March 21, 2022
ROSEDOWN PLANTATION STATE HISTORIC SITE
12501 LA-10, St. Francisville, LA 70775
“Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site is an 8,000-square-foot historic home and former plantation located in St. Francisville, Louisiana, United States.” - Wikipedia
When planning my visit to Baton Rouge I decided I wanted to visit Rosedown, which was advertised as one of the “most intact, documented examples of a domestic planation complex in the South.” Today, the Louisiana State Historic Site consists of the Mansion, some outbuildings, and the massive, beautiful gardens. Other than being told this was a cotton plantation, there is no evidence of any agriculture and only a little evidence that slaves were used to provide the manpower for the plantation to function.
That being said, the 1835 mansion was beautiful and other than electricity, was superbly restored to its 1850s look. About 90% of the furnishings are original to the house according to the docent. The room-to-room tour was thorough, however, I wished I would have had more time to take photos, though I’m glad photography was allowed. The huge, European-styled gardens were amazing. The Camellias were in full bloom, and many other flowers were just starting to show their spring beauty.
The mansion was built in 1835 by Daniel and Martha Turnbull. The home was inhabited by family members until 1955, when the last granddaughter of the Turnbulls passed away.
In 1955 Catherine Underwood of Houston, TX, purchased the property. Over the next eight years Underwood had the plantation restored and opened it to the public in 1964. The state purchased the property in 2000.
The main foyer.
I loved the lock on the front door.
The stairway in the foyer.
Part of the scenic wallpaper.
The dining room table. Mr. Turnbull had many unique features built into the house, such as the fan above the table.
I loved this wooden spice box.
The only part of the house that Underwood did not restore was the Slave's stairway to the second floor. If you look closely you can see how worn the treads are from much use.
It seemed there was a desk in every room. This is Martha Turnbull's desk in her office. She designed and managed the massive gardens.
There were several pieces of porcelain all throughout the house. Some original to the house, others from the 1850s time period.
An innovation in the "Guest Bath" - an indoor shower.
Music was very important to the family.
The second floor foyer. The covering on the floor was painted paper - a precursor to linoleum.
I loved this piece of porcelain.
The baby crib was the oldest piece of furniture in the house.
A desk in the Children's Bedroom.
An antique, hand-crank, sewing machine.
The bed in the Master Bedroom. The quilt was original to the house.
A view of the gardens from the second floor porch.
A view of the gardens from the second floor porch.
The parlor. The carpet in this room is original to the house. Portraits of children and grandchildren were scattered throughout the house.
The desk in the parlor.
The parlor.
This fireplace screen was hand-stitched by Martha Custis Washington, who was related to the Turnbull's through marriage.
Mr. Turnbull's desk in his office.
"Nina's Wing" - this structure was originally attached to the house by the back porch, but was moved during the Underwood restoration.
The Milk Shed. The wide eaves kept the sun off of the walls to provide better cooling.
Inside the Milk Shed
The kitchen.
The hearth inside the kitchen.
The Conservatory.
The Rockery, built in 1858.
There were several fountains in the gardens.
The Formal Summerhouse
The Cold Frame - a sunken greenhouse was used to keep young plans warm in the winter.
A look inside the Cold Frame
Several Statues were found throughout the gardens
The Doctor's Office - built in 1844 after the death of the Turnbull's youngest son from yellow fever.
A peek through the window of the Doctor's Office.
Two trees growing as one - inside an oak, outside a cypress.
Another South Garden Summer House, with fountains on both sides.
One of the matching fountains outside the South Garden Summer House.
The trails through the gardens went every which direction. I almost got lost.
A view from what would have been their front gate.
The mansion through the front gate.
