Destrehan Plantation, located just west of New Orleans, is the oldest documented plantation home in the Lower Mississippi Valley, with construction dating back to between 1787 and 1790. Built by Charles Paquet, a free man of color, for Robert Antoine... read more Robin de Logny, the house blends French Colonial architecture with later Greek Revival updates. The plantation later came under the ownership of Jean-Noël Destréhan, an influential political figure in early Louisiana statehood, who transitioned the estate from indigo to sugarcane production, making it a major center of agricultural activity in the region.

The site holds deep historical significance due to its role in the 1811 German Coast Uprising, the largest slave revolt in U.S. history. Following the rebellion, Destrehan Plantation served as one of the tribunal locations where captured rebels were tried and executed. Jean-Noël Destréhan himself participated in the proceedings. During the Civil War, Union forces seized the plantation and used it as the Rost Home Colony, a safe haven for formerly enslaved people who were provided education and job training during Reconstruction.

In 1971, the River Road Historical Society took over the property and began an extensive preservation effort. Today, Destrehan Plantation operates as a museum open to the public, offering guided tours and educational exhibits that cover the lives of both the enslaved and free people who lived there. The plantation includes original artifacts and documents, including one signed by Thomas Jefferson, and hosts programs that highlight the complex and layered history of Louisiana’s plantation era.