Rosedown Plantation

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Rosedown Plantation
(U.S. National Historic Landmark District)
Rosedown Plantation in 1934
Rosedown Plantation in 1934
Location: US 61 and LA 10, St. Francisville, Louisiana
Built/Founded: 1835
Architect: Wright, W.
Architectural style(s): Federal, Greek Revival
Designated as NHL: April 05, 2005[1]
Added to NRHP: August 07, 2001[2]
NRHP Reference#: 01000765
Governing body: State

Rosedown Plantation, also known as Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site, outside St. Francisville, Louisiana, is one of the most intact, documented examples of a domestic plantation complex in the South. It embodies the lifestyle of the antebellum South's wealthiest planters in a way very few other surviving properties can.

Daniel and Martha Turnbull began construction on the main house at Rosedown, named for a play they saw on their honeymoon, in 1834. The Federal-Greek revival style main house, complete with Grecian style wings c.1845, is at the head of a 660-foot long oak allee. The home was furnished with the finest pieces available, most imported from the North and from Europe. A surprising amount of the furnishings purchased by the Turnbulls remained with the house during the years after the Civil War and many original pieces are still on display at Rosedown. Near the main house are several dependencies, most notably three latticed summerhouses and a Greek temple style doctor's office.

The gardens were the province of Martha Turnbull throughout her life. The Turnbulls’ honeymoon in Europe included great formal gardens of France and Italy, an influence seen in Martha's activities at Rosedown. The gardens grew out from the house over a span of many decades, to cover approximately 28 acres.

Rosedown's labor intensive gardens were made possible by an enslaved African workforce. The 1860 census indicated that 145 slaves were living in 25 cabins on the plantation. On-going archaeological investigations are being conducted to learn more about the lives of the African Americans who lived on the plantation.

It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2005.[1]

Rosedown Plantation, now owned by the State of Louisiana, is located at 12501 La. Hwy. 10 in West Feliciana Parish. Fortunately, the house was not damaged by Hurricane Katrina, but please check with them directly to confirm the current hours of operation. It is open 9:00am to 5:00pm daily; closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's day. Guided tours of the main house are provided on the hour from 10:00am to 4:00pm. There is a fee for admission.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Donna Fricker, Patty Henry, and Erika Martin Seibert (March, 2001), National Historic Landmark Nomination: Rosedown Plantation / Rosedown Plantation State Historic SitePDF (148 KiB), National Park Service 
  2. ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).

[edit] External links

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