.81146°N 90.77144°W, built c.1910.
- Creole House #3, 29°48′43″N 90°46′16″W / 29.81187°N 90.77111°W, built c.1880.
- Creole House #4, 29°48′44″N 90°46′15″W / 29.81217°N 90.77087°W, built c.1880.
- Creole House #5, 29°48′45″N 90°46′14″W / 29.81246°N 90.77063°W, built c.1880.
- Creole House #6, 29°48′46″N 90°46′13″W / 29.81276°N 90.77039°W, built c.1880.
- Creole House #7, 29°48′47″N 90°46′13″W / 29.81305°N 90.77015°W, built c.1880.
- Telephone Booth, 29°48′48″N 90°46′13″W / 29.81334°N 90.77022°W. No more standing.
- Weighing Station, 29°48′47″N 90°46′11″W / 29.81313°N 90.76981°W, built c.1910.
- Plantation Foreman House, 29°48′46″N 90°46′09″W / 29.81267°N 90.76911°W, built c.1900.
Creole double houses area[]
- Watchman/Overseer's House, 29°48′40″N 90°46′22″W / 29.81106°N 90.77268°W, built c.1900.
- Double Creole Tenant House #1, 29°48′41″N 90°46′21″W / 29.81125°N 90.77255°W, built c.1880.
- Double Creole Tenant House #2, 29°48′41″N 90°46′21″W / 29.81141°N 90.77242°W, built c.1880.
- Double Creole Tenant House #3, 29°48′42″N 90°46′20″W / 29.81158°N 90.77228°W, built c.1880.
- Double Creole Tenant House #4, 29°48′42″N 90°46′20″W / 29.81175°N 90.77215°W, built c.1880.
- Double Creole Tenant House #5, 29°48′43″N 90°46′19″W / 29.81192°N 90.77201°W, built c.1880.
- Double Creole Tenant House #6, 29°48′44″N 90°46′19″W / 29.81209°N 90.77187°W, built c.1880.
- Double Creole Tenant House #7, 29°48′44″N 90°46′18″W / 29.81225°N 90.77173°W, built c.1880.
- Double Creole Tenant House #8, 29°48′45″N 90°46′18″W / 29.81243°N 90.77158°W, built c.1880.
- Double Creole Tenant House #9, 29°48′45″N 90°46′17″W / 29.8126°N 90.77145°W, built c.1880.
- Double Creole Tenant House #10, 29°48′46″N 90°46′17″W / 29.81277°N 90.77131°W, built c.1880.
- Creole Tenant House #1, 29°48′47″N 90°46′16″W / 29.81294°N 90.77118°W, built c.1880.
- Office/Carriage House, 29°48′47″N 90°46′16″W / 29.81306°N 90.77102°W, built c.1880.
- Shop, 29°48′47″N 90°46′15″W / 29.81316°N 90.77089°W, built c.1880.
Production Complex and Shotgun houses[]
- Single Tenant House #1, 29°48′42″N 90°46′24″W / 29.81155°N 90.77347°W, built c.1884.
- Single Tenant House #2, 29°48′42″N 90°46′24″W / 29.81172°N 90.77333°W, built c.1884.
- Single Tenant House #3, 29°48′43″N 90°46′24″W / 29.8119°N 90.77321°W, built c.1884.
- Single Tenant House #4, 29°48′44″N 90°46′23″W / 29.8121°N 90.77305°W, built c.1884.
- Single Tenant House #5, 29°48′48″N 90°46′20″W / 29.81327°N 90.77215°W, built c.1884.
- Single Tenant House #6, 29°48′48″N 90°46′19″W / 29.81344°N 90.77202°W, built c.1884.
- Multiple Tenant House/Storage Shed, 29°48′42″N 90°46′21″W / 29.81177°N 90.77259°W, built c.1900. No more standing.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #1, 29°48′43″N 90°46′22″W / 29.81188°N 90.77274°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #2, 29°48′43″N 90°46′20″W / 29.81201°N 90.77233°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #3, 29°48′44″N 90°46′21″W / 29.81214°N 90.77254°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #4, 29°48′44″N 90°46′22″W / 29.81226°N 90.77276°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #5, 29°48′45″N 90°46′23″W / 29.81242°N 90.77302°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #6, 29°48′45″N 90°46′24″W / 29.81259°N 90.77331°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #7, 29°48′46″N 90°46′25″W / 29.81274°N 90.77358°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #8, 29°48′44″N 90°46′20″W / 29.81221°N 90.77218°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #9, 29°48′44″N 90°46′21″W / 29.81233°N 90.77238°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #10, 29°48′45″N 90°46′21″W / 29.81244°N 90.77259°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #11, 29°48′45″N 90°46′22″W / 29.81261°N 90.77287°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #12, 29°48′46″N 90°46′23″W / 29.81279°N 90.77314°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #13, 29°48′47″N 90°46′24″W / 29.81295°N 90.77343°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #14, 29°48′45″N 90°46′19″W / 29.81247°N 90.77197°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #15, 29°48′45″N 90°46′20″W / 29.81259°N 90.77218°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #16, 29°48′46″N 90°46′21″W / 29.81272°N 90.77238°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #17, 29°48′46″N 90°46′22″W / 29.81288°N 90.77266°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #18, 29°48′47″N 90°46′23″W / 29.81305°N 90.77294°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #19, 29°48′47″N 90°46′24″W / 29.81319°N 90.77321°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #20, 29°48′46″N 90°46′19″W / 29.8128°N 90.77204°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #21, 29°48′46″N 90°46′20″W / 29.81291°N 90.77223°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #22, 29°48′47″N 90°46′21″W / 29.81307°N 90.77251°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #23, 29°48′48″N 90°46′22″W / 29.81324°N 90.77281°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #24, 29°48′48″N 90°46′23″W / 29.8134°N 90.77308°W, built c.1900.
- Single Tenant Shotgun House #25, 29°48′49″N 90°46′21″W / 29.81354°N 90.77259°W, built c.1900.
- Loading Crane, 29°48′48″N 90°46′15″W / 29.81339°N 90.77084°W.
- Sugar Mill, 29°48′49″N 90°46′17″W / 29.81363°N 90.77135°W, built c.1850.
- Exhaust Stack, 29°48′51″N 90°46′16″W / 29.81412°N 90.77102°W, built c.1850.
- Boarding House, 29°48′50″N 90°46′17″W / 29.81401°N 90.77149°W, built c.1900.
- Grinding Mill Pump Station, 29°48′53″N 90°46′17″W / 29.81471°N 90.77147°W.
- Corn Shed Barn, 29°48′53″N 90°46′15″W / 29.81477°N 90.77083°W, built c.1880.
- Shed, 29°48′53″N 90°46′15″W / 29.81459°N 90.77076°W.
- Pump House, 29°48′50″N 90°46′13″W / 29.81397°N 90.77032°W.
- Creole Tenant House #2, 29°48′49″N 90°46′12″W / 29.81372°N 90.77003°W, built c.1890.
- Weigh Station, 29°48′49″N 90°46′12″W / 29.8136°N 90.77012°W, built c.1890.
Popular culture[]
Several movies have been filmed at Laurel Valley, including Angel Heart, Crazy in Alabama, A Gathering of Old Men, Interview with the Vampire, A Lesson Before Dying, Double Exposure: The Story of Margaret Bourke-White, and Ray.The Depeche Mode Music Video "Freelove" was also filmed on the plantation. [6][7][8][9] [10]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Heart of Louisiana: Laurel Valley Plantation". Retrieved January 22, 2015.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Laurel Valley Village Plantation: Louisiana Travel". Retrieved January 22, 2015.
- ^ "Laurel Valley Plantation" (PDF). State of Louisiana's Division of Historic Preservation. Retrieved July 12, 2018. with four photos and a map
- ^ Anne Harmon, Mina McKee, Donald Naquin, Dr. Paul Leslie, Betty Maggio (September 1977). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination Form: Laurel Valley Plantation". National Park Service. Retrieved July 12, 2018.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) With 15 photos from 1977.
- ^ "Angel Heart (1987) - IMDb". Retrieved January 23, 2015.
- ^ "Crazy in Alabama (1999) - IMDb". Retrieved January 23, 2015.
- ^ "Laurel Valley Village Sugar Plantation & Museum". Archived from the original on 2015-01-23. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
- ^ Nicholls State University yearbook, La Pirogue, 1989
- ^ The Highwaymen https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1860242/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Laurel Valley Sugar Plantation. |
- City of Thibodeaux: Areas of Interest - includes visiting information for the Laurel Valley Village/Plantation Museum and Country Store
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. LA-1, "Laurel Valley Sugar Plantation, State Route 308, Thibodaux, Lafourche Parish, LA", 17 photos, 2 measured drawings, 23 data pages, 3 photo caption pages
- HAER No. LA-1-A, "Laurel Valley Sugar Plantation, Sugar Mill", 14 photos, 1 color transparency, 6 measured drawings, 78 data pages, 3 photo caption pages
- HAER No. LA-1-B, "Laurel Valley Sugar Plantation, Railroad", 1 photo, 27 data pages, 1 photo caption page
- HAER No. LA-1-C, "Laurel Valley Sugar Plantation, Drainage Plant", 5 photos, 2 measured drawings, 29 data pages, 2 photo caption pages
- HAER No. LA-1-D, "Laurel Valley Sugar Plantation, Corn Crib", 3 photos, 1 color transparency, 2 measured drawings, 9 data pages, 2 photo caption pages
- HAER No. LA-1-E, "Laurel Valley Sugar Plantation, 'Big' House", 9 photos, 3 measured drawings, 1 photo caption page
- HAER No. LA-1-F, "Laurel Valley Sugar Plantation, Boarding House", 6 photos, 1 color transparency, 2 measured drawings, 3 photo caption pages
- HAER No. LA-1-G, "Laurel Valley Sugar Plantation, Engineer's House", 1 photo, 1 measured drawing, 1 photo caption page
- HAER No. LA-1-H, "Laurel Valley Sugar Plantation, Double Creole Quarters", 10 photos, 1 measured drawing, 2 photo caption pages
- HAER No. LA-1-J, "Laurel Valley Sugar Plantation, Shotgun Quarters", 5 photos, 2 color transparencies, 1 measured drawing, 2 photo caption pages
- HAER No. LA-1-K, "Laurel Valley Sugar Plantation, General Store", 2 photos, 1 measured drawing, 1 photo caption page
- HAER No. LA-1-L, "Laurel Valley Sugar Plantation, School House", 2 photos, 1 color transparency, 1 measured drawing, 2 photo caption pages
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Categories:
- Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Louisiana
- Queen Anne architecture in Louisiana
- Renaissance Revival architecture in Louisiana
- Houses completed in 1850
- Houses in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana
- Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Louisiana
- Historic American Engineering Record in Louisiana
- Thibodaux, Louisiana
- Sugar plantations in Louisiana
- Museums in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana
- Agriculture museums in the United States
- National Register of Historic Places in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana
- Slave cabins and quarters in the United States