User:Btilm/kent plantation house

Kent Plantation House, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is Central Louisiana's oldest standing structure, depicts plantation life between 1795-1855. Dating to 1800, the bousillage Creole house and restored period outbuildings welcome visitors from throughout the U.S. and the world.

Building the Baillio House (later renamed Kent Plantation House)
Kent Plantation House displays many original artifacts from families that once worked and lived at the house.

Pierre II
Pierre Baillio II, whose parents are Pierre Baillio I of Negrepelisse, Quercy, France and Catherine Poissot of St. John the Baptist Parish was born on June 23, 1771. When Pierre II turned eighteen, he was given the opportunity to visit his relatives in France. He left to go to New Orleans, planning to board a ship. He then found out that the French Revolution has begun. He canceled this trip because he was likely to get dragged into the French army if he want to France.

During this trip to New Orleans, Pierre II met Jean Baptiste LaCour, who is a Point Coupee planter, and accepted a job offer on LaCour's plantation.

Construction begins
In 1796, construction on the Creole manor house began. Pierre II ordered his slaves to make and lay bricks.

The manor house, which was nine feet tall to prevent flooding, was built of cypress and bousillage.

The Baillio family moved in to the completed Baillio house on September 18, 1800. This house had two large rooms in the center. It had no interiors halls, but only interior doors that led to different rooms.

Pierre II died on January 8, 1824. His widow continued living in the house until her death in 1838. The house plus some land was sold to The Hynsons of Kent County, Maryland.

The Hynsons
* To be completed by me whenever I get a chance. Please do not delete this message.*

Kent House
Kent Plantation House is furnished with Federal, Sheraton, and Empire pieces as if they were still in use.

Outhouses
H. Parrott Bacot, former director of the Anglo-American Art Museum at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, lead the interior restoration so that the interior would look similar to how it looked when it was still in use.

There are many outbuildings scattered around the area.

The Milk House was built somewhere between 1820 and 1830 and is where people prepared and stored dairy products, such as cheese, milk, and butter.

The Slave Cabin shows an extravagant, yet accurate example of the horrid conditions in which the slaves lived.

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.''

Additional information
The admission fee for the plantation is $6.00 for adults, $5.00 for seniors (65 and above), $5 for military / AAA members, and $2 for children ages 6 through 12. Children under six years of age are admitted for free. Tours are at 9:00, 10:00, & 11:00 A.M. CST and 1:00, 2:00, & 3:00 P.M. CST. Kent Plantation House is open Monday through Saturday, 9 A.M. CST to 5 P.M. CST.