At the edge of sugar cane fields, Nottoway stands overlooking the Mississippi River in White Castle, Louisiana, south of Baton Rouge. It is the largest of the Antebellum Plantations remaining in Louisiana, second in size and grandeur only to Belle Grove Plantation Home, which suffered a series of disasters, and finally succumbed to fire.

   This enormous mansion, completed in 1859, reflects an unusual combination of Greek Revival architectural elements with innovative blends of John Hampden Randolph's fanciful desires.

   The house has 50 rooms, which were certainly needed as Randolph had 11 children. It is said that Nottoway was the first Plantation to have a bathroom on the second floor and also had hot & cold running water.

   Inside one cannot escape the beauty & elegance of it's famous White Ballroom. It was the center of all the Randolph's entertainment activities, with parties, receptions and balls that would go on late into the night.

   In 1862, Randolph took his slaves and went to Texas to work a cotton plantation there, in order to keep himself solvent. The Randolphs sent there teenage daughters away to safer territory and Randolph's wife, Emily Jane Liddell Randolph remained on the plantation with the younger children, 2 visiting lady friends, and a few of her slaves. One of her daughters, Cornelia, kept a diary. It is from this diary as well as from preserved letters and documents that we know of Emily Jane's courage.

  At one point in 1862, when she was 45 years old, she faced down the Union Navy. Gun boats were sailing by the house, and Union troops had begun to bivouac on the lawn. Armed with only a dagger which she tucked into her belt, she went out on the front gallery. She was determined not to let the Union troops into her house. Many homes along the river had been abandoned, these deserted homes, if not burned, were destroyed by looting and vandalism. As she stood on the front gallery, a group of Confederate soldiers opened fire on the Union troops. The gun boats on the river returned fire. Though they were not aiming at the house, much of the fire hit it or landed on the grounds. When the firing became heavy, Emily gathered her children, friends, and slaves, and took them all to the ground floor where the walls were four feet thick. When the barrage was over, she alone had the courage to mount the stairs and assess the damage.

   It was in that same year that Emily Jane gave birth to her 11th and last child, Julia Marceline Randolph.

   Although the Union Army encamped several times on the lawn during the course of the Civil War, they never entered the house except to search for weapons.

   Nottoway served as inspiration for the filming of the movie "Gone With The Wind". Scarlett O'Hara fashioned her dress from drapes very similar to those that hang in the Randolph study.

   Today, Nottoway is open for public tours, and has bed & breakfast accomodations, a restaurant, and a gift shop. The Grand White Ballroom is a favorite setting for wedding receptions. Many visitors enjoy the bonus of watching the paddlewheel riverboats, such as the Delta Queen, as they pass the plantation grounds on their journey up the Mississippi River.



   Re-drawn from a postcard by Robert Seago.  This is my very first plantation, burned engraving. I finished this one off in 2 coats of classic oak stain, and 2 coats of high quality, heavy duty, polyureathane, front and back. The outside border is trimmed with gold accents.

   I hope whoever purchases this one enjoys it as much as i do.

   Signed, numbered, and dated 11/2004 on back of board, which is also engraved and burned.

   Size is 12" x 20" x 3/4" thick, oval Pine plaque, comes ready to hang.

Ships USPS Priority from 70356


Was $125.00

Product SKU: WES - 4