Godchaux–Reserve Plantation, Historic plantation in Reserve, Louisiana
The Godchaux-Reserve Plantation House is a residence featuring French Creole and Federal architectural details, with two stories and a timber-frame structure typical of the era. The building occupies its original setting along Louisiana Highway 44 and receives ongoing care from the Godchaux-Reserve House Historical Society.
Jean Baptiste and Marie Therese Laubel built the original house in 1764, creating one of the region's earliest structures. Ownership later shifted from French settlers to free people of color before the property became a center of sugar manufacturing.
The property's name reflects the Godchaux family's influence on regional sugar production for generations. Walking through the grounds today, visitors sense how the family shaped the area's economic and social life.
The house sits along Louisiana Highway 44, making it straightforward to locate in the flat landscape. Visitors should note that access may vary with the season, particularly during the wetter months.
President William Howard Taft visited the estate in 1909, marking its status as one of the nation's largest sugar production centers at that time. This presidential visit reflected the site's economic importance during that era.
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