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The Nottoway Plantation House, one of the largest antebellum
plantation houses in the south, is composed of 64 rooms, 7 staircases,
and 5 galleries. This 53,000-square foot plantation home, constructed
by John Hampden Randolph in 1858, is a fine example of an antebellum
home. Randolph, whose father had come from Virginia in 1820,
purchased the area in 1841.
In 1860 Nottoway Plantation encompassed 6,200 acres and Randolph,
the builder and owner of the property during that time, owned
155 African-Americans that worked his sugarcane plantation as
slaves.When Randolph was ready to build his house, he went
to New Orleans and asked various architects to submit designs,
and chose Henry Howard's. Nottoway survived the Civil War, however
damage occurred when a Union gunboat on the Mississippi River
attempted to destroy the magnificent house until the gunboat
officer realized he had once been a guest there and decided
to spare Nottoway The Randolphs held onto the house through
the Civil War and Reconstruction until 1889, when Mrs. Randolph
sold the mansion following her husband's death.
Interior of the white ballroom.
Photo: Lagniappe Tours, the Foundation for Historical
Louisiana |
Nottoway sits about 200 feet behind the Mississippi River Levee
surrounded by oaks, magnolias, pecan trees, and sweet olives.
Nottoway House is distinctive for being an essentially Italianate
Style plantation house built in an era dominated by Greek Revival
architecture.Nottoway contains an elegant, half-round portico
as the side gallery follows the curve of the large ballroom
bay window. Nottoway's thin Italianate pillars stretch vertically
to touch all of its three levels, extending from the house's
one-story brick base to the paramount height of the third-story
made of wooden frame. From the front gallery the Mississippi
River is in view. The interior of Nottoway is white in color,
including Corinthian columns, lace curtains, carved marble mantels
and even the floor, creating an elegant environment.
Nottoway Plantation House is located at 30970 Hwy. 405, the
Mississippi River Road, 2 mi. north of White Castle, and can
be accessed from Hwy. 1. Tours are offered daily 9:00am to 5:00pm; there is
a fee. The restaurant at the plantation is open 11:00am to
3:00pm, and 5:00pm-9:00pm daily. Please call 225-545-2730
for further information.
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