Godchaux--Reserve Plantation House - Reserve, LA - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

Sad. This large creole style home is falling apart. The tin roof is half blown off. Exposed inner framing. Exterior paneling missing. The home itself is easy to find (at corner of Hwy.637 and Hwy 44). There is a small "Godchaux" steam train engine on same site. The entire property is in or on the St. John the Baptist school board office complex. There was ample parking. There is a plan for restoration. I hope they get it going soon. Here is a brief history taken from here .
Reserve Plantation House has a long and complicated history including what appear to be three major periods of construction and two moves. The house was first moved sometime prior to about 1900. It was moved again on September 25, 1993 to save it from certain demolition, as will be explained more fully later. A c.1900 panoramic photograph shows the house as part of the Godchaux sugar mill complex. (Leon Godchaux had purchased Reserve Plantation in 1869.) It was from the Godchaux sugar mill site that the house was moved in 1993. In the photograph, the house appears as a large fully raised Creole residence (i.e., the main story raised a full story above grade). The reason the State Historic Preservation Office believes the house was moved to the Godchaux mill site from elsewhere is its placement facing a road leading into the sugar mill complex from the Mississippi River. It did not face the river as River Road plantation houses invariably did. Thus sometime prior to about 1900 the house was moved to the Godchaux mill site, most likely from somewhere close by on the plantation. This supposition that there was an early move has been corroborated by experienced historic house mover David Beeson (the 1993 mover). He noted marks under the house left by apparatus used in moving houses by mule power.

Street address: 1628 La Highway 44 Reserve, LA USA 70084 County / Borough / Parish: St. John the Baptist Year listed: 1994 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering Periods of significance: 1825-1849, 1850-1874 Historic function: Domestic. Sub - Single Dwelling Current function: Work in Progress Privately owned?: yes Season start / Season finish: From: 01/01/2008 To: 12/31/2008 Hours of operation: From: 9:00 AM To: 5:00 PM Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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