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Southern Gothic

Fire at the Nottoway Plantation and the History of Plantation Tourism

Southern Gothic

Southern Gothic Media LLC

True Crime, Documentary, Society & Culture, History

4.6836 Ratings

🗓️ 19 May 2025

⏱️ 31 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

On May 15th, 2025, flames tore through the largest surviving antebellum mansion in the South—Nottoway Plantation in White Castle, Louisiana. Within hours, the storied structure was reduced to a charred skeleton. But as officials made statements mourning the loss and news channels skirted larger issues, much of the public saw something different: the fire was a symbol of racial reckoning. In this special episode of Southern Gothic, we examine how Southern plantations like Nottoway went from sites of forced labor to luxurious resorts and wedding venues. From the Lost Cause myth and the rise of heritage tourism to the backlash against plantation weddings and the emergence of museums like Whitney Plantation, which aim to tell the real story of slavery-- join us as we explore the history of plantation tourism. Want to Listen to Southern Gothic Ad-Free? ⁠⁠Patreon: Ad-Free Episodes, Premium Releases, Bonus Content & More⁠⁠  ⁠⁠Southern Gothic Premium on Spotify⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Southern Gothic Premium on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Into History: History Without Interruption⁠⁠ Connect with Southern Gothic Media: Website:⁠⁠ SouthernGothicMedia.com⁠⁠ Merch Store:⁠⁠ https://www.southerngothicmedia.com/merch⁠⁠ Pinterest:⁠⁠ @SouthernGothicMedia⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠ @SouthernGothicMedia⁠⁠ Instagram:⁠⁠ @SouthernGothicMedia⁠⁠ X:⁠⁠ @SoGoPodcast⁠⁠ Advertise on this podcast: ⁠⁠[email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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1:04.3

Southern Gothic is a podcast that explores the history behind some of the American South's darkest days, greatest mysteries, and most chilling ghost stories.

1:19.6

The Just last Thursday, May 15th, a fire broke out at the Nottaway plantation in White Castle, Louisiana. It was the largest surviving

1:47.3

antebellum mansion in the south. Staff first saw smoke coming from a second floor bedroom in the

1:56.1

south wing just a little after two in the afternoon, and the authorities were quickly alerted, but by the time

2:04.1

local firefighters arrived, the flames had spread rapidly through this historic timber structure.

2:13.2

Nearly a dozen fire departments from surrounding parishes also rushed to the scene, and for two

2:20.0

grueling hours, about 40 firefighters worked to contain the blaze, yet despite their efforts

2:26.7

and belief that they had succeeded, later that evening, embers reignited, and flames raged forth once again, tearing through the entire main house.

2:41.1

By 7.30, the mansion was a total loss.

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