Photo: Nottoway Resort
The largest remaining antebellum plantation in the U.S. has burned to the ground, PEOPLE reports.
On Thursday (May 15), the south wing of Nottoway Resort, a former antebellum plantation turned travel destination and wedding venue, was engulfed in flames. The 64-room, 53,000-square-foot structure was a pile of rubble by 10 p.m.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. There have been no reported injuries.
On Friday (May 16), Iberville Parish President Craig Daigle issued a statement addressing the fire.
“While its early history is undeniably tied to a time of great injustice, over the last several decades it evolved into a place of reflection, education, and dialogue,” he wrote. “Since the 1980s, it has welcomed visitors from around the world who came to appreciate its architecture and confront the legacies of its era."
Nottoway was originally built in 1858 by John Hampden Randolph. By 1860, 155 people were enslaved on the property.
Many local fire houses, including Bayou Goula, Bayou Pigeon, Bayou Sorrel, West Baton Rouge, Plaquemine, Baton Rouge, St. George, Pierre Part, and Donaldsonville, along with mutual aid organizations, assisted in fighting the fire, Daigle said.
The parish president described Nottoway as a “cornerstone of our tourism economy,” noting that it's become a popular wedding venue, travel destination, and resort.
“Its absence will be felt deeply — by our community, our state, and by the many who found meaning in its preservation,” Daigle said. “It stood as both a cautionary monument and a testament to the importance of preserving history — even the painful parts — so that future generations can learn and grow from it."
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