Devastating Fire Engulfs Historic Nottoway Plantation House

A blaze has consumed a significant segment of a historic mansion in Louisiana, originally constructed as a plantation house in the year 1859, officials reported.

The conflagration that overtook Nottoway Plantation House on Thursday brought destruction to the property nestled along the Mississippi River, situated between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, according to Iberville Parish President Chris Daigle in a social media post. Firefighters from almost twelve neighboring departments teamed up to combat the fire. Thankfully, no one was injured in the incident.

Promoted as “the South’s most extensive surviving antebellum mansion,” this site has been an integral part of the local tourism industry and holds national historical value, Daigle noted.

Situated in White Castle, alongside the Mississippi River, Nottoway was originally established by John Hampden Randolph and encompasses 31 acres.

Spanning 53,000 square feet on what used to be a sugar plantation approximately 65 miles northwest of New Orleans, this residence featured a three-story rotunda with impressive white columns and intricately carved Italian marble fireplaces, according to its official description.

Before its unfortunate demise, the mansion served as a museum and hosted weddings and various events.

Dan Dyess, a Louisiana attorney and the mansion's owner, disclosed in a letter that the fire resulted in a "complete loss," negating all the efforts and capital invested in the mansion.

"The devastation and heartbreak over this loss are immense," he stated. "What once was my dream is now shattered."

Images broadcasted by local media depicted massive orange flames devouring the upper sections of the rotunda, sending billows of dense smoke skyward.

Authorities have managed to bring the fire under control, safeguarding surrounding properties, according to Maj. Monty Migliacio from Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office. Other buildings on the estate remain unscathed, confirmed parish officials.

Investigations are in the initial phases, and authorities are striving to uncover the cause of the fire, stated Ken Pastorick, Public Affairs Director for the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal.

In a social media update, Daigle touched on the mansion’s historical background, reflecting an era of racial injustice. Enslaved Black individuals played a role in both constructing the home and maintaining the sugar plantation up to its perimeter. Records indicate that in 1860, 155 enslaved individuals were held at the site, noted the National Park Service.

"Though its origins are interwoven with times of grave injustice, over the recent decades, it transformed into a dialogue center for reflection and education," Daigle remarked in a release.

"From the 1980s onward, global visitors have explored its architectural beauty and engaged with its historical realities," he added. "It served as both a somber reminder and a vital preservation of history — painful yet critical for future generations to understand and learn from."