Laura: a Creole Plantation

We went to this plantation museum in Vacherie, LA.  Laura Plantation was one of the largest sugar cane plantations in Lousiana in the 1800's. The main house is a typical early 1800's French Creole house.  The Mississippi River was visible from the front porch.

Our guide, Charles, told us about the the Duparc family.  They lived in this house during caning season and spent winters in the French Quarter.  Since this was a summer home, it wasn't very elaborate.

Garden view from the side porch.

View from the the back porch.  Left is the outside kitchen and to the right is the food storehouse.  (Kitchens were required to be a separate building because of fire codes.)

The door to the kitchen building was so short!  It didn't see much bigger than a chicken coup.  And to think that hundreds of meals a day were made here for both the white family and all of the slaves.

These are just a few of the remaining slave cabins still standing from the dozens that were here.  Two doors on each house meant that two families lived here.