Long Description:Was closed to public when I passed by. Well maintained grounds.
Peaceful and quiet.
Not sure if it still opened for public tours.
the time of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the plantation was
established and producing sugar.
In 1810, Revolutionary War hero Gen. Wade Hampton of Virginia
purchased the property and shortly thereafter began construction on
the Mansion. However, it was not until 1825 when Hampton's
daughter, Caroline, and her husband, Col. John Preston, took over
the property that the grand house truly began to take shape.
Construction on the Mansion was completed in 1828. At the same
time, Houmas House began to build its sugar production and
continued to increase its land holdings, which ultimately grew to
300,000 acres.
Irishman John Burnside bought the plantation in 1857 for $1
million. A businessman and a character, Burnside increased
production of sugar until Houmas House was the largest producer in
the country, actively working the crop on 98,000 acres. During the
Civil War, Burnside saved the Mansion from destruction at the hands
of advancing Union forces by declaring immunity as a subject of the
British Crown. In addition to building a railway to carry his
products to market —"The Sugar Cane Train (1862)" — Burnside, a
bachelor, is also said to have offered payment to any parents in
the parish who would name their sons "John."
An avid sportsman who wagered heavily in horse races, Burnside
once secretly purchased a champion thoroughbred back East with the
intent of defeating the steeds of fellow local businessmen in a big
race. He quietly slipped the racehorse into the billiard room of
the Mansion where it was "stabled" until Burnside's surprise was
unveiled at the starting line and hailed in the winner's
circle.
Houmas House flourished under Burnside's ownership, but it was
under a successor, Col. William Porcher Miles that the plantation
grew to its apex in the late 1800's when it was producing a
monumental 20 million pounds of sugar each year.
In 1927, the Mississippi came out of its banks in the epic
"great flood." While Houmas House was spared, the surrounding areas
were inundated. The ensuing economic havoc was but a prelude to the
devastation of the Great Depression just two years later.
Houmas House Plantation withered away. The Mansion closed and
fell into disrepair, a condition in which it remained until 1940
when Dr. George B. Crozat purchased it.
Crozat bought Houmas House to be a summer home away from his
native New Orleans. He renovated the property with the intent to
give it a more "Federal" look than the stately Greek Revival style
in which it was conceived. The structure was painted white inside
and out. Crown moldings and ceiling medallions were removed and
both interior and exterior forms and finishes were simplified.
Eventually, the Crozat heirs opened the property to tourists. In
1963, the defining Bette Davis film "Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte"
was shot in the property. The room in which Ms. Davis stayed while
filming is preserved as part of today's Houmas House tour.
In addition to the Mansion and Gardens, history is also
reflected in the many antique furnishings and works of art that
grace the Houmas House tour. Distinguished by its two Garconierre,
the Mansion exudes the warmth of a home (it's the owner's active
residence), while proudly portraying its role as a landmark in
American history.