Asphodel Plantation

The Asphodel Plantation is a historic plantation located about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of Jackson, Louisiana, United States. It was built by Benjamin Kendrick, a cotton planter and slave owner. The house was completed in 1830, and it escaped a fire by the Union Army during the American Civil War. Both the house and the cemetery on the property were listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 15, 1972.[1]

Asphodel Plantation and Cemetery
LocationAbout 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of Jackson on LA 68
Nearest cityJackson, Louisiana
Coordinates30°47′12″N 91°13′02″W
Area51.4 acres (20.8 ha)
Builtc.1820
Built byBenjamin Kendrick
Architectural styleGreek Revival
NRHP reference No.72000552[1]
Added to NRHPNovember 15, 1972

History

The Asphodel Plantation was built as a cottage in 1820-1830 by Benjamin Kendrick, a cotton planter who owned slaves. It was designed in the Greek Revival architectural style. It was inherited by his daughter Isabella and her husband, Colonel David Fluker.[2][3][4]

During the siege of Port Hudson, in the midst of the American Civil War of 1861–1865, "a group of Union soldiers set fire to Asphodel" but "the fire went out."[2][3]

The house was renovated by John Fetzers, the new owner, in 1949. It was purchased by Robert E. Couhig in 1958.[2][3]

Cultural references

Author Lyle Saxon described Asphodel as the "jewel of Louisiana."[2][3]

In South and West: From a Notebook, Joan Didion writes that Ben Toledano's wife suggested she visit the Asphodel Plantation as well as the Rosedown Plantation, the Oakley Plantation and Stanton Hall to understand the South better.[5]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. "Asphodel Plantation and Cemetery" (PDF). State of Louisiana's Division of Historic Preservation. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 18, 2018. Retrieved May 18, 2018. with three photos and two maps Archived 2018-05-18 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Mamie Austin Rouzan and Marcelle Reese Couhig (May 25, 1972). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination Form: Asphodel Plantation and Cemetery". National Park Service. Retrieved May 18, 2018. With 14 photos from 1972.
  4. Malone, Lee; Malone, Paul (2008). Louisiana Plantation Homes: A Return to Splendor. Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican Publishing. p. 20. ISBN 9781589806504. OCLC 311566241.
  5. Didion, Joan (2017). South and West: From a Notebook. London, U.K.: 4th Estate. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-00-825717-0.


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