Fire destroys a sprawling mansion on a former Louisiana sugar plantation

WHITE CASTLE La AP Flames ripped through a massive mansion in Louisiana destroying much of the historic structure that was used as a plantation house when it was completed in agents stated The fire that engulfed the Nottoway Plantation House on Thursday devastated the building along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans Iberville Parish President Chris Daigle disclosed on social media Nearly a dozen fire departments from surrounding towns battled the blaze he noted No injuries were stated Before the fire it was a resort and event venue and its website described it as the South s largest remaining antebellum mansion Daigle called it a cornerstone of our tourism financial system and a site of national significance The -square-foot -square-meter home on a former sugar plantation about miles kilometers northwest of New Orleans had a three-story rotunda adorned with giant white columns and hand-carved Italian marble fireplaces according to a description on its website The mansion s owner Louisiana attorney Dan Dyess declared in a written announcement that the fire had led to a total loss after all the time and money he invested in the building We are devastated and heartbroken for this loss he declared This was my dream that has now been dashed Photos from local news outlets manifested a giant orange wall of fire consuming the upper portion of the rotunda and sending a plume of thick smoke into the sky The fire has been contained and no other properties were harmed commented Maj Monty Migliacio of the Iberville Parish Sheriff s Office Other structures on the grounds have been preserved parish executives disclosed We are at the beginning phases of the inspection we don t know how the fire began and our objective is to determine how it started Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal Inhabitants Affairs Director Ken Pastorick declared In a report on Facebook Daigle touched on the structure s history of racial injustice during a time when enslaved Black people helped build the home and operate the sugar plantation that surrounded it In enslaved people were held at the property according to National Park Facility records While its early history is undeniably tied to a time of great injustice over the last several decades it evolved into a place of reflection coaching and dialogue Daigle mentioned Since the s it has welcomed visitors from around the world who came to appreciate its architecture and confront the legacies of its era he added It stood as both a cautionary monument and a testament to the importance of preserving history even the painful parts so that future generations can learn and grow from it