Allendale Plantation, Historic plantation in Port Allen, Louisiana, United States
Allendale Plantation is a historic plantation in Port Allen, Louisiana, with roughly 15 preserved wood-frame buildings from the 1800s, including residences, a church, and office structures. The buildings are arranged to show how a working agricultural settlement operated during that period.
The plantation was founded in 1850 by Henry Watkins Allen and grew into a large agricultural operation with its own railroad system. It became a significant center of farming activity in the South during the 1800s.
The plantation preserves worker cabins from the late 1800s that give visitors insight into how agricultural laborers lived and worked during that era. These buildings reflect the daily routines and living conditions of people who shaped the landscape.
Visitors can see one of the original buildings from the property at the West Baton Rouge Museum, where it is on display with historical context. The museum provides background information that helps visitors understand the structures and their purpose.
After 1908, the property introduced an unusual payment system where workers were paid with merchandise checks instead of cash, a practice that defied federal rules at the time. This token system reveals how operations controlled their labor force.
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