African House
Historic house in Louisiana, United States in Melrose, Louisiana. Added to the National Register in 1972, and a National Historic Landmark.
What it is
Melrose Plantation, also known as Yucca Plantation, is a National Historic Landmark located in the unincorporated community of Melrose in Natchitoches Parish in north central Louisiana. This is one of the largest plantations in the United States built by and for free people of color. The land was granted to Louis Metoyer, who had the "Big House" built beginning about 1832. He was a son of Marie Thérèse Coincoin, a former slave who became a wealthy businesswoman in the area, and Claude Thomas Pierre Métoyer. The house was completed in 1833 after Louis' death by his son Jean Baptiste Louis Metoyer. The Metoyers were free people of color for four generations before the American Civil War. The Métoyer family was derived from Marie, a former slave, and Claude, a French military gentleman who bought and married Marie. They had many children but they were also one of the largest plantations and owned slaves themselves.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Building |
| Address | LA 119 off LA 493, Melrose, LA |
| County | Natchitoches County |
| Listed | Jun 13, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000556 |
| Type of place | plantation |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark |
| Contributing resources | 5 buildings |
| Standing | Yes |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | LA 119 off LA 493, Melrose, LA |
| Coordinates | 31.60029, -92.96696 · Directions ↗ |
| Nearest national park unit | Cane River Creole National Historical Park · 4 mi · on Park Atlas |
| Federal campgrounds nearby | Corral Ohv Camp 6 mi · Cane 12 mi · Lotus Ohv Camp 12 mi |
Explore
Map
Reference
Sources
Location, dates, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 72000556. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.