Nottoway Resort Plantation fire: Iconic antebellum mansion reduced to rubble, local residents react| Video
A devastating fire erupted at the historic Nottoway Resort Plantation in White Castle, Louisiana, on Thursday.
A devastating fire erupted at the historic Nottoway Resort Plantation in White Castle, Louisiana, on Thursday. Significant damage was reported to the mansion-turned-resort. Aftermath videos and photos from the scene showed a burned-down mansion and fire crews working. The blaze, reported around 2 PM local time, began on the second floor and spread to the south wing and third-floor attic, according to local outlets WBRZ and the New Orleans Advocate.
No guests were present, and no injuries were reported, but the full extent of the damage remains unclear as firefighting efforts continued into the evening.
Iberville Parish President Chris Daigle told WBRZ that staff noticed smoke before finding a room engulfed in flames. Approximately 40 firefighters battled the fire, which consumed parts of the south wing. Daigle noted that the mansion’s phased construction may preserve the central structure, offering hope for partial restoration.
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The Nottoway, built in 1859 by enslaved labor for planter John Hampden Randolph, spans 31 acres and features 40 rooms, tennis courts, and iconic white columns overlooking the Mississippi River. Its three-story Rotunda and oak-draped lawns are a historic draw, per the resort’s website.
The Iberville Parish Fire & Emergency Services Department has not yet commented. The fire’s cause is under investigation, and officials are assessing the structural impact on this National Register of Historic Places site.
"This thing was built in 1859, now we might just see the end of it," Jordan Ward, a deputy with the Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office, told The Advocate.
Several Iberville Parish residents reacted to the incident.
"It devastated me because it's been there so long you know? Cause we've been here 25 years," Iberville resident Margert Andre told WBRZ.
Another added, “Well, I mean, it's a part of history here in White Castle.”
