LeBeau Plantation, Historic plantation building in Arabi, Louisiana, US.
LeBeau Plantation was a two-story plantation house in Arabi, Louisiana, built in 1854. Its first floor was made of bricks, while the second floor was bousillage, a regional infill of mud and moss between timber. The living space held a double fireplace, and six pillars supported the front gallery.
Francois LeBeau bought the land in 1851, demolished the existing house and completed his residence in 1854, the year he died. His widow Sylvanie Fuselier lived there until her death in 1879. From the 1920s to the 1940s the building operated as the Cardone Hotel. Arson damaged it in 1986 and destroyed it in 2013.
Between the 1920s and 1940s the house operated as the Cardone Hotel. Local ghost stories held that a white lady haunted it and that clocks stopped whenever guests were inside. Its design was later copied for Halloween ghost mansions.
The site was located in Arabi and once permitted public visits, though it no longer stands today. Those interested in its history can consult local archives and museums to learn more about the former structure.
The house was destroyed by a second arson on 22 November 2013. Investigators found that seven intoxicated men aged 17 to 31 had entered looking for ghosts; frustrated at finding none, they set the building alight. The first fire, also arson, struck on 26 June 1986.
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