Bocage Plantation

Bocage Plantation is a historic plantation property in Darrow, Ascension Parish, Louisiana, on the east bank of the Mississippi River along Louisiana Highway 942, commonly known as River Road. The property is associated with the development of sugar cultivation in southern Louisiana and was established in January 1801, shortly before the Louisiana Purchase. It was presented as a wedding gift by St. James Parish planter Marius Pons Bringier to his eldest daughter, Françoise “Fanny” Bringier, on her marriage to Christophe Colomb. The plantation’s first residence was a raised Creole house built in 1801. That structure was destroyed by fire by, or before, 1837. Archaeological evidence uncovered during restoration in 2008—including chimney bases, charred material, brick fragments, and old glass—indicated that the original house stood behind the present residence rather than beneath it. The surviving home was constructed in 1837 and is a major example of Louisiana plantation architecture combining Greek Revival features with Creole planning traditions. Its façade is marked by a monumental entablature, a pedimented parapet, dentil detailing, and large square columns supporting a double gallery. The interior includes interconnected parlors, tall sliding doors, and a rear cabinet-loggia characteristic of Creole domestic arrangements. The design of the 1837 house has often been attributed to architect James H. Dakin, although the attribution is not presented as fully certain. The building also incorporated practical features suited to the region, including a roof system that collected rainwater and directed it into cisterns. Its setting includes mature live oaks and ornamental plantings, including azaleas and crape myrtles. During a 2008 restoration, the front stair was reconstructed using an early twentieth-century image as a guide. After years of deterioration, the property was salvaged in 1941 by physicians E. G. Kohlsdorf and Anita Crozat. Furnishings and other items from the house and grounds were later sold at auction in 2007. Dr. Marion Rundell subsequently purchased and restored the house. From January through December 2008, it operated as a bed-and-breakfast and offered public tours. The restoration involved historical investigation and landscape planning, including work associated with Adrian Trevino and consultation with Neil Odenwald of the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture. Bocage Plantation was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 20, 1991. Its cultural visibility has also been increased through film appearances. The property was used in the 1974 film The Autobiography of Ms. Jane Pittman and appeared as “Shaw Farm” in the 2013 film 12 Years a Slave. The upper gallery was used for a scene in the latter production. Bocage Plantation permanently closed its bed-and-breakfast and public-tour operation in 2015, when Rundell chose to spend more time with family. The historic structure and property remain significant as architectural and cultural heritage, although current ownership, operating arrangements, and public-access status are not established by the supplied sources.

Bocage Plantation was established in January 1801 in what is now Darrow, Ascension Parish, Louisiana. Its creation came during the early expansion of commercial sugar cultivation in southern Louisiana, only a few years after Étienne de Boré demonstrated that sugarcane could be profitably grown in the region and shortly before the Louisiana Purchase. Marius Pons Bringier, a planter from St. James Parish, gave the property to his fourteen-year-old daughter, Françoise “Fanny” Bringier, as a wedding gift when she married Christophe Colomb. The original residence, constructed in 1801, was a raised Creole house with a brick lower level and heavy timber framing above. It was destroyed by fire by or before 1837. During restoration work in 2008, investigators found the buried bases of four symmetrically positioned chimneys, together with charred remains, brick fragments, and glass dating from around 1800. These remains established that the original house occupied a separate location approximately forty feet behind the surviving structure. Two large live oaks behind the current house also support the interpretation that the earlier building faced the river or an early road before the construction of later levees. The present plantation house was built in 1837. Its design is commonly associated with James H. Dakin, an architect who arrived in Louisiana in 1835 and worked for the Bringier family, though the attribution is not entirely certain. The house combines a formal Greek Revival exterior with a Creole interior arrangement. The front elevation uses giant-order square columns to support a double gallery, beneath a heavy entablature with a pedimented parapet and denticulated cornice. Inside, rooms open into one another rather than being organized around long corridors. The upper floor contains a large double parlor, tall sliding doors, and a rear cabinet-loggia. A roof-based rainwater collection system once directed water to cisterns behind the house. The property experienced a long period of neglect before being salvaged in 1941 by Dr. E. G. Kohlsdorf and Dr. Anita Crozat. An auction in 2007 dispersed furnishings and other items associated with the house and grounds. Dr. Marion Rundell later purchased the property and undertook a substantial restoration. The work included reconstructing the front staircase based on an early twentieth-century photograph or watercolor, investigating the site of the earlier residence, and developing the grounds with azaleas, live oaks, and crape myrtles. Rundell worked with Adrian Trevino on historical and restoration matters and consulted Neil Odenwald, director of the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture, on the landscape. Bocage Plantation was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 20, 1991. In 2008, after restoration, the house operated as a bed-and-breakfast and welcomed visitors for public tours. Its location, architecture, and preserved interiors also made it suitable for screen production. It appeared in the 1974 film The Autobiography of Ms. Jane Pittman and was used as Shaw Farm in the 2013 film 12 Years a Slave. The property’s upper gallery was used in a scene from the latter film. The bed-and-breakfast and public-tour operation closed permanently in 2015. The supplied references do not establish whether the property currently operates as a visitor attraction, identify a current owner, or document a present commercial use. Bocage Plantation is therefore best understood as a historic property and cultural landmark whose importance rests on its association with Louisiana’s plantation landscape, its early nineteenth-century history, and its distinctive combination of Greek Revival and Creole architectural elements.

• 2015

  Public operation permanently closed

  [1]Bocage Plantationen.wikipedia.org

  The bed-and-breakfast and public-tour operation closed permanently.

• 2013

  Used as a film location for 12 Years a Slave

  [1]Bocage Plantationen.wikipedia.org

  The plantation served as Shaw Farm in the film 12 Years a Slave.

• 2008

  Restoration and hospitality opening

  [1]Bocage Plantationen.wikipedia.org

  Dr. Marion Rundell restored the house, and the property operated during the year as a bed-and-breakfast offering public tours.

• 2007

  Auction of furnishings and grounds items

  [1]Bocage Plantationen.wikipedia.org

  An auction sold various furnishings and other items from the historic house and grounds.

• 1991

  National Register listing

  [1]Bocage Plantationen.wikipedia.org

  Bocage Plantation was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 20.

• 1941

  Property salvaged after neglect

  [1]Bocage Plantationen.wikipedia.org

  Drs. E. G. Kohlsdorf and Anita Crozat salvaged the house after an extended period of deterioration.

• 1837

  Present plantation house constructed

  [1]Bocage Plantationen.wikipedia.org

  The surviving Greek Revival house with Creole interior planning was built after the earlier residence had been destroyed by fire.

• 1801

  Plantation established

  [1]Bocage Plantationen.wikipedia.org

  Bocage Plantation was established in January 1801 as a property associated with the Bringier family and early sugar cultivation in southern Louisiana.

• 1801

  Original raised Creole residence constructed

  [1]Bocage Plantationen.wikipedia.org

  A raised Creole house with a brick lower level and timber-framed upper structure was built on the plantation.

A preserved Louisiana plantation landmark positioned primarily as an architectural, cultural, and historical heritage property rather than as a conventional commercial brand.

• Architectural heritage · 1837

  Historic plantation house

  The principal offering is the surviving 1837 plantation residence, a Greek Revival structure with Louisiana Creole influences. Its monumental double gallery, large columns, interconnected parlors, cabinet-loggia, tall sliding doors, and historic water-collection system make it a significant example of regional plantation architecture.

• Heritage tourism · 2008

  Public tours

  Bocage offered public tours after the 2008 restoration, presenting the residence, grounds, architectural details, and historical context to visitors. The supplied material states that the public-tour operation closed permanently in 2015.

• Hospitality · 2008

  Bed-and-breakfast accommodation

  For the year 2008, the restored plantation house operated as a bed-and-breakfast in addition to hosting public tours. No current hospitality operation is identified in the supplied sources.

• Screen production location · 1974

  Film location

  The historic setting has been used for filmed productions, including The Autobiography of Ms. Jane Pittman and 12 Years a Slave. In the latter, the property represented Shaw Farm, and its upper gallery appeared in a scene.

• 2008

  Reopen the restored property as a heritage and hospitality venueStrategy

  Background

  Following acquisition and restoration by Dr. Marion Rundell, the property was repositioned for a period as a bed-and-breakfast and public-tour destination.

  Action taken

  The restored house opened for accommodation and visitor tours during 2008, while historical research and landscape work continued.

  Aftermath

  The public-facing operation was permanently closed in 2015. Current access and commercial use are not established by the supplied references.

  Source

1. 1Bocage Plantationen.wikipedia.org