logo
Mystery as Gone With The Wind-style plantation that's one of south's oldest antebellum homes is destroyed by huge blaze

Mystery as Gone With The Wind-style plantation that's one of south's oldest antebellum homes is destroyed by huge blaze

Daily Mail​16-05-2025

One of the Antebellum-era plantations in the country was destroyed after a massive fire ripped through the historic mansion and completely engulfed it in flames.
The massive inferno erupted at Louisiana 's historic Nottoway Plantation House shortly after 2pm Thursday.
A giant orange wall of fire consumed the 166-year-old home, which was located along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
The blaze, which started in the south wing of the building, devoured the upper portion of the rotunda and sent a plume of thick smoke into the sky.
Officials claim the inferno quickly spread to the main house and left behind a trail of destruction. Footage from the property shows charred and collapsed remnants of the once beautiful house.
The plantation's northern wing and back wall were completely destroyed, with only the chimneys remaining on each side. The façade and upper balcony had also collapsed.
Although authorities note it is too soon to determine the full extent of the damage, the mansion's owner, Louisiana attorney Dan Dyess, said in a written statement that the fire had led to a 'total loss' after all the time and money he invested in the building.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Iberville Parish government officials said. No injuries were reported.
Nearly a dozen fire departments from surrounding towns were called to Nottoway Plantation in White Castle on Thursday after a blaze broke out at the home.
Flames ripped through a massive mansion, destroying much of the historic structure that was used as a plantation house when it was completed in 1859.
Mansion staff discovered smoke around 2pm after walking into a room in the museum on the second floor of the home, WAFB reports.
Firefighters initially extinguished the blaze, but it reignited Thursday evening, causing flames to shoot from the roof as it collapsed in.
Officials suspect the fire broke out in a second-floor bedroom. The fire has been contained, and no other properties were harmed, said Maj. Monty Migliacio of the Iberville Parish Sheriff´s Office.
Other structures on the grounds have been preserved, parish officials said.
Before the fire, Nottoway Plantation was a resort and event venue, and its website described it as 'the South's largest remaining antebellum mansion'.
Iberville Parish President Chris Daigle called it 'a cornerstone of our tourism economy and a site of national significance.'
Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal Public Affairs Director Ken Pastorick said authorities are still in the 'beginning phases of the investigation'.
'We don't know how the fire began and our objective is to determine how it started,' he added.
When the fire first broke out, authorities said the planation's owners were dedicated to rebuilding and repairing the home in line with historic preservation.
But now the owners are reportedly unsure if they will move forward with that plan, officials told WAFB.
The 53,000-square-foot home on a former sugar plantation about 65 miles northwest of New Orleans had a three-story rotunda adorned with giant white columns and hand-carved Italian marble fireplaces, according to a description on its website.
'We are devastated and heartbroken for this loss,' owner Dan Dyess said. 'This was my dream that has now been dashed.'
In a statement on Facebook, Daigle touched on the structure's history of racial injustice during a time when enslaved Black people helped build the home and operate the sugar plantation that surrounded it.
In 1860, 155 enslaved people were held at the property, according to National Park Service records.
'While its early history is undeniably tied to a time of great injustice, over the last several decades it evolved into a place of reflection, education, and dialogue,' Daigle said.
'Since the 1980s, it has welcomed visitors from around the world who came to appreciate its architecture and confront the legacies of its era,' he added.
'It stood as both a cautionary monument and a testament to the importance of preserving history - even the painful parts - so that future generations can learn and grow from it.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

New Orleans jail escapee's 'Bonnie and Clyde' accomplice revealed
New Orleans jail escapee's 'Bonnie and Clyde' accomplice revealed

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

New Orleans jail escapee's 'Bonnie and Clyde' accomplice revealed

The girlfriend of one of the inmates who escaped in the huge New Orleans jail break has been arrested while her 'on-again, off-again' lover remains on the lam. Former prison guard Darriana Burton, 28, was charged with 'conspiracy to commit simple escape' after 10 inmates broke free from the Orleans Parish Jail in Louisiana on May 16. Her boyfriend, convicted killer Derrick Groves, 27, is one of two inmates not yet captured. Burton allegedly had 'intentional and active involvement in the planning phase' and is accused of picking up at least one of the inmates after the escape, according to the Louisiana's Attorney General's Office. Burton participated in a video call with Groves two days before the escape and held up another phone to the camera for another, unknown man, to join the conversation and discuss the escape outside the jail's monitoring systems, according to an affidavit obtained by Fox 8. The pair called again later that evening, during which the three had another conversation. This time, the unidentified man reportedly said the prison break plan was a 'bad move' and could 'trigger a manhunt.' Detectives believe, however, that at this point outside contacts had been made aware of the plan and it was already underway. Burton previously worked at the Sheriff's Office from 2022 until she was arrested and charged for bringing contraband into the jail and malfeasance in office in 2023, according to a statement from Attorney General Liz Murrill. Ten prisoners were captured on shocking video footage escaping from the Orleans Parish Jail in New Orleans, Louisiana, on May 16 Groves is one of two inmates who remain at large after ten escaped through a wall behind a prison toilet. The group of escapees used a blanket to protect themselves from the barbed wired fence. He has been linked to four killings, and authorities warned that he may be violent or attempt to locate witnesses in his murder trial. Groves was accused for attempted second-degree murder at 17, but was eventually found not guilty, according to court records obtained by CNN. Then, he was convicted for the second time last year of two charges on second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder for the 2018 shooting on Mardi Gras. Groves was found to have be one of two gunmen who opened fire on 'what should have been joyous Mardi Gras family gathering' with AK-47-style assault rifles, according to the District Attorney's Office. He was found guilty of killing Jamar Robinson and Byron Jackson as well as the attempt on the life of two other victims who were shot. Groves' aunt, Jasmine Groves, pleaded with her nephew to turn himself in to avoid any deadly force in attempts to return him into custody. She told WDSU that no one in her family knows where Groves is following his escape. 'For my family, it's been like reliving a constant nightmare that we relived throughout these whole 30 years,' she said, adding that Groves' mother had been taken by law enforcement for questioning. Groves was found guilty of killing Jamar Robinson and Byron Jackson as well as the attempt on the life of two other victims who were shot The remaining inmate on the loose is fellow escapee Antoine Massey who is wanted in connection to a rape and kidnapping in St. Tammany Parish, as well as domestic abuse and theft charges in Orleans Parish. Massey, 32, released a video on Instagram where he pleaded his innocent and insisted he was 'let out' last month. 'I'm one of the ones that was let out of Orleans Parish jail where they said I escaped, right?' Massey says. The heavily-tattooed con looked down the camera as he insisted charges against him had been made up by a jealous woman he was 'dating'. 'The reason why I left the jail is because these people were trying to give me a life sentence in both parishes for something I did not do,' he said. As he claimed he is a victim of corruption, Massey appealed for help from public figures who had 'been through the corrupt system', including Trump, Lil Wayne and the recently-pardoned rapper NBA YoungBoy. Murrill said in the latest release that they will 'continue to pursue anyone and everyone who has aided and abetted these criminals.' 'We will find you, arrest you, and prosecute you to the full extent of the law,' Murrill added. 'I'd like to thank the US Marshals Service for our executing our warrant for [Burton]. We will eventually get Antoine Massey and Derrick Groves back to prison where they belong.' Sterling Williams (pictured), 33, has been arrested for helping a group of violent criminals escape by allegedly turning off the water to their cell block The group of escapees were also said to have been aided by a prison maintenance worker, Sterling Williams, who allegedly turned off the water to the cell they broke out of. Williams said he was forced to do so and the inmates threatened to 'shank' him if he refused, Massey said in his Instagram video, however, that wasn't true. 'Sterling flat-out lied on me,' Massey said. Police have arrested more than a dozen alleged accomplices since the escape last month, including the grandmother of one of the escapees who allegedly helped him escape. Connie Weeden, 59, is accused of helping her grandson Jermaine Donald and allegedly was in regular contact with him before and after the jailbreak. The investigation uncovered evidence that Weeden was speaking to Donald over the phone in the lead-up to the escape and continued providing assistance even after he had fled the facility. Police say she even provided cash to the dangerous fugitive through a mobile phone app, potentially helping to fund his life on the run. The inmates who have been successfully located and returned to custody include Corey Boyd, 20, Kendall Myles, 21, Gary Price, 21, Dkenan Dennis, 24, Robert Moody, 22, Leo Tate, 32, Lenton Vanburen Jr., 27, and Jermaine Donald, 42. There is now a $50,000 reward for any information leading to the remaining escapee's arrests.

‘Masked thugs' start fire at leisure centre on third night of violence in Northern Ireland
‘Masked thugs' start fire at leisure centre on third night of violence in Northern Ireland

The Independent

timean hour ago

  • The Independent

‘Masked thugs' start fire at leisure centre on third night of violence in Northern Ireland

A group of masked individuals have set fire to a leisure centre in the latest night of violence in Northern Ireland. A fire broke out at Larne Leisure Centre in Co Antrim on Wednesday following vandalism at the facility. The attack coincided with a third night of public disorder in the town of Ballymena, 30 minutes away from Larne. Local Alliance MLA Danny Donnelly said in a social media post: 'Larne leisure centre has been attacked by masked thugs. 'Windows smashed and fires lit nearby. Larne does not need this.'

Fire at leisure centre on third night of disorder in Northern Ireland
Fire at leisure centre on third night of disorder in Northern Ireland

BreakingNews.ie

timean hour ago

  • BreakingNews.ie

Fire at leisure centre on third night of disorder in Northern Ireland

A fire broke out at Larne Leisure Centre following vandalism at the facility during several nights of disorder in Northern Ireland. Masked individuals smashed windows at the leisure centre in Co Antrim on Wednesday and set fires outside which spread inside. Advertisement The attack coincided with a third night of public disorder in the town of Ballymena, 30 minutes away from Larne. Larne leisure centre has been attacked by masked thugs. Windows smashed and fires lit nearby. Larne does not need this. — Danny Donnelly MLA (@DannyDonnelly1) June 11, 2025 Local Alliance MLA Danny Donnelly said in a social media post: 'Larne leisure centre has been attacked by masked thugs. 'Windows smashed and fires lit nearby. Larne does not need this.' The PSNI deployed riot police in Ballymena for a third night as a significant crowd gathered around the Clonavon Terrace area. Advertisement Demonstrators who gathered on Bridge Street near the residential area were told to disperse shortly before 9pm after a firework was thrown at officers. Riot police block a road close to Clonavon Terrace in Ballymena on Wednesday night (Jonathan McCambridge/PA) Officers also used dog units and drones in their response to the gathering. Riot police with shields advanced on the crowd to disperse them. Missiles were thrown at officers in the Clonavon Terrace area on Wednesday night. Advertisement Earlier, a senior officer said the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) had requested support from colleagues in the UK following further violence in Ballymena. PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said the force would be bringing extra officers, vehicles and equipment to areas where unrest has flared. He said there were disgraceful scenes in Belfast, Lisburn, Coleraine, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey on Tuesday, as businesses, homes and cars were attacked and damaged. By Wednesday, six individuals had been arrested for public order offences, and one charged. Advertisement Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he 'utterly condemns' violence which left 32 police officers injured after the second night of disturbances. PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has warned that the rioting 'risks undermining' the criminal justice process into an allegation of a sex attack on a teenage girl in Ballymena at the weekend. Stormont ministers have also made an urgent appeal for calm and said the justice process had to be allowed to take its course. Providing an update on the policing operation on Wednesday, Mr Henderson said: 'We are taking steps to increase available resources and are surging a significant number of extra officers, vehicles and equipment to those areas where the rioting is taking place. Advertisement 'This will have an impact on our community, this will take away vital resources needed to police other areas.' A second night of violence took place in Ballymena (Niall Carson/PA) He said they have requested about 80 officers through mutual aid. Speaking during Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, Sir Keir condemned the 'mindless attacks' against police. 'I utterly condemn the violence that we have seen overnight in Ballymena and in other parts of Northern Ireland, including against PSNI officers,' Sir Keir told MPs. 'It's absolutely vital that the PSNI are given the time they need to investigate the incidents concerned rather than face mindless attacks as they seek to bring peace and order to keep people safe.' In a joint statement, ministers from across the Stormont powersharing Executive, which includes Sinn Fein, DUP, Alliance Party and UUP, said those involved in disorder have nothing to offer society but 'division and disorder'. First Minister Michelle O'Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly later appeared together to voice their condemnation. Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly speak to media at the Ulster Hall in Belfast on Wednesday (David Young/PA) Sinn Féin vice-president Ms O'Neill told reporters in Belfast: 'It's pure racism, there is no other way to dress it up.' She said ministers stood full-square with the young girl who was subject to the alleged sex attack but added the criminal justice system must be allowed to deal with that case. 'Separate to that is the racism that we're seeing… people being firebombed out of their homes, people having their doors knocked in, having their windows being smashed, families being intimidated,' Ms O'Neill added. 'That is absolutely unacceptable and everything that needs to be done to bring it to an end is our focus in terms of the engagement we have with the PSNI.' Ms Little-Pengelly described the scenes in Ballymena as 'unacceptable thuggery', adding: 'We've been in contact with the chief constable, and in constant contact with the PSNI throughout last night in terms of what was happening on the ground. 'I think today is about sending a very clear message that violence is wrong, it is entirely unacceptable. It must stop.' Rioters attacked police in Ballymena on Tuesday night (Niall Carson/PA) With the protests focused in predominantly loyalist areas in Ballymena, Ms O'Neill said she did not believe it would be helpful for her to visit in the current context. DUP MLA Ms Little-Pengelly met residents in the town on Wednesday and said the local community are in fear and wanted the violence to stop. 'The key message here today is around that violence, and that the violence needs to stop, that's what the community wants to put across, and that's why I'm here to send that very clear and united message from right throughout the community and local residents for that to stop,' she said. Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly (third right) during a visit to Clonavon Terrace (Niall Carson/PA) Police said their officers came under sustained attack over a number of hours with multiple petrol bombs, heavy masonry, bricks and fireworks thrown in their direction in the Clonavon Terrace area of Ballymena on Tuesday night. The PSNI deployed riot police, fired plastic baton rounds, and used water cannon as well as dog units as part of its response to the disorder. Police also reported that 'sporadic disorder' had also occurred in Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus, as well as incidents in north Belfast. The violence began around Clonavon Terrace on Monday night following an earlier peaceful protest which was organised in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the area. Two teenage boys, who spoke to a court through a Romanian interpreter, have been charged.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store