By james art 
When a reader asked, “What is the oldest standing building in Baton Rouge?” Most suggested that this would be one of the old buildings in the city center – perhaps the Pentagon barracks or something related to the old state capitol.
“There is some information online, which suggests that the Tessiir Date building dates to the 1760s, but we do not have documentation to confirm this date,” said Bailey Hall, coordinator of the National Register in the Historical Storage department in the Office of the Office Cultural offices in Louisiana in Louisiana Development.
The most confirmed standing building in Baton Rouge is not in the city center.
Instead, according to the National Register database, the Magnolia Mound Plantation House is the most old documented existing building in the area, harvested on 2161 Nicholson Drive. Initially, the site was part of a Spanish grant of 900 acres 1785, and the main house was built by an Irish settler in 1791.
The Breck Magnolia mound, with the architectural classification of French Creole, includes the main house and bypassing 16 acres that serve to educate the public for the lifestyle, forming the culture of Louisiana, influenced by the early settlers from France and Western India.
The plantation once grew indigo, then cotton and sugar.
From 1802 to 1805 the main house was expanded and renovated. In the early 19th century, the place was home to Constance Duplanter and Arman Duplanter, a French military officer and assistant de-lager of the Marquis de Lafayette.
“During this particular time, details were added as a rare bay ceiling and federal -style wooden windows,” Brec.org said. “Surrounded by many adult live oaks, the plantation house has retained its Creole plan and character for more than 200 years. It is built of cypresses with Bousillage-Entre-Poteau and the original cypress.”
In 1966, Breck bought the Museum of Historic Houses to save him from demolition.
“After nine years of restoration with the assistance of the Friends of Magnolia Mound, Breck opened the Museum House for the Public in May 1975,” says John Sykes, a special manager of the Magnolia Mound facility. “In 1976, Breck received a two -year grant from the US government for the whole purchase price.”
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the museum.
When visitors arrive at the site, they can choose to participate in a guide tour of the main house and an open cuisine for the hearth or a separate tour. The site also includes a gift shop, Diorama on the playgrounds and two educational videos to watch at the Turnner Family Visitor Center.
Inside the kitchen with an open heart, the outer sculpture is furnished with vintage utensils such as waffle iron and sugar. Other structures in the property include:
- Quarters: Double slave cabins built around 1830
- Pigeonnier: A small structure used to accommodate different birds for games built around 1825
- Supervision House: Built around 1871, original to the sites and used as a home for the man responsible for the various plantation operations
- The Secret: A three -month exit from the mid -19th century, originally from Rosebank’s plantation in the parisy of West Feliciana
In the main house, a multimillion -dollar collection of art and furniture shows objects from the colonial period of the state, textiles, crystal and English and French ceramics.
“The colonial era and the early statehood, the collection of furniture and the decorative arts of Magnolia Mound includes one of the most important public groups of Louisian-created objects, in carefully restored and documented settings,” says BRec.org.
Throughout the year, Magnolia Mound offers seminars, lectures and festivals. In December, he hosted Creole Christmas, a free event that invites craftsmen, historical dancers and entertainment during the holiday season.
“As a former place of enslavement,” said Sykes, “Magnolia Mound: The Museum and the Historic Site seeks to tell the stories of all its inhabitants and their impact on the history and culture of our country.”