Kent Plantation House
Introduction '''Kent Plantation House''' is the oldest standing structure in Central Louisiana. Listed since 1971 in the National Register of Historic Places, Kent House is located in Alexandria in Rapides Parish. The plantation house is a representation of southern plantation life between 1795 and 1855.The main structure was erected in 1800 with the labor of people enslaved by Pierre Baillio. The bousillage Creole house and restored period outbuildings are now a showcase for tourists.
History Kent Plantation House displays original artifacts from people who worked and lived at the house during its operation.===Buildings===H. Parrott Bacot, former director of the Anglo-American Art Museum at Louisiana State University  in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, led the interior restoration.The several outbuildings surrounding the main structure are furnished with Federal, Sheraton, and Empire pieces.The Milk House was built between 1820 and 1830; dairy products, such as cheese, milk, and butter, were prepared and stored there. The Slave Cabin shows the primitive conditions in which the slaves at the plantation lived. The Blacksmith Shop was constructed about 1815.The Kitchen contains an open hearth fireplace for cooking.===Marker Text===The marker at the front entrance of the Kent Plantation House reads:''Kent House, the oldest known standing structure in Rapides Parish, was built by Pierre Baillio, completed in 1800.Baillio constructed the house on land received through a Spanish land grant circa 1794. ''The house was actually built by enslaved people, not Ballio himself.
See also *Peggy Bolton
Gallery Kent House, Alexandria, LA, closeup of building IMG_4211.JPG|Close-up of the plantation houseKent Plantation House Visitor Center, Alexandria, LA IMG_4182.JPG|Visitor CenterTour guide at Kent Plantation House, Alexandria, LA IMG 4216.JPG|Outdoor tour guide at Kent HouseMilk House, Kent Plantation House, Alexandria, LA IMG_4212.JPG|Milk House (constructed prior to 1830)Utensils inside the Milk House at Kent Plantation House IMG_4186.JPG|Various utensils inside the Milk HouseKitchen at Kent Plantation House, Alexandria, LA IMG_4214.JPG|KitchenOpen hearth cooking, Kent Plantation House IMG_4213.JPG|Open-hearth cooking on the plantation; still done on a weekly basis by the Kent House staffLaundry facilities at Kent House, Alexandria, LA IMG 4219.JPG|Laundry roomBarn at Kent House, Alexandria, LA IMG_4234.JPG|Barn at Kent HouseBlacksmith shop, Kent Plantation House IMG_4228.JPG|Blacksmith shopBamboo hammer, Kent House, Alexandria, LA IMG 4227.JPG|A wooden hammerCotton plants at Kent Plantation House, Alexandria, LA IMG_4229.JPG|Cotton stalks at Kent HouseOak tree at Kent House in Alexandria, LA IMG_4245.JPG|Towering oak tree at Kent HouseSyrup-making center at Kent House, Alexandria, LA IMG_4247.JPG|The center for the making of cane syrup at Kent HouseCane syrup at Kent Plantation House, Alexandria, LA, IMG_4238.JPG|Cane syrup in trough is ready for use.Bottle tree, Kent House, Alexandria, LA IMG_4246.JPG|Bottle tree, according to southern tradition, would ward off evil spirits.Bousillage exhibit, Kent House, Alexandria, LA IMG_4188.JPG|Bousillage, a mixture of clay and grass, is a key building material of Kent House.Indoor tour guide at Kent House, Alexandria, LA IMG_4208.JPG|Indoor tour guide at Kent HouseDining table at Kent House, Alexandria, LA IMG_4191.JPG|Dining table; the wooden fan from the ceiling was attached to a rope and powered by servants for cooling the room.Parlor at Kent House, Alexandria, LA IMG_4196.JPG|Parlor, where tea, an expensive item in that day, was servedBoys' bed at Kent House, Alexandria, LA IMG_4189.JPG|Boys' bedroomGirls' bedroom at Kent House, Alexandria, LA IMG_4201.JPG|Girls' bedroomMaster bedroom at Kent Plantation House, Alexandria, LA IMG_4206.JPG|Master bedroomBathtub at Kent House, Alexandria, LA IMG_4207.JPG|Bathtub in master bedroom
References
External links * Kent Plantation House - official site