3 Plantation Homes

Chapter 5

Rollin’ On The River

Mississippi River Cruise 2025

Friday, July 18

7:15 AM, having arrived at St. Francisville, LA landing, it would be a full day visiting 3 separate plantation homes, one of which is privately owned and still occupied by its owner.

The Myrtles Plantation

Shortly after breakfast, our group traveled by bus to the first location of the day, The Myrtles Plantation. We crossed the Mississippi River and entered the property on a driveway shaded by large live oak trees draped with long strands of Spanish Moss. The live oaks are massive, tall and stately, having lived through generations of former owners, bearing witness to all those who have entered exited beneath their leafy limbs.

The plantation home, open to tours, featured a very long front porch shaded by the huge live oaks. There was a calming atmosphere surrounding the home, featuring a large pond and beautiful gardens. Inside the home, built around 1840, several families left their own histories including additions to the home during each occupancy. Solemn looking portraits of former owners seemingly cast their stern gazes upon the visitors. Stories revealed that a few of those former residents are rumored to still roam the halls and rooms in ghostly apparitions.

Rosedown Plantation

The day had begun with overcast skies, but by the afternoon partly cloudy skies brought sunshine on our second tour – Rosedown Plantation.

The original owner acquired this property of nearly 3500 acres as a land grant from Spain who at that time in history owned that part of the country. Completed in 1835, a huge two-story home, its beauty nearly matched that of Oak Alley. With a wide, wrap around veranda and upper porch, set in a garden of crisscrossing walkways,  fountains and gigantic live oak trees festooned with the ever-present Spanish Moss, Rosedown also had a fascinating history of former slave owners who grew cotton. Current owners renovated and modernized it including air conditioning (thank goodness). It is a showstopper, decorated with period pieces of antique furniture, dining room table set for an elegant dinner party, bedrooms with canopy beds, wall murals, gracefully adorned window draperies. The bold painted entryway floor was unexpected while throughout the house,  wooden floors were made more distinctive with large floral rugs.

For the first time in our plantation homes tours another feature was revealed. Over the dining room table there hung a large swinging fabric covered device that was hinged at the ceiling and attached to a rope. This was a punkah, or more commonly known as a shoo-fly-fan. In those old days, windows were often open during the warm months. Of course, insects were able to invade indoors and most likely attracted to whatever food was upon the table.  Therefore, a shoo-fly-fan operated by a slave boy or girl sitting in a corner of the room continually pulling the rope, the punkah swaying back and forth over the elegant dining room table helping to keep flies away from the meal. Certainly, a monotonous and tiring chore  that the boy or girl, arms aching, must have wished for the guests to hurry up and finish the dinner.

The remainder of the home tour was entertaining, informative with the history, its former proprietors and plantation life. From the upper wrap-around porch, the views were outstanding, looking down at the walkways, gardens and all of the ancient live oak trees, Spanish Moss hanging down, this home has been restored to be nearly as it was 150 years ago.

Catalpa Plantation

Our day not yet complete, we drove to Catalpa Plantation, now occupied and owned by Mary Thompson. A short distance from Rosedown Plantation, the elliptical entry drive was, again, lined with many, many live oak trees, with the feeling as if one was driving through a forest. Catlalpa is a modest home in comparison to Oak Alley and nearby Rosedown. The original owners, the Forts, were related to the Rosedown Plantation family and many of the pieces in this home were acquired from Rosedown.

Two metal dogs, possibly a Pointer breed. sprawled at the bottom of the front steps, guarding the home. Mary told us that, during the Civil War, this home was occupied by Union soldiers. Upon first entering the property and into the house, one of the Union officers shot one of the dogs in the head. To this day, that gaping wound is still visible to all who enter Catalpa. I do wonder, would that soldier have also been as inhumane where it a live dog?

Mary gave a good tour with the home’s history, connections to Rosedown, and interesting facts about many of the furnishings. Her neighbors were on hand to help with the tour, helping guide the guests through the house. Before departing on the drive back to the American Splendor, Mary, known for her hospitality, served the guests a small glass of sherry. As a home, not a museum, one felt they had just visited with their grandmother or a great aunt. A lovely lady on a lovely property.

Dinner that night was ½ serving of crab cakes and banana foster bread pudding. Yum!

Evening entertainment was speaker, R&B/Jazz vocalist Jane Powell – Goddess of Soul. Her single act was filled with love and laughter. Funny, educational, a humorous take on Southerners, their culture and their way of life, she told of her family background of well-educated, humanitarian parents. Her vibrant dynamic voice, both as a speaker and singer, carried her inspirational message of being good and kind to one another.

A full day ending with a motivational woman –  life was good as we sailed on into the night.