| |
|
BOOKS by Marc Matrana
Lost
Plantation:
The Rise and Fall of
Seven Oaks
by
Marc R. Matrana
University Press of Mississippi, 2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The true story of
a Louisiana
mansion, a planter's empire, and a preservation battle lost to
bulldozers.
"Everyone interested in the demise of
the plantation system
or concerned about historic preservation will want to read this
intriguing book."
- Author
Gaines M. Foster
ISBN: 1-57806-763-4
|
| Book Description
from Dusk Jacket
Along the fertile banks of the Mississippi River across from New
Orleans, planter Camille Zeringue transformed a mediocre colonial
plantation into a thriving gem of antebellum sugar production, complete
with a columned mansion known as Seven Oaks. Under the moss-strewn
oaks, the privileged master nurtured his own family, but enslaved many
others. Excelling at agriculture, business, an ambitious canal
enterprise, and local politics, Zeringue ascended to the very pinnacle
of southern society. But his empire soon came crashing down. After the
ravages of the Civil War and a nasty battle with a railroad company the
family eventually lost the great estate. Seven Oaks ultimately ended up
in the hands of distant railroad executives whose only desire was to
rid themselves of this heap of history. Lost Plantation: The Rise
and Fall of Seven Oaks tells both of Zeringue's climb to the top
and of his legacy's eventual ruin.
Preservationists
and community
members abhorred the railroad's
indifferent attitude, and the question of the plantation mansion's fate
fueled years of fiery, political battles. These hard-fought
confrontations ended in 1977 when the exasperated railroad executives
sent bulldozers through the decaying house. By analyzing one failed
effort, Lost Plantation provides insight into the complex
workings of American historical preservation efforts as a whole, while
illustrating how southerners deal with their multifaceted past. The
rise and fall of Seven Oaks is
much more than just a local
tragedy-it is a glaring example of how any community can be robbed of
its history. Now, as parishes around New Orleans recognize the great
aesthetic and monetary value of restoring plantation homes and
attracting tourism, Jefferson Parish
mourns
a manor lost.
University
Press of Mississippi, Jackson.
AUGUST
2005, 192 pages
(approx.), 5½ x 8½ inches, 20 b&w
photographs, 4 tables, appendix, chronology, bibliography, index
ISBN
1-57806-763-4, cloth
HIS036120
ARC014000
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
