We visited the Evergreen Plantation in Wallace Louisiana about 20 miles north of New Orleans on the Mississippi River. Originally built in 1790, the Plantation is the most intact slave Plantation remaining in the Deep South. Little has changed since over 150 black slaves raised sugar cane on its 2000 acres. Still an active sugar cane farm, the private owners wisely chose to preserve the buildings and surrounding areas used by the slaves. The main house, open to the public on certain dates, remains as it was from slave days. It’s in beautiful condition. The slave quarters are in opposing rows , each “cabin” held two extended families, occupying a single room with a fireplace. There are 20 cabins. The Plantation has a oral history of “benign ” slave holding by the owners, families were never separated nor were whippings and other physical punishment used. The direct descendants of the slaves occupied these cabins till 1950 when the Plantation discontinued the share croppers system.
The outbuildings included an elegant outhouse and a wonderful kitchen building separate from the mansion to keep fire danger and cooking heat away from the Master.
The tour staff was all black, with one older woman having the same name as the original Plantation owners. She is a descendant of some previous Master and proud of it.
This was a special day,
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