The african 'maison de trente' in Louisiana

摘要

Slaves from West Africa influenced the architectural style and construction techniques in Louisiana. They brought traditional know-how that proved appropriate for the climatic conditions in the south of the United States. Several years ago, I visited some of the plantation homes along the Mississippi River, outside New Orleans. It was not my first visit to the area, but I had never before wanted to visit them. This time, however, I ventured out to see these beautiful places that once witnessed so much human suffering. I was silenced when I saw one-room slave cabins built on raised wooden posts, weathered by time, but still standing. The first site I visited was Laura Plantation. La maison principale or manor house was built in 1805, on land granted to the French owner by President Thomas Jefferson.