Because some of the ground-level cypress flooring has rotted out, parts of the pyramidal brick foundation of the massive house are visible. In the attic, the wooden pegs and mortise-joints that hold the hulking beams of the gently pitched roof can be seen. Also on the property is a ramshackle slave shanty. Ashland was completed in 1841 for Duncan Kenner, a lawyer, planter and legislator who served the Confederate government in various capacities. As inveterate horseman, he had a personal race track on the estate.
Horses still roam the grounds.
The name of the plantation was changed to Belle Helene in 1889 when John B. Reuss bought the property. Like the other plantations on the tour, Ashland-Belle Helene grew sugar. For all the faithful restored homes to come the rest of the day, the haunting grace of this home will be hard to forget. When leaving, turn right, and after a short distance, turn left at River Road and drive 6.9 miles downriver. As in all the plantation homes not open to the public, however, there's space to pull over on the side of the road.