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LAUREL VALLEY PLANTATION
Photos
by Debbie Terry
The
Structures
Quarters
Section
Shotgun Quarters
Double Creole Quarters
Boom
Crane used for unloading Sugar
HISTORY
The
land that Laurel Plantation still exists upon
originally belonged to Etienne Boudreaux. It was
given to him in a land grant in 1783. It
is one of the largest surviving sugar plantations
still standing in the south today. The village
included over 105 structures of which over 60
buildings of which includes a schoolhouse, sugar
mills, store, and blacksmith shop among other numerous
slave homes and outhouses remain today. The main
plantation house was burned down by Union
soldiers. The old sugar mill is a shell slowly
crumbling.
By
1832 the land was purchased by Joseph W. Tucker who
bought nearby land and used his slaves to maintain his
fields. By 1850 Joseph Tucker had 162
slaves on Laurel Valley Plantation. After his
death on July 9, 1852 from Cholera, his son's, Joseph
Pennington, and William Pleasant tried to maintain the
property. Joseph Pennington took over the management
in 1869.
Children
of Joseph W Tucker and Marcelline:
Joseph
Pennington--Oct 10, 1835 died Nov 11, 1899
Henrietta
-- August 6, 1840 died Oct 13, 1899
Laura
Emily-- Dec 17, 1851
Mary
Louise-- Jan 7, 1844 died Apr 28, 1973
William
Pleasant-- born Feb 28, 1846 died July 9, 1909
Charleton
Beatty --Dec 31, 1847 died Nov 30, 1876
The
widow of Joseph, Marcelline Emma Gaude Tucker
remarried a cousin of her former husband Caleb Jackson
Tucker and had a daughter named Louise born in the
year 1858. Marcelline died March 8, 1859.
The
Village would soon change hands again in 1870's,
having been sold to Zuberbier & Behan of Lafourche
Parish, they too would soon sell the Plantation
Village. On January 12, 1893 Laurel Valley Plantation
Village was again sold at a public auction. It
was bought by J W Lepine and Frank Barker. The
plantation by this time was a total of 3, 023 acres.
In the year 1903 Frank Barker died leaving the sole
owner as Lepine. After the death of J W Lepine, his
son J Wilson Lepine, Jr took over the management of
the plantation. The depression became the downfall of
the sugar plantations, and it was not until 1950 that
the plantation was put back in full order.
Article
in 1892:: Laurel Valley is
in a high-class condition, with a prospect of a
splendid crop the present season, and will continue
under the management of that able and enlightened
planter, Mr. Richard Burton. Unless unforeseen
accidents occur, Laurel Valley
will give a good account of herself at the end
of the present agricultural year.
In
1915 Mr. J. W. Lepine owned and operated Laurel Valley
and invented a tractor that enabled him to plant
faster than by using mules.
 
source:
Louisiana and the Sugar Planter
"The
elaborately wainscoted central hall runs 84 feet and
is 12 feet wide. The ceilings are 14 feet high. The
front porch is characterized by ornamental Victorian
carpentry. The building, as it now exists, represents
two major periods of construction: the first under
Burch A. Wormald who in 1884 employed Andrew Downey, a
New Orleans carpenter, to build a residence; and a
second during the Barker-Lepine years, primarily from
1903 to 1912. Members of the Lepine family have lived
here since 1893".source: Library of Congress
Known
slaves of Laurel Valley
{resources
freedmen records}
Names of
applicants:
David Singleton, Freedman. Date:
Thibodeaux, La., Sept. 22nd, 1865. No.
of men: 1. No. of women: 1. No. of
children: 0. No. of acres wanted: 20. Location:
Johnson or Tucker Plantations, Parish Lafourche. Means:
1 Horse, a share worth $200 in a crop of cane, corn,
potatoes, hogs, etc. Remarks: Has a son in
U.S. Army.
Names of
applicants: Isaac Goodrich, Freedman. Date:
Thibodeaux, La., Sept. 22nd, 1865. No.
of men: 1. No. of women: 1. No. of
children: 0. No. of acres wanted: 30. Location:
Johnson or Tucker Plantation, Parish Lafourche. Means:
Share worth $200 in a crop of cane & cotton,
besides corn, potatoes, hogs &c. Remarks:
Has a son in U.S. Army.
Names of
applicants: Abraham Taylor, Freedman. Date:
Thibodeaux, La., Sept 22nd, 1865. No.
of men: 1. No. of women: 1. No. of
children: 2. No. of acres wanted: 30. Location:
Johnson or Tucker Plantation, Parish Lafourche. Means:
Share worth $200 in a crop of cane & cotton,
besides corn, potatoes, hogs &c.
Names of
applicants: Abraham Beasle, Freedman. Date:
Thibodeaux, La., Sept. 22nd, 1865. No.
of men: 1. No. of women: 1. No. of
children: 1. No. of acres wanted: 20. Location:
R. Tucker Plantation, Parish Lafourche. Means:
$100 in cash. Remarks: Has been 2 years in
U.S. Army.
Names of
applicants: Josiah Powell, Freedman. Date:
Thibodeaux, La., Sept. 22nd, 1865. No.
of men: 1. No. of women: 1. No. of
children: 1. No. of acres wanted: 20. Location:
R. Tucker Plantation, Parish Lafourche. Means:
One mule and share of cotton crop worth $200, corn,
potatoes, hogs &c.
Names of
applicants: William Lucas, Freedman (see
no. 46). Date: Thibodeaux, La., Sept. 22nd,
1865. No. of men: 1. No. of women: 1. No.
of children: 0. No. of acres wanted: 40. Location:
R. Tucker or Johnson Plantation, Parish Lafourche. Means:
$70 due him for labor, 2 acres corn, potatoes, hogs
&c.
Names of
applicants: Henry Beander, Freedman. Date:
Thibodeaux, La., Sept. 22, 1865. No. of men:
1. No. of women: 1. No. of children:
2. No. of acres wanted: 40. Location:
Tucker or Johnson Plantations, Parish Lafourche. Means:
One horse, $70 in cash, a share worth $200 in a crop
of cotton & cane besides corn, potatoes, hogs
&c.
Names of
applicants: Charles Hatton, Danl.
Robinson and 8 others, Freedmen. Date:
Thibodeaux, La., Sept. 22nd, 1865. No.
of men: 10. No. of women: 10. No of
children: 25. No. of acres wanted: 250. Location:
R. Tucker of Johnson Plantations, Parish Lafourche. Means:
Nine horses, one mule, a crop of cane and cotton
estimated worth $4,000. Individual crops of corn,
potatoes &c., hogs, fowls, etc
Names of
applicants: Jack Jesiman. Date:
Thibodeaux, La., Sept. 12th, 1865. No.
of men: 1. No. of women: 1. No. of
children: 1. No. of acres wanted: 40. Location:
Robert Tucker Plantation, Parish Lafourche. Means:
One mule, one horse and $200. Remarks: Has
lived on the place many years.
Names of
applicants: Peter Mathews and 9 others,
Freedmen. Date: Thibodeaux, La., Sept. 18th,
1865. No. of men: 9. No. of women: 9. No.
of children: 23. No. of acres wanted:
360. Location: Geo. Tucker Plantation, Parish
Lafourche. Means: 6 mules, one horse, a crop
of cane worth $4,000, 70 acres of corn, 25 cotton,
20 potatoes. Remarks: cultivated a part of
the place this year
Names of
applicants: William Lucus and 5 other
Freedmen (see no 64). Date: New Orleans,
Sept. 9th/65. No. of men: 6. No.
of women and children: 20. No. of acres
wanted: 200. Location: Laurel Valley
Plantation, Parish Lafourche. Means: (blank).
Cemetery
on Laurel Valley Land Coming
Soon
Old
Fountain Missionary Baptist Church Coming
Soon
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© Copyright 2009 Debbie S Terry
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