Latest news with #NottowayPlantation
The Independent
20-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Video of the Nottoway Plantation fire sparks jubilation. It's about anger and pain over slavery, too
After a fire engulfed a mansion at Louisiana 's Nottoway Plantation, one of the largest remaining pre-Civil War houses in the Deep South where scores of enslaved Africans labored, video footage of the combusted landmark lit the internet ablaze with mass jubilation and consternation over the weekend. For some, it was a moment to celebrate what they saw as centuries-deferred vengeance for enslaved ancestors. There was no shortage of memes and humorous social media posts to ignite the celebrations: from video of the plantation's burning mansion set to the R&B hit song 'Let It Burn' by Usher to other footage with the volume of burning wood cranked all the way up to trigger a cozy autonomous sensory meridian response. 'Went and watched (Nottoway Plantation) burn to the ground!' historian Mia Crawford-Johnson wrote in the Instagram caption of a grinning selfie taken Thursday across from the burned mansion near the banks the Mississippi River. For others, it was a moment of sadness. Nottoway Plantation has for years been a venue for weddings and other events celebrating cherished milestones. Not to mention, proof of the ingenuity and skill of the enslaved people held on the plantation has been reduced to ashes. Preservationists say the jubilant reactions to the charred mansion reflect the trauma and anger many people, especially Black Americans, still carry over the history and legacy of chattel slavery in the United States. Antebellum era plantations were built under grueling conditions on the backs of enslaved people, and many are now sites of honor on the National Register of Historic Places. Some plantations try to ignore their past But some plantations also de-emphasize or overlook their full histories, foregoing mentions of slavery altogether. That is why the 'good riddance' sentiment seemed to outweigh expressions of grief over Nottoway Plantation, which makes no mention of enslaved former inhabitants on its website. Many sites of enslavement in the U.S. have been repurposed as places that actively participate in the erasure of their history, said Ashley Rogers, executive director of the Whitney Plantation Museum, located 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of New Orleans. She said the burning of Nottoway is not actually part of the movement for preservation, since nothing was truly being done on the property to tell its full history. 'It was a resort,' Rogers said. 'I don't know that it being there or not being there has anything to do with how we preserve the history of slavery. They already weren't.' Joseph McGill, executive director of the Slave Dwelling Project, a nonprofit focused on helping the U.S. acknowledge its history with slavery, said the reaction from the Black community about Nottoway burning represents years of complicated emotions related to plantations. But as a preservationist, McGill said it is unfortunate Nottoway burned down, even if it was failing at telling history. 'I would like to see buildings preserved so that those buildings could tell the stories of all the people who inhabited those spaces,' McGill said. 'We have been failing at that, but at least when the buildings are there the opportunity always exists to do the right thing.' Nottoway Plantation became a resort and event venue Before the fire, Nottoway 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 the plantation 'a cornerstone of our tourism economy and a site of national significance.' The sprawling property exists on a former sugar plantation owned by sugar baron John Hampden Randolph. Located about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of New Orleans, the 53,000-square-foot (4,924-square-meter) mansion had a three-story rotunda adorned with giant white columns and hand-carved Italian marble fireplaces, according to a description on its website. A brochure advertises 40 overnight rooms, a honeymoon suite, a lounge, fitness center, outdoor pool and cabana, among other resort features. In 1860, 155 enslaved people were held at the property, National Park Service records show. After the blaze, which drew an emergency response from nearly a dozen fire departments from surrounding towns, the property's owner said the fire had led to a 'total loss' and that he hoped to rebuild the mansion. Rogers said it is unfortunate Nottoway's mansion burned down, as it did serve as a testament to the 'skill of enslaved craftspeople and free people of color who built it and who did a lot of the incredible design work that was inside of that building.' There are plenty of plantations, unlike Nottoway, that do not allow weddings or other celebratory events. For example, the Whitney, which documents slavery at a pre-Civil War plantation, draws tens of thousands of visitors annually and is known for centering the stories of enslaved people. The Nottoway fire has also restarted a public discourse over plantations. Rogers, the Whitney museum director, said this is not new discourse, but can feel like such because there are not many places where productive conversations can be had about slavery and how to tell its history. Racism and slavery dominate cultural debates How, where and when to talk about the history of U.S. racism and slavery has dominated political and cultural debates in recent years. An executive order issued in March by the Trump White House seeks to root out 'divisive, race-centered ideology' in the Smithsonian Institution, which operates a broad range of cultural centers in Washington. Among the order's targets is the National Museum of African American History and Culture, a popular Smithsonian attraction that chronicles chattel slavery, Jim Crow segregation and its lingering effects. Relatedly, plantations and other national historic sites with ties to civil rights have long been places where visitors and descendants of enslaved people go to learn about the past. But they are also places where visitors may encounter naysayers and deniers challenging the tour guide's presentation about slavery. Rogers said there are plenty of others sites besides Nottoway accurately telling Black history that need to be preserved. 'I don't think one plantation burning down is going to change how we talk about slavery in this country,' she said. 'All it does is exposes wounds that are already there.'
Associated Press
20-05-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Video of the Nottoway Plantation fire sparks jubilation. It's about anger and pain over slavery, too
After a fire engulfed a mansion at Louisiana's Nottoway Plantation, one of the largest remaining pre-Civil War houses in the Deep South where scores of enslaved Africans labored, video footage of the combusted landmark lit the internet ablaze with mass jubilation and consternation over the weekend. For some, it was a moment to celebrate what they saw as centuries-deferred vengeance for enslaved ancestors. There was no shortage of memes and humorous social media posts to ignite the celebrations: from video of the plantation's burning mansion set to the R&B hit song 'Let It Burn' by Usher to other footage with the volume of burning wood cranked all the way up to trigger a cozy autonomous sensory meridian response. 'Went and watched (Nottoway Plantation) burn to the ground!' historian Mia Crawford-Johnson wrote in the Instagram caption of a grinning selfie taken Thursday across from the burned mansion near the banks the Mississippi River. For others, it was a moment of sadness. Nottoway Plantation has for years been a venue for weddings and other events celebrating cherished milestones. Not to mention, proof of the ingenuity and skill of the enslaved people held on the plantation has been reduced to ashes. Preservationists say the jubilant reactions to the charred mansion reflect the trauma and anger many people, especially Black Americans, still carry over the history and legacy of chattel slavery in the United States. Antebellum era plantations were built under grueling conditions on the backs of enslaved people, and many are now sites of honor on the National Register of Historic Places. Some plantations try to ignore their past But some plantations also de-emphasize or overlook their full histories, foregoing mentions of slavery altogether. That is why the 'good riddance' sentiment seemed to outweigh expressions of grief over Nottoway Plantation, which makes no mention of enslaved former inhabitants on its website. Many sites of enslavement in the U.S. have been repurposed as places that actively participate in the erasure of their history, said Ashley Rogers, executive director of the Whitney Plantation Museum, located 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of New Orleans. She said the burning of Nottoway is not actually part of the movement for preservation, since nothing was truly being done on the property to tell its full history. 'It was a resort,' Rogers said. 'I don't know that it being there or not being there has anything to do with how we preserve the history of slavery. They already weren't.' Joseph McGill, executive director of the Slave Dwelling Project, a nonprofit focused on helping the U.S. acknowledge its history with slavery, said the reaction from the Black community about Nottoway burning represents years of complicated emotions related to plantations. But as a preservationist, McGill said it is unfortunate Nottoway burned down, even if it was failing at telling history. 'I would like to see buildings preserved so that those buildings could tell the stories of all the people who inhabited those spaces,' McGill said. 'We have been failing at that, but at least when the buildings are there the opportunity always exists to do the right thing.' Nottoway Plantation became a resort and event venue Before the fire, Nottoway 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 the plantation 'a cornerstone of our tourism economy and a site of national significance.' The sprawling property exists on a former sugar plantation owned by sugar baron John Hampden Randolph. Located about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of New Orleans, the 53,000-square-foot (4,924-square-meter) mansion had a three-story rotunda adorned with giant white columns and hand-carved Italian marble fireplaces, according to a description on its website. A brochure advertises 40 overnight rooms, a honeymoon suite, a lounge, fitness center, outdoor pool and cabana, among other resort features. In 1860, 155 enslaved people were held at the property, National Park Service records show. After the blaze, which drew an emergency response from nearly a dozen fire departments from surrounding towns, the property's owner said the fire had led to a 'total loss' and that he hoped to rebuild the mansion. Rogers said it is unfortunate Nottoway's mansion burned down, as it did serve as a testament to the 'skill of enslaved craftspeople and free people of color who built it and who did a lot of the incredible design work that was inside of that building.' There are plenty of plantations, unlike Nottoway, that do not allow weddings or other celebratory events. For example, the Whitney, which documents slavery at a pre-Civil War plantation, draws tens of thousands of visitors annually and is known for centering the stories of enslaved people. The Nottoway fire has also restarted a public discourse over plantations. Rogers, the Whitney museum director, said this is not new discourse, but can feel like such because there are not many places where productive conversations can be had about slavery and how to tell its history. Racism and slavery dominate cultural debates How, where and when to talk about the history of U.S. racism and slavery has dominated political and cultural debates in recent years. An executive order issued in March by the Trump White House seeks to root out 'divisive, race-centered ideology' in the Smithsonian Institution, which operates a broad range of cultural centers in Washington. Among the order's targets is the National Museum of African American History and Culture, a popular Smithsonian attraction that chronicles chattel slavery, Jim Crow segregation and its lingering effects. Relatedly, plantations and other national historic sites with ties to civil rights have long been places where visitors and descendants of enslaved people go to learn about the past. But they are also places where visitors may encounter naysayers and deniers challenging the tour guide's presentation about slavery. Rogers said there are plenty of others sites besides Nottoway accurately telling Black history that need to be preserved. 'I don't think one plantation burning down is going to change how we talk about slavery in this country,' she said. 'All it does is exposes wounds that are already there.'
Fox News
17-05-2025
- General
- Fox News
America's largest remaining antebellum mansion burns down in devastating fire
Historic Nottoway Plantation, the largest antebellum mansion in the U.S., burned to the ground this week after a fire broke out on Thursday. There have been no reports of injuries or deaths connected to the fire. Fire crews worked to extinguish the flames with water reportedly being poured onto the rubble as long as 18 hours after the fire started, according to Fox 8. As of Saturday, the cause of the fire was still under investigation. "Some staff members stated they had gone into the museum and there was smoke. When they returned, the whole room was in flames," Iberville Parish President Chris Daigle told Fox 8, adding that it was "a total loss." Daigle noted in a post on the Iberville Parish Government's Facebook page that "The loss of Nottoway is not just a loss for Iberville Parish, but for the entire state of Louisiana. It was a cornerstone of our tourism economy and a site of national significance." The 64-room mansion was built by John Hampden Randolph in the late 1850s, according to multiple sources. It sat on more than 53,000 square feet and — in addition to the dozens of rooms — it contained 365 doors and windows and 22 white columns, Fox 8 reported. The property overlooked the Mississippi River. Randolph first arrived in Louisiana in 1841 and began by planting cotton, but ultimately shifted to sugar cane, according to the LSU Scholarly Repository. The scholarly repository article also notes that the mansion was named "Nottoway" after the county in Virginia where his ancestors lived. U.S. Department of the Interior records cited by Axios show that Randolph owned 155 slaves and 6,200 acres of land by 1860. In addition to the luxurious mansion, the property also featured several trees that are over 100 years old, several of which are more than 120 years old, according to Nottoway Plantation's website. In modern times, the mansion and the surrounding property functioned as a museum, resort and wedding venue. Nottoway Plantation's website states that it sat on 31 acres, which included 40 overnight rooms, a bar, a restaurant, event space, a pool, tennis courts and more. "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 wrote in the Facebook post. "Since the 1980s, it has welcomed visitors from around the world who came to appreciate its architecture and confront the legacies of its era. 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."
CBS News
16-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Fire destroys Nottoway Plantation House in Louisiana
Flames ripped through a massive mansion in Louisiana, destroying much of the historic structure that was used as a plantation house when it was completed in 1859, authorities said. The fire that engulfed the Nottoway Plantation House on Thursday devastated the building along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Iberville Parish President Chris Daigle said on social media. Nearly a dozen fire departments from surrounding towns battled the blaze, he said. No injuries were reported. Fire crews mover a line around the now fully engulfed the Nottoway Plantation on Thursday, May 15, 2025 in White Castle, La. Michael Johnson / AP Its website describes it as "the South's largest remaining antebellum mansion." Daigle called it "a cornerstone of our tourism economy and a site of national significance." Nottoway Plantation was built in the 1850s by John Hampden Randolph and sits on a 31-acre property in White Castle, on the edge of the Mississippi River. 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. Up until the fire, the mansion was used as a museum and wedding and event venue. 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. "We are devastated and heartbroken for this loss," he said. "This was my dream that has now been dashed." The north wing of the Nottoway Plantation starts to collapse as crews battle the fire on Thursday, May 15, 2025 in White Castle, La. Michael Johnson / AP Photos from local news outlets showed a giant orange wall of fire consuming the upper portion of the rotunda and sending a plume of thick smoke into the sky. 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. "We are at the beginning phases of the investigation, we don't know how the fire began and our objective is to determine how it started," Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal Public Affairs Director Ken Pastorick said. 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. Firefighters from Baton Rouge operate Aerial 3 as flames engulf the Nottoway Plantation on Thursday, May 15, 2025 in White Castle, La. Michael Johnson / AP "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."
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Mystery as Gone With The Wind-style plantation that's one of south's oldest antebellum homes is destroyed by huge blaze
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.'
