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Narcisse Prudhomme Plantation

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Narcisse Prudhomme Plantation
Location4055 State Highway 494, Bermuda, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana
Builtc.1820
Architectural styleCreole, Greek Revival, French Colonial
NRHP reference No.76000966
Added to NRHPJuly 13, 1976[1]

Narcisse Prudhomme Plantation, also known as Narcisse Prud'homme Plantation, Beau Fort Plantation, and St. Charles Plantation, is a historic planation house and a former plantation, located in the unincorporated community of Bermuda, Louisiana near the village of Natchez.[2] It is one of the oldest plantations in the Cane River National Heritage Area.[3][4]

It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since July 13, 1976, for its architectural significance.[5]

History

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The first known owner of the plantation is Louis Barthelemy Rachal, and the plantation house is thought to have been built sometime between 1790 and 1821.[3] The name "Beau Fort" is derived from an oral history about the land the plantation occupies once being the site of an early French fort.[3]

The second owner of the plantation house was Louis Narcisse Prud'homme (1788–1844) and his wife Marie Theresa Elizabeth (née Métoyer).[5][3] Prud'homme's father owned the Oakland Plantation and were the first to grow cotton in the area.[6] Prud'homme's daughter Marie Clarisse Prud'homme (1817–1908) was married to Charles Emile Sompayrac (1813–1878) and they owned the Cherokee Plantation.[6]

Architecture

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The architecture of the Narcisse Prudhomme Plantation house is Creole influenced, but it is not designed as a typical Creole cabin.[2][7] The original rooms have 12 foot tall ceilings with Greek Revival molding.[2] The house also has French Colonial architectural features such as a bousillage walls, a gable roof, french doors, a front gallery space, the floor plan layout, and interior chimneys.[2] The framing of the house is made with cypress wood.[2]

The plantation house was nicknamed "Luclora".[8] Remodels to the house occurred in 1937 with exterior changes; and in 1949 with a wing of the house added.[9]

Located nearby is Oaklawn Plantation, Cherokee Plantation, and Cedar Bend Plantation.[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Narcisse Prudhomme Plantation". National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. July 13, 1976. Retrieved June 24, 2021. (with 5 accompanying photos)
  3. ^ a b c d "Narcisse Prudhomme (Beau Fort) Plantation". Cane River National Heritage Area. National Park Service. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  4. ^ "Plantation Location". Los Angeles Times. 1997-01-19. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  5. ^ a b "Narcisse Prudhomme Plantation". NPGallery Digital Asset Management System. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
  6. ^ a b "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Cherokee Plantation". National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. August 14, 1973. Retrieved June 24, 2021. (with 14 accompanying photos)
  7. ^ Butler, Anne (2009-04-02). The Pelican Guide to Plantation Homes of Louisiana. Pelican Publishing. p. 81. ISBN 978-1-58980-709-9.
  8. ^ Bizier, Richard (1998-02-28). Louisiana. Pelican Publishing. p. 347. ISBN 978-1-56554-350-8.
  9. ^ The National Register of Historic Places. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. p. 205.
  10. ^ "Natchitoches' Tricentenniel". Acadiana Profile. 2014-11-03. Retrieved 2021-06-25.