Evening star., 1940-04-07

so far from Baton Rouge, where Lit
tie Bayou Sara winds its way lei-
surely among the rolling Tunica
Hills and the rich black earth gives
way to the dark red soil, Ellerslie
Mansion lies.
This impressive structure with its
ivy-decked columns on three sides
Is said to be, along with nearby
Greenwood, one OF the two most
nearly perfect examples Of Greek re-
vival architecture in Louisiana. The
plain staircase at the front of the
building and the simple Doric cap
itals Of the columns are carved out
OF solid stone. The pillar them
selves, as we'll as the walls, are of
brick, baked on the grounds in kilns
built expressly for this purpose, and
covered with plaster.
A few miles south from Baton
Rouge on the west bank of the Mis-
sissippi, where the great yellow
stream makes one of its sweeping
curves, Nottaway Mansion was built
nearly a hundred years ago. Be-
cause its builder. John Hampton
Randolph, was from Virginia, the
architecture is more typical of that
State than Of Louisiana. The great
columns, for example, are square
rather than round as was the case
with other buildings constructed
during the Greek and classic revivals
In Louisiana.
There is a magnificent air about
this place. Massive cit contains 40
large. high-ceilinged rooms), it
nevertheless fails to give an impress
sion of bulk. Perhaps this is due
to the exquisite lines of the struc-
ture-the tall, well-spaced columns,
the graceful curves of the wings, the
elegant flexure of the double stair
way, the slender, elongated windows.
Set In framework of giant oaks
which throw moving shadows along
the deep verandas and wide porches,
Nottaway presents a picture not
soon forgotten.
Nottaway ut received its name
from Nottaway Creek and country
in Virginia) is a striking example Of
the soundness and wisdom of the
builders of century ago. In spite
OF the long passage of years since
its construction, this structure is as
habitable today as it was when John
Randolph moved in with his family
in the 1850's. Nottaway was a long
time In construction, nearly q half
dozen years.
Bricks Baked on Plantation.
Less one given to fiippant criti-
cism should cite this as an example
Of the lassitude commonly thought
prevalent in the South, it must be
remembered that no ordinary effort
! was put into the construction OF
these old buildings Bricks were
nodded and baked on the plantation
grounds, nails were hammered out,
iron work was either imported or
forged In the New Orleans smithies,
and plantation trees were cut and
the timber allowed several years to
season less the slightest warp should
appear in the floors or the least
shrinkage cause the plastered walls
to crack. The interior of the home
is no less elegant than the outside.
Long Railways, staircases with
graceful. curving balustrades, marble
mantelpieees. glass chandeliers and
paneled doorways-all conform to
the good taste that prevails in the
entirety.
Typically Louisiana Architecture.
An entirely different type of plan
tation home, with an architecture
more native to Louisiana. are those
which first appeared more than q
hundred years ago, prior to the
classical revival. A few miles out
from the picturesque little town OF
Natchitoches, on the banks of the
narrow Cane River, is a typical ex-
ample of this architecture which
many people believe harmonizes
better with the Louisiana rural
scene than does the great, near
urban Greek" homes. Melrose
Manor, built around 1880. is a two
story structure of brick and packed
earth, which has withstood wonder
fully the viciSsitudes of time and is
today as habitable as it was In the
beginning.
1t was built by Louis Metoyer, a
native. of Santo Domingo. His sue
cess in the Cane River section
quickly attracted others and within
short time the country was thickly
populated and quite wealthy. Me-
foyer. when he had first settled on
the Cane River some time prior to
1920, had built a home which was
simply a large room with packed
earthen walls; now that he was
wealthy, he decided to build on a
more elaborate scale. Thus, Mel
(See PLANTATIONS, Page C-10)