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Lost Plantations of the South
The great majority of the South's plantation homes have been destroyed over time, and many have long been forgotten. In Lost Plantations of the South , Marc R. Matrana weaves together photographs, diaries and letters, architectural renderings, and other rare documents to tell the story of sixty of these vanquished estates and the people who once called them home.
From plantations that were destroyed by natural disaster such as Alabama's Forks of Cypress, to those that were intentionally demolished such as Seven Oaks in Louisiana and Mount Brilliant in Kentucky, Matrana resurrects these lost mansions. Including plantations throughout the South as well as border states, Matrana carefully tracks the histories of each from the earliest days of construction to the often-contentious struggles to preserve these irreplaceable historic treasures. Lost Plantations of the South explores the root causes of demise and provides understanding and insight on how lessons learned in these sad losses can help prevent future preservation crises. Capturing the voices of masters and mistresses alongside those of slaves, and featuring more than one hundred elegant archival illustrations, this book explores the powerful and complex histories of these cardinal homes across the South.
From plantations that were destroyed by natural disaster such as Alabama's Forks of Cypress, to those that were intentionally demolished such as Seven Oaks in Louisiana and Mount Brilliant in Kentucky, Matrana resurrects these lost mansions. Including plantations throughout the South as well as border states, Matrana carefully tracks the histories of each from the earliest days of construction to the often-contentious struggles to preserve these irreplaceable historic treasures. Lost Plantations of the South explores the root causes of demise and provides understanding and insight on how lessons learned in these sad losses can help prevent future preservation crises. Capturing the voices of masters and mistresses alongside those of slaves, and featuring more than one hundred elegant archival illustrations, this book explores the powerful and complex histories of these cardinal homes across the South.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published August 11, 2009
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188 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 20, 2012
You will want to cry when reading this book. The stories beak your heart at times and makes you wonder how people could be so stupid to destroy some of these plantations on purpose. Gems of architecture do not exist like this anymore and never will. Luckily this book was able to gather vanishing information and photos when able.
March 9, 2018
I didn’t know how this book would work as audio. Seems like it could only be a coffee table book with lots of pictures. I’d never listened to a book about architecture. What kept me going was all the history woven throughout. Being a difficult subject, necessarily including the horrors of slavery, the author does a great job at balancing all these sensitive issues. Trying to stick to the architectural and heritage issues, he also sprinkles in great anecdotes, family histories, and the true brutality of human beings’ inhumanity to each other. Many of the plantations have been lost, many to fire. The only thing that struck me as odd is that the author is constantly surprised that any arsonist would dare burn down some of these structures. He never addresses that the plantation houses were (and are) seen by some as representations of institutionalized racism and a mocking reminded of the evils of slavery. Other than that, it was a very detailed and fascinating ride through history. Note to the narrator: Great job recording this book, but the sound quality sounded a bit “tinny.” I’m no technician, but it sounds like a quality issue with the studio space or equipment. Glad I listened to this book. I was given a free review copy of this audiobook and have voluntarily left this honest review.
July 28, 2015
Terrific book in a terrific series. The past comes alive. For a book that emphasizes photography, the narrative is both readable and exceptionally informative. I won't be taking these to the reseller anytime soon.
December 27, 2017
Greek Columns, Winding Marble Staircases, Verandas, Cupolas, & Slave Deeds Pinned to the Christmas Tree
As part of a tour of Atlanta, and Central Georgia, years ago I saw an antebellum home in Madison, and learned that it was one of the few left intact by General Sherman on his march to the sea. It was rumored that one of Sherman’s mistresses from Madison had met him outside the city to beg that he spare the city, which he did. From then, I wondered what had become of other Southern landmarks. This book filled in so much of this missing past. Those like me who are interested in architecture, agriculture, and the people groups populating the Southern states will find a treasure trove of history in this straightforward work by Marc R. Matrana.
The American Southern style of neoclassical architecture is easily recognizable anywhere, and included Corinthian Greek columns, and Grecian porches or Verandas lined with balustrades. Some displayed Renaissance style cupolas and Greek Revival Porches which gave them a Palladian effect. In some you might find a set of double doors could be opened that would turn 4 rooms into a giant ballroom. But, all displayed an effort on the part of the plantation owners to transplant old world culture and history here in the colonies.
These ornate mansions symbolized what Matrana calls, “Romanticized ideas of the powerful economic system of the times.” They were accompanied by many outbuildings, blacksmiths, workshops, ice houses, breweries and the like, along with slave homes; rudimentary cabins built from “tabby,” a cement combined with lime, first introduced by the Spanish. The plantation was mostly self-sufficient, and formed the basis of the Southern economy before the war.
Matrana does not flinch from describing both sides of the dichotomy of the Southern Plantation lifestyle in detail. He reveals, for instance, how deeds to slaves for adult children were hung on the Christmas tree as gifts in Pooshee, a Carolina Plantation, while slaves worked hard to make these festivals big events. In another of his books Matrana summarized this with the following words:
He vividly illustrates in text the physical environment of the world in which Southern whites and blacks lived in the thirty or so years before the Civil War. He discusses the “Middle Passage” of slavery, and death rates of slaves in the Carolinas. He describes from journals the separation of the children of slaves: such as Lucy sold off from her children by Charles & Sarah Bulloch before leaving to build Sylvan Plantation in Arkansas.
Stories of plantation establishment and family life are accompanied by architectural descriptions of the physical structures on the properties. This is interwoven with details of the displacement of native populations from the land, and the importation of captive slaves for labor. I liked the fact that an emphasis is placed on the economic impact of the productive efforts of black slaves on the agriculture and real estate development of the South. Too often, it has been overlooked that much of the South’s production rests on the work of these early black Americans, who didn’t even have the benefit of citizenship.
I found that the irony was highlighted, given the fact that, today much labor in the South is performed by dark-skinned Americans, many who don’t even have the benefit of citizenship in the United States. The denial of citizenship to Americans who live and work in our country can arguably be seen as a convenient way to replace a lost slave force, while having a plausible excuse for maintaining their status as non-voting, and therefore lower class people. We ignore history to our own peril.
Matrana gives many good recommendations for more extensive history books on the plantations. An example is The Journal of a Residence on a Georgia Plantation, by Fannie Kemble. He also mentioned a movie made from the book called Enslavement: The True Story of Fanny Kemble (2000.) The full movie is available free on Youtube.
Fanny married into the ownership of over 700 slaves unknowingly, and then insisted on being enlightened on the source of her husband’s fortune. Pierce Butler, her husband, gave in and took her to see both his plantations on the St. Simons off Georgia’s coast. She abhorred the conditions the slaves lived and worked in, and constantly advocated for the slaves, which her husband and his overseers ignored. After he took her back home, she divorced him and eventually moved back to England permanently, where her published journal did much to shape public opinion about the South in England. Her book is credited as being the reason why England did not support the South in the Civil War, thereby indirectly aiding the North.
Matrana shares how slave owners and slaves coped with the approaching war, how emancipation affected their way of life, and what became of the old plantation mansions and other buildings. I found it interesting that many homes not destroyed voluntarily by their owners eventually burned by accident or vandalism. Some, like two dozen in the Carolinas, were flooded under two lakes built for the Santee-Cooper Project, part of Roosevelt’s New Deal 1939-1942. And, quite a few remain across the South in part or ruins as museums and landmarks, or bed & breakfasts.
I requested and received a free review copy of his book on Audible. It was narrated by John Burlinson in a pleasing Southern voice, which was both slower than standard speech, and well inflectioned with correct spacing between words for a conversational style. This makes it possible to speed up the text to whatever rate of speech you are comfortable, without losing any of the voice quality or prosody. That’s a nice feature, because even in the South, there are many different dialects, and while some of us are slow speakers, many speak and listen at a faster clip in daily conversation. It sounds as good at 1.4X speed as at 1X.
One more fascinating detail I learned from this delightful history book about a place I’ve visited myself; the last cargo of slaves brought to America prior to emancipation, landed at Horton House in South Georgia. The Racing Yacht The Wanderer had been secretly converted into a slave ship in 1859, over 18 years after importation of slaves had been outlawed. The Millionaire’s club on Jekyll Island improved the Plantation as a playground for wealthy men. It later became the property of the state of Georgia in 1947 and the state built the island into a resort. And, I haven’t told even a fraction of what is to be read in this book, which covers each of the SE states. I recommend you get the book yourself. It is available on Kindle and in Hardback as well as on Audible.
As part of a tour of Atlanta, and Central Georgia, years ago I saw an antebellum home in Madison, and learned that it was one of the few left intact by General Sherman on his march to the sea. It was rumored that one of Sherman’s mistresses from Madison had met him outside the city to beg that he spare the city, which he did. From then, I wondered what had become of other Southern landmarks. This book filled in so much of this missing past. Those like me who are interested in architecture, agriculture, and the people groups populating the Southern states will find a treasure trove of history in this straightforward work by Marc R. Matrana.
The American Southern style of neoclassical architecture is easily recognizable anywhere, and included Corinthian Greek columns, and Grecian porches or Verandas lined with balustrades. Some displayed Renaissance style cupolas and Greek Revival Porches which gave them a Palladian effect. In some you might find a set of double doors could be opened that would turn 4 rooms into a giant ballroom. But, all displayed an effort on the part of the plantation owners to transplant old world culture and history here in the colonies.
These ornate mansions symbolized what Matrana calls, “Romanticized ideas of the powerful economic system of the times.” They were accompanied by many outbuildings, blacksmiths, workshops, ice houses, breweries and the like, along with slave homes; rudimentary cabins built from “tabby,” a cement combined with lime, first introduced by the Spanish. The plantation was mostly self-sufficient, and formed the basis of the Southern economy before the war.
Matrana does not flinch from describing both sides of the dichotomy of the Southern Plantation lifestyle in detail. He reveals, for instance, how deeds to slaves for adult children were hung on the Christmas tree as gifts in Pooshee, a Carolina Plantation, while slaves worked hard to make these festivals big events. In another of his books Matrana summarized this with the following words:
“Under the moss-strewn oaks, the privileged master nurtured his own family, but enslaved many others. Excelling at agriculture, business, an ambitious canal enterprise, and local politics, Zeringue ascended to the very pinnacle of southern society. But his empire soon came crashing down.” – From Lost Plantation
He vividly illustrates in text the physical environment of the world in which Southern whites and blacks lived in the thirty or so years before the Civil War. He discusses the “Middle Passage” of slavery, and death rates of slaves in the Carolinas. He describes from journals the separation of the children of slaves: such as Lucy sold off from her children by Charles & Sarah Bulloch before leaving to build Sylvan Plantation in Arkansas.
“Ironically, in a household where black mothers were ripped from their suckling babes, never to be seen again, the white children were required to be courteous and respectful to the slaves, and to treat them with due and proper consideration. The paradoxical fact foreshadows the complex and seldom straightforward social and hierarchical relations between the Bullochs and their servants, that would often define life in their household.”
Stories of plantation establishment and family life are accompanied by architectural descriptions of the physical structures on the properties. This is interwoven with details of the displacement of native populations from the land, and the importation of captive slaves for labor. I liked the fact that an emphasis is placed on the economic impact of the productive efforts of black slaves on the agriculture and real estate development of the South. Too often, it has been overlooked that much of the South’s production rests on the work of these early black Americans, who didn’t even have the benefit of citizenship.
I found that the irony was highlighted, given the fact that, today much labor in the South is performed by dark-skinned Americans, many who don’t even have the benefit of citizenship in the United States. The denial of citizenship to Americans who live and work in our country can arguably be seen as a convenient way to replace a lost slave force, while having a plausible excuse for maintaining their status as non-voting, and therefore lower class people. We ignore history to our own peril.
Matrana gives many good recommendations for more extensive history books on the plantations. An example is The Journal of a Residence on a Georgia Plantation, by Fannie Kemble. He also mentioned a movie made from the book called Enslavement: The True Story of Fanny Kemble (2000.) The full movie is available free on Youtube.
Fanny married into the ownership of over 700 slaves unknowingly, and then insisted on being enlightened on the source of her husband’s fortune. Pierce Butler, her husband, gave in and took her to see both his plantations on the St. Simons off Georgia’s coast. She abhorred the conditions the slaves lived and worked in, and constantly advocated for the slaves, which her husband and his overseers ignored. After he took her back home, she divorced him and eventually moved back to England permanently, where her published journal did much to shape public opinion about the South in England. Her book is credited as being the reason why England did not support the South in the Civil War, thereby indirectly aiding the North.
Matrana shares how slave owners and slaves coped with the approaching war, how emancipation affected their way of life, and what became of the old plantation mansions and other buildings. I found it interesting that many homes not destroyed voluntarily by their owners eventually burned by accident or vandalism. Some, like two dozen in the Carolinas, were flooded under two lakes built for the Santee-Cooper Project, part of Roosevelt’s New Deal 1939-1942. And, quite a few remain across the South in part or ruins as museums and landmarks, or bed & breakfasts.
I requested and received a free review copy of his book on Audible. It was narrated by John Burlinson in a pleasing Southern voice, which was both slower than standard speech, and well inflectioned with correct spacing between words for a conversational style. This makes it possible to speed up the text to whatever rate of speech you are comfortable, without losing any of the voice quality or prosody. That’s a nice feature, because even in the South, there are many different dialects, and while some of us are slow speakers, many speak and listen at a faster clip in daily conversation. It sounds as good at 1.4X speed as at 1X.
One more fascinating detail I learned from this delightful history book about a place I’ve visited myself; the last cargo of slaves brought to America prior to emancipation, landed at Horton House in South Georgia. The Racing Yacht The Wanderer had been secretly converted into a slave ship in 1859, over 18 years after importation of slaves had been outlawed. The Millionaire’s club on Jekyll Island improved the Plantation as a playground for wealthy men. It later became the property of the state of Georgia in 1947 and the state built the island into a resort. And, I haven’t told even a fraction of what is to be read in this book, which covers each of the SE states. I recommend you get the book yourself. It is available on Kindle and in Hardback as well as on Audible.
March 23, 2016
Un pur délice. Un livre qui vous amène dans un monde qui n'existe plus. Une chance, évidemment, car rien du monde des plantations n'est aussi paisible que le montre notre vision biaisée par Scarlett O'Hara. Ce livre met bien en parallèle les deux univers qui se cotoyaîent sur ces plantations: la maison des maîtres et les cabanes d'esclaves. Deux mondes qui n'ont presque rien en commun et deux mondes qui vous déchireront le coeur. Matrana réunit dans ce présent livre des plantations disparues des différents états du Sud américain et nous les présente comme un conteur le ferait.
Fan d'Autant en emporte le vent depuis petite, les plantations et le Sud m'ont toujours fascinée, comme un monde disparu. Je n'avais simplement pas idée d'à quel point ce monde n'existe plus. Beaucoup de plantations, de magnifiques plantations (Belle Grove, tu détiens mon coeur à tout jamais), sont disparues et nous n'avons que des témoignages pour nous rappeler de leur splendeur. Matrana a fait le formidable effort de récolter tout ce qu'il a pu trouver sur ces plantations choisies afin de nous les présenter. Histoire de la famille, architecture, agriculture, anectodes, photos, tout est là pour qu'on s'y croit. J'ai été horriblement surprise de savoir combien de ces majestueuses demeures avaient brûlées et réduites en cendres.
La seule raison pour laquelle cet ouvrage n'atteint pas les 5 étoiles est qu'il est très laborieux à lire et assez peu illustré compte tenu du ratio texte/photo (évidemment, l'auteur n'avait pas des photos pour toutes les plantations). Un document à parcourir pour découvrir un monde disparu et revivre cette époque balayée par le vent (this era gone with the wind... I know, too easy. Couldn't help myself.)
Fan d'Autant en emporte le vent depuis petite, les plantations et le Sud m'ont toujours fascinée, comme un monde disparu. Je n'avais simplement pas idée d'à quel point ce monde n'existe plus. Beaucoup de plantations, de magnifiques plantations (Belle Grove, tu détiens mon coeur à tout jamais), sont disparues et nous n'avons que des témoignages pour nous rappeler de leur splendeur. Matrana a fait le formidable effort de récolter tout ce qu'il a pu trouver sur ces plantations choisies afin de nous les présenter. Histoire de la famille, architecture, agriculture, anectodes, photos, tout est là pour qu'on s'y croit. J'ai été horriblement surprise de savoir combien de ces majestueuses demeures avaient brûlées et réduites en cendres.
La seule raison pour laquelle cet ouvrage n'atteint pas les 5 étoiles est qu'il est très laborieux à lire et assez peu illustré compte tenu du ratio texte/photo (évidemment, l'auteur n'avait pas des photos pour toutes les plantations). Un document à parcourir pour découvrir un monde disparu et revivre cette époque balayée par le vent (this era gone with the wind... I know, too easy. Couldn't help myself.)
August 14, 2018
This is an extensive study of Southern plantations that have been lost due to natural disaster, neglect and lack of foresight. The author has does a great job in researching these plantations. There are extensive descriptions of the start of the plantations, their various owners, the reasons for their demise and the treatment of the slaves owned by the planters.
I enjoyed listening to the book, but I think that this type of book would be better in a hard copy. The addition of maps, illustrations/photos, and a glossary for the various unfamiliar architectural terms would have been helpful in understanding what you are reading. Having lived close to a lot of these plantations, I especially enjoyed hearing about them and wish I could travel back to see the sites of the old mansions.
The narrator does a good job, but I had to speed up my Kindle to 1.5 in order to keep my interest.
I enjoyed listening to the book, but I think that this type of book would be better in a hard copy. The addition of maps, illustrations/photos, and a glossary for the various unfamiliar architectural terms would have been helpful in understanding what you are reading. Having lived close to a lot of these plantations, I especially enjoyed hearing about them and wish I could travel back to see the sites of the old mansions.
The narrator does a good job, but I had to speed up my Kindle to 1.5 in order to keep my interest.
August 15, 2014
This is a very interesting book! There is a ton of history included here, from US history to the specific history of each home featured. There are also a lot of pictures, drawings, and floor plans! The information is organized by state. The beginning of each chapter starts with the history of that state or region, then there are segments about each home. I love that so much history is included here, like letters from previous residents. I loved looking through this book! If you are interested in history, houses, or architecture you should definitely check this book out! I got this book from the library, but I am adding it to my wishlist because it is so neat.
December 31, 2017
Lost Plantations of the South
: Marc R. Matrana
This is a good accounting of the history of southern Plantations. It was interesting to learn who had owned, visited, and what became of the plantation. The architectural descriptions let the listener "see" the past.
The narration was well done.John Burlinson's voice was pleasing to hear.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
: Marc R. Matrana
This is a good accounting of the history of southern Plantations. It was interesting to learn who had owned, visited, and what became of the plantation. The architectural descriptions let the listener "see" the past.
The narration was well done.John Burlinson's voice was pleasing to hear.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
December 1, 2022
A very interesting book for people who enjoy architecture and history. We've toured many of the beautifully restored plantations in the South and stayed at Oak Alley. We've also visited several of the ruins, which are often haunting, so I was particularly interested in learning their stories. I appreciate that most tours no longer shy away from the horrors of slavery (when we first began touring the plantations years ago, they often didn't mention it or made light of it.)
April 6, 2018
Audible:This was a bit dry,but very interesting.Not ALL but a lot of the plantations that onced graced the slave states are mentioned in this book.Some of the stories are fascinating!John Burlinson was a fine narrator.“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”
June 9, 2014
For lovers of antebellum Southern plantations/mansions this book is very informative but very heart rending to read. With words and photographs it tells the history of the plantations and how each fell to neglect, arson, greed, etc. As sad and sometimes dismayed as I was, I couldn't put it down.
Currently reading
February 4, 2013Terrific subject; writing is horrible
January 8, 2013
Looking for ideas for architectural settings for a new story.
June 25, 2014
What a hauntingly beautiful book.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews