Belle Grove Plantation
Iberville Parish, Louisiana
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| First let me say that all of the below information is copied from a
book entitled Louisiana Plantation Homes, Colonial and Antebellum by W.
Darrell Overdyke. All copyright information is listed below.
If you find a copy of this book then it is well worth the cost of buying
it!
These are thumbnails so click for a larger view.
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| The most pretentious house which the architect James Gallier Jr. could
concieve was commissioned by John Andrews in order to outbuild a neighboring
planter, John Hampton Randolph, who had just completed Nottoway, a mere
fifty-room mansion. Belle Grove had seventy-five rooms and
an attic that was larger then many plantation homes. Both men were
Virginians and had spent nearly twenty years of friendly but vigorous competition
growing rich in Negroes, land, sugar and cotton, and times were booming.
Both had numerous daughters and grandiose surroundings were needed to aid
in abtaining the most suitable husbands.
In terms of taste and beauty many plantation homes in the state
surpassed both Belle Grove and Nottoway, but in massive bulk they were
overpowering. They differed in style from all other country or town
residences. Since they were completed in the decade before secession,
the War and Reconstruction prevented the establishing of a trend. |
| Belle Grove had two high stories over a twelve-foot basement.
The upper stories were of beautiful pink brick, plastered. There
was no cohesion or comformity in its wings, except in color and massive
bulk. Two overpowering sets of four Corinthian columns rose upward
to and enlarged entablature of horizontal lines and large dentils, one
of the most pleasing architectual executions of the plan. One set
of columns was pedimented, the other not. Intricately carved capitals
made from solid blocks of cypress were themselves six feet tall.
The main portions of the building were tied together by the large entablature
with its dentils, which were simulated on the rounded turrets. The
wings had Roman arched window openings, while regular framed windows of
various widths were used elsewhere. Some rooms had narrow balconies.
Inside and out there was a profusion of pilasters and columns.
Internal friezework and decorations were unstinted. Doorknobs and
keyhole covers were in silver. Every aspect of the building and furnishing
was elaborate. The cash price was said to be $80,000, exclusive of
furnishings, and with free labor and materials not being included.
Translated into today's prices, such a figure would of course be enormous.
Belle Grove was razed after World War II. |
Other Pages
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Copyright Information
Copyright MCMLXV by W. Darrell Overdyke
All rights reserved.
This edition is published by American Legacy Press,
distributed by Crown Publishers, Inc.
h g f e d c b a 1981 Edition
Manufactured in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Overdyke, W. Darrell (William Darrell)
Louisiana Plantation Homes, Colonial and Antebellum.
Reprint. Originally published: New York:
Srchitectural Book Pub. Co., 1965
1. Plantations--Louisiana. 2. Architecture, Colonial
--Louisiana.
3. Architecture, Modern--19th century--Louisiana.
4. Eclecticism in architecture--Lousiana.
I. Title.
NA7235.L809 1981 728.8'3'09763
81-12859
ISBN 0-517-36053-5 AACR2
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