Allendale Plantation Historic District - Port Allen, LA - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

District located at intersection of Allendale Rd. and River Rd. (and to the south on River Rd.) in West Baton Rouge parish. The old quarters were all together in a group. The church and a few other buildings were further south. The Plantation housewere the sign is located just alittle further south. Also there are some buildings donated and located at the West BAton Rouge Parish museum. Brief history I found at West Baton Rouge Parish Museum

Governor Allen (Henry Watkins Allen) was born in Virginia, the son of a physician, moved to Mississippi where he served in the state legislature and in 1846, moved to Louisiana to become a sugar planter. Allen bought a site near Port Allen, fronting the river and in 1853 was elected to the Louisiana state legislature. Allen was made a Lieutenant Colonel in the Confederate Army during the War Between the States and was advanced to the rank of Brigadier General in 1863 by President Jefferson Davis. During the battle of Baton Rouge, he was wounded in both legs by an exploding shell. In November of 1863 he was elected Governor of the state and assumed the duties of that office in January of 1864. Seeing a crumbling South before him in 1865, he gave up the office of Governor and moved to Mexico where he established a newspaper called “The Mexican Times”. Allen published a farewell address to the people of Louisiana on June 2, 1865 saying “I have thought it my duty to address you a few words in parting from you, perhaps forever. My administration as Governor of Louisiana closes this day. Let us not talk of despair, not whine about our misfortunes, but with strong arms and stout hearts adapt ourselves to the circumstances which surround us. If my voice could be heard and heeded at Washington, I would say “Spare this distracted land, oh spare this affected people. In the name of bleeding humanity, they have suffered enough’.” Allen left the land he loved to live among strangers and died in a foreign land a year later. Port Allen was later named for Gov. Allen.

Street address: Jct. of N. River Rd. and Allendale Rd. Port Allen, LA USA 70767 County / Borough / Parish: West Baton Rouge Year listed: 1996 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event Periods of significance: 1850-1874, 1875-1899, 1900-1924, 1925-1949 Historic function: Commerce/Trade, Domestic, Religion. Sub - Business, Religious Structure, Single Dwelling Current function: Commerce/Trade, Domestic, Religion, Vacant. Sub - Business, Religious Structure, Single Dwelling 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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