Burns Louisiana’s historic Notway plantation burns to the ground
Historic Notway Plantationthe largest Civil War residence in the United States, burned to the ground this week after a fire broke out on Thursday. There were no reports of fire-related injuries or deaths.
Firefighters worked to put out the flames when they were reportedly poured into the tiles for 18 hours after the fire broke out. According to Fox 8. As of Saturday, the cause of the fire was still under investigation.
“Some staff said they went to the museum and there was smoke. When they returned, the whole room got burned,” Iverville Parish President Chris Daigle told Fox 8, adding that it was “a complete loss.”
Firefighters fully enveloped the now fully enveloped Noteway plantation at White Castle, Louisiana on Thursday, May 15, 2025. (Michael Johnson/Supporter via the AP)
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Daigle caught my eye in a post from Iberville Parish Government’s Facebook Page “The loss of Notwai is not just a loss to Eberville’s Parish, but a loss to the state of Louisiana as a whole. It was the foundation of the tourism economy and a place of national importance.”
The 64-room mansion was built by John Hampden Randolph in the late 1850s, according to multiple sources. It sat over 53,000 square feet and included dozens of rooms, plus 365 doors and windows and 22 white pillars, Fox 8 reported. The property overlooked the Mississippi River.
Baton Rouge firefighters will fight the flames on Thursday, May 15, 2025 at White Castle, Louisiana, when flames burst from the roof of a Notway plantation. (Michael Johnson/Supporter via the AP)
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Randolph arrived first In Louisiana It started with planting cotton in 1841, but eventually moved to sugarcane, according to the LSU academic repository. An article in the Academic Reservoir also points out that the mansion was named “Noteway” after the county in Virginia where his ancestors lived.
US Department of Internal Records Axios quotes indicate that by 1860 Randolph owned 155 slaves and 6,200 acres of land.
In addition to the gorgeous mansion, the property also featured several trees from over 100 years ago, according to the Nottoway Plantation website.
Light smoke can be seen from a few active hotspots as crews remain on site after Thursday’s fire swallowed the historic Notway plantation in White Castle, Louisiana on Friday, May 16, 2025. (Supporter via Hilary Scheinuk/AP)
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In modern times, the mansion and surrounding property served as museums, resorts and wedding venues. The Nottoway Plantation website says it sat on 31 acres. One night roombars, restaurants, event spaces, pools, tennis courts, etc.
“Its early history is undoubtedly tied to a time of great injustice, but it has evolved over the past decades into a place of reflection, education and dialogue,” Daigle wrote in a Facebook post. “Since the 1980s, it has welcomed visitors from all over the world who have appreciated its architecture and have come to stand up to the heritage of the times. It has stood as a testament to the importance of preserving the monument of attention and history so that future generations can learn and grow from it.”