Cane River Creole National Historical Park Oakland Plantation Gin Complex. Historic Structure Report

摘要

The Gin Complex at Oakland Plantation, Cane River Creole National Historical Park, Natchez, Louisiana is a part of one of the most complete collections of plantation structures in the possession of the National Park Service. The National Park Service acquired the property in 1998. Of the original Gin Complex structures, only the Seed House and the Cistern remain, though remnants of the engine mounts for the steam and diesel engines that powered the cotton processing machinery during the productive life of the Gin Complex can be seen at the site. The Seed House was in an advanced state of decline at the time the National Park Service undertook stewardship of the site. The Park Service staff have since stabilized and rehabilitated the Seed House to facilitate converting it for use as a park maintenance facility. This report is intended to provide the historical background of the Gin Complex and the plantation that it served, to detail the existing condition of the remaining features and the probable configuration of those that are missing, and to provide recommendations for continued preservation and restoration of the Gin Complex features to enable the Park to make informed decisions regarding its use and maintenance.