[/caption]Spring in the South. Doesn’t' that sound inviting in the midst of this coldest-of-all-winters-on-record-in-a-long-time? Magnolia trees blooming, birds chirping, warm breezes – are you longing for that sort of spring?
[caption id="attachment_472" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Catalpa Plantation"]
[/caption]If you're looking for a warm escape with a nice little mix of historic luxury thrown in, we have just the place for you - St. Francisville, Louisiana.
You might know St. Francisville as the home of Grandmother's Buttons Jewelry. Did you also know that the West Feliciana Parish & St. Francisville boast more plantations, open for public tours, in one area than anywhere else in Louisiana? It's true. There are seven plantation homes within a 12 mile radius of St. Francisville, each with it's own unique history and architecture (http://bit.ly/fVbZFE) .
Interested? We've created an overview of some of the homes here – in a later post we'll give you in-depth info on each individual property.
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[/caption]For starters, there's Catalpa Plantation (http://bit.ly/fFwDSK), a Victorian cottage significant for the beautiful gardens that surround it. Devastated during the Civil War, the house was rebuilt in 1885 and is filled with paintings and treasures from the original home.
If you need a place to sleep, try the Cottage Plantation (www.cottageplantation.com), a bed and breakfast where you can enjoy plantation life in one of the few remaining complete antebellum plantation complexes. We love that Andrew Jackson was a guest at the Cottage on his way to Natchez after the Battle of New Orleans.
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[/caption]There's also Greenwood Plantation (http://www.greenwoodplantation.com/), originally built in the 1830's as a 3,000 acre plantation, or Myrtle's Plantation (http://myrtlesplantation.com/), built in 1796 and often described as one of "America's Most Haunted Homes."
If you're a fan of the drawings of John James Audubon, you'll want to be sure to schedule a visit to Oakley House circa 1806 (http://bit.ly/hOQzzm), where Audobon taught painting to the daughter of the owners of Oakley House. While there, he began 32 bird paintings that eventually became part of his Birds of America.
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[/caption][caption id="attachment_480" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Rosedown Plantation"]
[/caption]For the ultimate in size and historical scope, visit Rosedown Plantation, built in 1834, (
http://bit.ly/hYICDU). Its distinguished by the size, shape and sophistication of its pleasure gardens. The gardens were the passion of Martha Turnbull and her garden diary provides invaluable insight into the story of the garden's planting and management. With 18 acres of ornamental pleasure gardens, this plantation includes one of the earliest collections of camellias in the Deep South.
St. Francisville, Louisiana. Home to rich history, beautiful plantations AND Grandmother's Buttons. Come to see us this Spring – we promise we won't let it snow on your vacation.
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