Plantation Country
Plantation Country is in the southeast region of Louisiana, located between Cajun Country and the Greater New Orleans area. The Great River Road along the Mississippi River runs through this area. Parishes that make up the region are Ascension, St. James, St. John the Baptist and St. Charles.
This area is most known for its elaborate and beautiful antebellum mansions that were the domestic centers of massive cotton, sugarcane and rice plantations. Most of the larger plantations have been restored and now serve as tourist destinations. The area is also the center of the petrochemical industry in Louisiana -- a stark contrast to the mansions dotting the river banks. It is characterized with large petroleum refineries and chemical plants between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
Other than the mansions built in Federal or Greek revival styles, mostly in the early part of the 19th century, there also is a tradition of cottage architecture that characterizes the slave quarters and rural settlements in the area of the smaller land owners and farmers. These types of simple one- or two-room houses are generally characteristic of vernacular architecture types found across southern Louisiana. They are generally built in the simple one- or two-room houses in an Acadian cottage style.
Baton Rouge, the state capital, is located on the Mississippi River about one hour north of New Orleans. It was settled by the French more than 200 years ago and, since then, has seen a number of Spanish, American and Caribbean influences. Its most well-known landmark is the Art Deco capitol building, constructed in 1932. As a result of displaced people who were forced from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Baton Rouge is now the most populous city in the state.
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| Posted on: 4/4/2007 2:34:14 PM |
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