Chretien Point Plantation
Chretien Point Plantation is a historic Louisiana plantation mansion and hospitality venue associated with Civil War history, local folklore, lodging, and weddings.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Chretien Point Plantation is a pre-Civil War red-brick mansion and historic property in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, near the community of Sunset. The surviving house stands on approximately twenty acres along Bayou Bourbeaux and is recognized for its architectural, historical, and cultural associations. The property is not principally a consumer brand or manufactured-product business; its public identity is built around the preservation and interpretation of a historic plantation site and its use as a hospitality and event venue. The land entered the documented colonial record through a Spanish land grant to Louis St. Germain in 1776. Joseph Chretien acquired the property in 1781, establishing the association with the Chretien family that ultimately gave the plantation its name. His grandson, Hipolyte Chretien II, began constructing the large two-story residence in 1831. The twelve-room mansion was completed in 1835, when Hipolyte moved into it with his wife, Felicité. The plantation economy was based on cotton cultivation and depended on the forced labor of more than 500 enslaved people. Historical accounts also describe the family’s landholdings as expanding substantially during Felicité’s later management, although the precise extent is reported rather than firmly established in the available reference material. The property is particularly associated with the American Civil War. Two engagements took place in or near the plantation area in 1863. The Battle of Buzzard’s Prairie was fought on October 15 in the fields in front of the mansion during a Union expedition across Louisiana. Union forces initially advanced, but Confederate cavalry counterattacked and drove the Union line back before being repelled. The Battle of Bayou Bourbeux, also known as the Battle of Grand Coteau or Carrion Crow Bayou, followed on November 3–4. These events place the plantation within the military history of the Red River region and the broader Union campaign in Louisiana. According to the property’s historical tradition, the mansion survived the Civil War because Hipolyte, ill in bed, went onto the balcony with assistance and offered a white flag to the approaching Union commander. The two men were reportedly Freemasons, and the house was spared, while slave quarters and other outbuildings were burned. The account is part of the site’s established lore and should be distinguished from independently verified documentary history. The property is also linked by tradition to the pirate Jean Lafitte, who is said to have lived there for a period and played poker with Felicité Chretien. Stories about Felicité defending the house against an intruder further contribute to the plantation’s folklore. In the modern period, the property was purchased by Kristine Nations and incorporated as Chretien Point Plantation, LLC. It has operated as a bed-and-breakfast and wedding venue, extending the site’s role from historic residence into destination hospitality and private events. Local ghost stories and other legends are central to its public cultural profile. The 2015 horror film The Final Project drew on local folklore associated with Chretien Point Plantation, giving the property visibility beyond Louisiana’s historic-preservation community. The mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Its significance therefore rests on the combination of antebellum architecture, plantation-era history, Civil War associations, African American and enslavement history, regional folklore, and adaptive reuse as a lodging and event property. Available reference material does not establish a current operating schedule, a current official website, or a fully documented present ownership and management structure.
History
Chretien Point Plantation occupies land documented through a 1776 Spanish grant to Louis St. Germain. Joseph Chretien purchased the property in 1781, beginning the long connection between the site and the Chretien family. His grandson, Hipolyte Chretien II, initiated construction of the plantation’s principal residence in 1831. The two-story, twelve-room red-brick mansion was completed in 1835, after which Hipolyte and his wife, Felicité, made it their home. The plantation was a cotton-producing estate whose operations relied on the forced labor of more than 500 enslaved people. This history is fundamental to understanding the property and its place within Louisiana’s antebellum plantation system. After Hipolyte died of yellow fever in 1839, Felicité assumed management and is reported to have expanded the estate’s holdings considerably. The available account gives a later reported figure of 10,000 acres, but does not provide sufficient documentation to treat that figure as definitive. Chretien Point became connected with the military history of the Civil War during the 1863 Union campaign in Louisiana. The Battle of Buzzard’s Prairie occurred on October 15, 1863, on the plantation grounds and in the fields before the mansion. Union forces associated with the Army of the Gulf advanced during an expedition intended to support the invasion of Texas. Confederate cavalry under Brigadier General Thomas Green counterattacked, temporarily disrupting the Union line before Union reinforcements restored the position and forced the Confederates away. A second engagement, the Battle of Bayou Bourbeux, took place on November 3–4, 1863, in the surrounding area. It is also known as the Battle of Grand Coteau or the Battle of Carrion Crow Bayou. Together, the engagements place Chretien Point within the contested military landscape of south-central Louisiana during the war. One of the best-known preservation stories concerns the mansion’s survival when Union troops approached with orders associated with destroying plantation property. Historical tradition holds that Hipolyte, suffering from fever, was helped onto the balcony and raised a white flag. The Union commander and Hipolyte were reportedly both Freemasons, and the house was spared. The enslaved-person quarters and other outbuildings were nevertheless burned. This narrative is important to the site’s identity but contains elements of local tradition that should not be confused with independently corroborated military documentation. The property is also associated with Jean Lafitte in local accounts. Lafitte is said to have stayed at the plantation and to have participated in poker games with Felicité, who was also reputed to have learned to smoke cigars from him. Another frequently repeated story says that Felicité confronted an intruder at night and shot him from the staircase. These stories, together with later ghost narratives, form a substantial part of the property’s folklore-oriented appeal. In the twentieth century, the mansion’s historic value was formally recognized when Chretien Point Plantation was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. In the modern era, the property was purchased by Kristine Nations and incorporated as Chretien Point Plantation, LLC. It subsequently operated as a bed-and-breakfast and wedding site, adapting the historic residence for hospitality and private functions while retaining its identity as a heritage property. The plantation’s reputation also entered popular culture. The 2015 horror film The Final Project was based on local folklore surrounding Chretien Point. Today, the site is best understood as a historic house and destination venue rather than a conventional product brand. Its significance combines architecture, plantation and enslavement history, Civil War interpretation, preservation, lodging, event hosting, and supernatural folklore.
- 2015
Folklore reaches popular cinema
[1]The horror film The Final Project used local folklore associated with Chretien Point Plantation.
- 1977
National Register listing
[1]Chretien Point Plantation was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1863
Civil War battles in the plantation area
[1]The Battle of Buzzard’s Prairie took place on October 15, followed by the Battle of Bayou Bourbeux on November 3–4 in the surrounding area.
- 1839
Death of Hipolyte Chretien II
[1]Hipolyte Chretien II died of yellow fever, after which Felicité took over management of the plantation.
- 1835
Mansion completed
[1]The two-story, twelve-room mansion was completed and occupied by Hipolyte Chretien II and Felicité.
- 1831
Construction of the mansion begins
[1]Hipolyte Chretien II began building the large red-brick plantation residence.
- 1781
Joseph Chretien acquires the property
[1]Joseph Chretien purchased the property, establishing the family connection from which the plantation name developed.
- 1776
Spanish land grant recorded
[1]The land later associated with Chretien Point Plantation was granted by the Spanish government to Louis St. Germain.
Products and positioning
A preserved Louisiana historic property positioned around antebellum architecture, Civil War history, local legends, overnight hospitality, and private events.
Historic property · 1835
Historic mansion
The principal offering is the preserved pre-Civil War residence: a two-story, twelve-room red-brick mansion completed in 1835. Its architectural character, survival through the Civil War, and association with regional plantation history form the foundation of the property’s visitor and hospitality appeal.
Hospitality
Bed-and-breakfast accommodation
After its incorporation under Chretien Point Plantation, LLC, the historic property operated as a bed-and-breakfast. The available reference material does not specify room inventory, rates, amenities, or the current operating status.
Events
Wedding and event venue
The plantation has also operated as a wedding site and private-event venue, using the historic mansion and grounds as a setting for celebrations. Specific packages, capacity, and current availability are not established by the supplied sources.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/chretien-point-plantation · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled