The Laura Plantation located on River Road between Baton Rouge and New Orleans is a raised Creole Planation style house. Our team were in Louisiana last week and stopped by this “maison principale” {family home} to check out the architecture; the gardens and to immerse in a bit of history. Originally called l’Habitation Duparc was 12,000 acres at its largest, and includes properties amassed throughout the years. The manor house was built on high and cleared grounds, and had been the location of the Colapissa Indian village.
Cultivated grounds became French parterre gardens, a pecan orchard, a potager planted adjacent to the original kitchen, and vegetable rows near the slave cabins.
According to local legend the primary reason the plantation was saved from ruin was that the Br’er Rabbit stories {supposedly} originated here, and an effort was made to restore the house and grounds. So, through copious research found the “Tar-Baby”stories are not native to America, but found compelling evidence that the tale crossed the Atlantic with slaves.
When in Louisiana visit:
Laura- A Creole Plantation
2247 Highway 18
Vacherie, LA 70090
Read:
The Annotated African American Folktales
by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Maria Tartar
Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings
by Joel Chandler Harris
Indulge stylishly,
K
Stylish Heath 