Historic House Collection
The Friends of Magnolia Mound with the expertise of Curator H. Parrott Bacot assembled the collection of furniture and artifacts to represent the life of the early 19th century French and Creole family: the Duplantiers. Early research focused on the lives of the occupants of the property from 1790-1827: builder John Joyce, his Creole widow, Constance Rochon, and her second husband, Armand Allard Duplantier, a French émigré and associate of the Marquis de Lafayette. Early archaeological excavations on the site located the site of the kitchen dependency (subsequently reconstructed) and artifacts provided valuable information on the ceramics used in the house. Contemporary wills survived from the Duplantiers, but the all-important inventories of household items were missing from their succession (probate) files at the East Baton Rouge Courthouse.
Fortunately, a nearly contemporaneous inventory survived from the estate of Armand Duplantier’s uncle, Claude Trenonay of Pointe Coupee Parish and provided the context of decorative furnishings in a typical Creole plantation. Additional local inventories of Duplantier contemporaries of similar wealth and backgrounds were also used to develop a furniture plan for the Magnolia Mound historic house. Later, scientific paint analysis determined original exterior and interior paint colors and subsequently, a professional restoration architect completed a historic structures report to consolidate and synthesize all available historic documentation to guide a more complete restoration. None of the furniture in the house belonged to the Duplantiers but they are from the museum period of interpretation that goes from the late 18th century to about 1830.
FLOOR PLAN
LA CHAMBRE DES GARÇONS - BOYS’ BEDROOM
The furnishing of the house reflects the traditional hierarchy of public and private spaces within the home and the family. The boys’ bedroom, originally two small rooms, served as a more private, family space. A north–south beam marks the original partition. The east wall has been intentionally left uncovered to reveal the bousillage entre poteaux construction—a mixture of mud and Spanish moss covered with plaster. All of the furniture in this tertiary room, with the exception of the child’s “campeachy” chair, was crafted in Louisiana.
LE SALON PARLOR
The most important room in the house, aside from the dining room, is the parlor, or salon. The cove ceiling, constructed of tongue-and-groove boards, was part of the Duplantier family’s remodeling and is the earliest surviving example of its kind in the Mississippi Valley. The woodwork in this room—including the molding, the rosette above the chandelier, and the chimney—demonstrates skilled craftsmanship and a harmonious blend of French and Anglo-American styles.
LA CHAMBRE DES PARENTS – MAIN BEDROOM
The fourth room of the original 1791 house is the parents’ bedroom. In keeping with traditional household hierarchy, the master bedroom was furnished more elegantly than the boys’ bedroom. The finer furniture and decorative details reflect the status of the room’s primary occupants and the social distinctions within the family.
LA CHAMBRE DES FILLES – SOUTHWEST SIDE BEDROOM
This section of the house was originally part of the gallery, later closed in to create additional bedrooms. Located near the parents’ room, this room likely served as the girls’ bedroom. Following the household hierarchy, it was furnished more elegantly than the boys’ bedroom and the other secondary rooms.
LA CHAMBRE CÔTÉ SUD - MIDDLE SIDE BEDROOM
This bedchamber may have served as a boy's bedroom or as guest accommodation, reflecting the flexible use of private rooms in early 19th-century homes.
LA CHAMBRE CÔTÉ SUD-EST - SOUTHEAST SIDE BEDROOM
This last bedchamber may have served as a boy's bedroom or as guest accommodation, reflecting the flexible use of private rooms in early 19th-century homes.
L’ENTRÉE DE SERVICE - STAIR HALL
The stairs lead to an attic that was used for storage and also served as insulation to keep the rooms below cooler during the long, torrid summers of the Deep South.
LA SALLE À MANGER - DINING ROOM
Situated across the middle of the rear, or eastern, elevation of the house—a typical feature of Creole plans—the dining room is the second most important public space in the residence. The concept of a separate dining room had only emerged in Europe in the mid-18th century and was just beginning to appear in early 19th-century America. Like the salon, the ceiling is made of tongue-and-groove boards, and a wooden cornice features a continuous lozenge pattern.
LE BUREAU DE LA PLANTATION – PLANTATION OFFICE
Abutting the dining room on the north side is a space designated as the office/bedchamber. This room likely served dual purposes, functioning both as a private workspace and as sleeping quarters, reflecting the practical use of space in early 19th-century Creole homes.
