Part II Shadows on the Teche

Since our day was so long I decided to split it into two posts.  After we left the diner we went to Shadows on the Teche.  This was a sugar plantation owned by the Weeks family that is now a National Trust Historic site. This home was built in 1834.

The only staircase in this house is on the outside.  The downstairs rooms are not connected.  There is a food prep room on the facing left, the dining room is in the middle and the bathing room which was just a room with a tub, and a "guest room" on the right side.  It seems that plantation homes had a room that was for strangers to stay in when they arrived in the area.  Since there were no hotels, large plantations had one of the bedrooms available.  They had their own entrance and this room was separate from the home.

The back of the house showing the cistern.

The front showing the staircase to the upstairs living quarters.  Upstairs were the bedrooms and the drawing room.

 Again we got to see beautiful live oaks and gardens. The Teche Bayou is right behind me when I took this picture.  

The Teche Bayou.  

 This was the "side yard".  A bride was having her wedding pictures made while we were here.

 These pictures don't show just how big and beautiful these live oaks really are.

 There were these lovely statues all around the house.

 This building was some of the house keepers quarters.  The Weeks did have over 200 slaves to help with the plantation.  Mary Weeks was a very strong woman.  She raised 8 children mostly by herself.  Her husband died while on a trip up north to buy furniture for the new house and to find a cure for his consumption.  He died up north and never did live in this house.  His consumption was tuberculous.  Mary ran 2 sugar plantations by herself for 7 years and then remarried.  She and her second husband along with some of her children are buried on site next to the house.

This was a very interesting tour.  If you are ever in New Iberia, La.  Stop and take a look see.
Tomorrow we move on for new adventures.  I believe we are heading east of Baton Rouge.