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| The Kent Plantation House outbuildings are extensive, and appropriately furnished. They contain many quality antiques dating prior to 1855. All of the outbuildings interpret rural Louisiana life from 1796 to 1855. Click on a picture to enlarge. |
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Milk House Circa 1820-1830. This building was used for the preparation and storage of dairy products. Displays include a creamer which allowed the cream to be skimmed from the surface of the milk and churns in which milk or cream is agitated to separate out the butter. A cistern similar to the one located next to the milk house was used to keep the dairy products cool. |
Open Hearth Kitchen
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Circa 1840-1860. This building is an example of Louisiana construction that uses the hand- molded, sun-dried, brick-between-post structure. It is complete with a wood burning, open-hearth fireplace and bread oven. Kitchens were separate from the main house due to frequent damaging fires. All meals would be prepared in this building and quickly carried into the main house. Weekly cooking demonstrations are held annually from October to April. |
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Slave Cabin There are two examples of the hand-molded, sun-dried, brick-between- post slave cabins located on the grounds. The oldest, circa 1820 - 40, contains two ceilingless rooms flanking a center fireplace. More than one slave family would have lived in this sparsely furnished building. The exterior of the doors and windows are painted brownish-red. Among slave beliefs was one that evil spirits could be kept at bay by painting the windows, doors and porch timbers this color. |
Eden Building Circa 1830. The structure is a rare example of a mortised and pegged building. Its actual purpose is unknown, but it is though to have been a building used to store grain. Presently it is used to house the spinning wheel and loom displays. |
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Carriage House Circa 1820-1830. The carriage house construction is of large hand hewn logs, notched and held together at the corners. One of the very few surviving log buildings in the state, it possesses most of its original hand-forged hardware. Also displayed are antique horse-drawn carriages and related equine rigging, harnesses and equipment. |
Barn Circa 1815-1830. The barn would have been used to store corn in the two cribs and hay might have been stored above the crib with the window. Located inside the barn are a tool display, tool drawings, a turpentine exhibit, and a farm equipment exhibit. |
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Blacksmith Shop The blacksmith shop is a reproduction building utilizing salvaged timbers from a cabin, circa 1815 - 1830, that was located on Wemple Plantation. A working blower-forge sits surrounded by sledges, hammers, chisels, an anvil, a wooden water bucket and other smithing tools. |
Sugar Mill The sugar house is the only known operating structure of its kind in existence. It is an accurate reproduction depicting the sugar making process circa 1840. The sugar house contains a series of four kettles of varying sizes. Each kettle has a specific purpose and name. Also on display are two metal, wheeled, sugar hot room cars (called sugar babies). These heavy metal carts were used to store and move the brown sugar used in the seeding process from the warehouses to the sugar house. Sugar making is demonstrated in early November after the cane is harvested |
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Admission
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3601 Bayou Rapides Road Alexandria, Louisiana Phone: 318-487-5998 Fax: 318-442-4154 Email admin@kenthouse.org |
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