The Oaklawn Plantation is a historic cotton

plantation house A plantation house is the main house of a plantation, often a substantial farmhouse, which often serves as a symbol for the plantation as a whole. Plantation houses in the Southern United States and in other areas are known as quite grand and ...

near

Natchez, Louisiana Natchez is a village in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 597 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Natchitoches Micropolitan Statistical Area. The village and parish are part of the Cane River National Herita ...

. It is located on

Louisiana Highway 494 Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25th i ...

southeast of Natchitoches in

Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana Natchitoches Parish ( or ) is a List of parishes in Louisiana, parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 37,515. The parish seat and most populous municipality is Nat ...

.National Register of Historic Places: LOUISIANA – Natchitoches County
/ref> It has been listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

since March 28, 1979.

History

The mansion was built in 1830 for Narcisse Prudhomme, who held as many as 104 enslaved people on the property.National Park Service: Oaklawn Plantation
/ref> After his death in 1859, the plantation was inherited by his son, Achille Prudhomme. Although the plantation survived the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

of 1861–1865 intact, after Achille's death, the land was divided into parcels by his heirs and sold off. In 1916, Charles Edgar Cloutier, the husband of Adeline Prudhomme, a great-grandniece of Narcisse Prudhomme, purchased the property. It is now owned by filmwriter Robert Harling, author of the play, later a film, ''

Steel Magnolias ''Steel Magnolias'' is a 1989 American comedy drama film directed by Herbert Ross and starring Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, and Julia Roberts. The screenplay by Robert Harling is based on hi ...

'' (dir.

Herbert Ross Herbert David Ross (May 13, 1927 – October 9, 2001) was an American actor, choreographer, director and producer who worked predominantly in theater and film. He was nominated for two Academy Awards and a Tony Award. He is known for directing ...

, 1989).''Natchitoches'', Arcadia Publishing, 2003, p. 44
/ref>

Architecture

The house has three stories, fourteen chimneys and a large gallery. It is an example of French creole architecture.

References

Houses completed in 1830 Plantation houses in Louisiana Houses in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana Cane River National Heritage Area Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Louisiana Antebellum architecture Creole architecture in Louisiana 1830 establishments in Louisiana National Register of Historic Places in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana Cotton plantations in Louisiana {{Louisiana-NRHP-stub