Homeplace Plantation, Hahnville, St Charles Parish, Louisiana
The house was originally built for the planter Fortier on a 10,000-acre tract of land facing the Mississippi River (a couple hundred feet away) and the Old Spanish Trail. Braddish Johnson acquired it before the Civil War.
At some time during the time of these first two owners, the dining room with a marble floor was located in the northeast corner of the basement; kitchen between the four live oaks; garconniere similar to the main house but smaller was off to the northwest and a corresponding one to balance. Carriage house and pigeonier, barn and an arc of 26 slave houses completed the plan to the rear.
D. Haydel owned it for a few years. P. A. Keller acquired the property in 1881. In 1899, extensive alterations and repairs were made. The ceiling of the first floor was raised from 9 feet to 12 feet, transoms placed over inside doors; outside stairs at north corner removed and middle flight to porch installed; brick paving laid at ground floor porch and in basement; new porch floor; doors changed; some fireplaces changed; kitchen moved; garconniere removed to adjoining farm where it now serves as framework for barn; cisterns changed; brick column caps repaired and revised. Since then two dormers have been removed; dormer sash (2-20-light sash) replaced; 5 chimneys capped off in roof space; galvanized iron gutters and roofing replace wood gutters and cover shingles. Some timbers around porch floor, granite blocks at foot of steps, old boiler now on brick piers used as cistern, huge cast iron kettles at barn, were removed from an old sugar mill on the property. Two bathrooms and dining room bay (all extending onto porch) were added. Wood grilles now at ground floor porch were removed from passage to ground floor dining room. Matched and beaded wainscot in south corner room and the kitchen (not now used as such) attached to rear of building, are not very old.
Records previous to 1855 were burned with the courthouse at Hahnville.
The house measures 85 feet by 54 feet, is two stories and a full attic with a two story porch on all sides.
