We packed up this a.m. and said our goodbyes to Karen and 816 Gallier St. But before leaving the neighborhood we had one more cup of coffee at Satsuma and soaked in the vibe.
Click Read More below right...
Click Read More below right...
For the next few days we will be visiting Plantations in a few different locations. Our route is less than ideal because of when the chosen plantations are closed. We started the day in the Vacherie area and will return there in another day or so.
We encountered a torrential rainstorm on our way to St. Joseph plantation and another after we left the plantation. Despite the rain, the visit was really enjoyable.
Built entirely by slave labor in 1830 the modified raised creole cottage is owned today by members of the original families, which today number around 250. It is still a working sugar cane plantation. They proudly proclaim that they have been Raising Cane here since 1877. Actually, the heirs have multiple sources of income from the property. The batture -- land between the Mississippi River and the levee -- is leased by shipping companies for mooring bardges; the Plantation buildings are frequently used as locations for movies and TV shows, the cypress swamps in the rear of the property produce natural gas, and there is also the income from visitors and the gift shop.
What makes this place special is the presence of family members and others who really love the house and it’s story. One surprise was that the architect H.H. Richardson was born here. Richardson’s grandfather owned the plantation at the time. St. Joseph is not a fancy plantation with fine furniture and object d’art. It shows how the residents lived.
The enormous sugar cane kettles where originally heated over a furnace and were in use until 1900. Now they catch the water from the rains and serve only a decorative purpose.
We encountered a torrential rainstorm on our way to St. Joseph plantation and another after we left the plantation. Despite the rain, the visit was really enjoyable.
Built entirely by slave labor in 1830 the modified raised creole cottage is owned today by members of the original families, which today number around 250. It is still a working sugar cane plantation. They proudly proclaim that they have been Raising Cane here since 1877. Actually, the heirs have multiple sources of income from the property. The batture -- land between the Mississippi River and the levee -- is leased by shipping companies for mooring bardges; the Plantation buildings are frequently used as locations for movies and TV shows, the cypress swamps in the rear of the property produce natural gas, and there is also the income from visitors and the gift shop.
What makes this place special is the presence of family members and others who really love the house and it’s story. One surprise was that the architect H.H. Richardson was born here. Richardson’s grandfather owned the plantation at the time. St. Joseph is not a fancy plantation with fine furniture and object d’art. It shows how the residents lived.
The enormous sugar cane kettles where originally heated over a furnace and were in use until 1900. Now they catch the water from the rains and serve only a decorative purpose.
Exterior
Interior
Mourning Customs
One room concentrates on the mourning practices of the times.. With samples of clothing and mourning brooches containing pieces of the deceased hair artfully arranged. Women mourners wore black for a year. With the high rate of infant mortality, some surviving children never remember their mothers wearing anything other than black.