24/Sep/2007
Sunday, Oct. 21, 1-5 p.m.
The Fourth Annual Fall Festival of Homes will be sponsored once again
by the Zachary Historic Village on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 21, 1 – 5 p.m.
A wine and cheese party will follow at 5:30 p.m. at the
Chapman-Miller-Kendrick House, which is one of the tour stops.
Also on this year’s tour is the Young-Harrell-Hudson House; the
Turnbull-Young-Brian-Mills House; the Dr. East-Troth House; and the Young
Family Cemetery. Plains Presbyterian Church, which is currently celebrating its
175th Anniversary, will also be a very special stop along the way this year.
Town Hall Museum
Tickets for the Tour of Homes, the Cemetery Tour and the Tour of Plains
Presbyterian are $20 each.
They are on
sale prior to the Tour at the Old Town Hall Museum and on Sunday, Oct. 21, they
will be on sale at the McHugh House.
Unfortunately, the homes are antique structures, which were not built to
be handicap accessible.
Anyone requiring
further information on this exciting event may call (225) 654-1912.
All proceeds will be dedicated to the
rescue and reconstruction of Anniston Plantation.
Here are notes on this year’s tour stops:
Young – Harrell – Hudson Home
1840 Plains-Port Hudson Road
If the walls of the
Young-Harrell-Hudson House could talk, you might hear the voice of James Young
who settled in the upper Plains in 1796. He was awarded a Spanish Land Grant in
August of that year, consisting of 500 arpents. Young then moved his family to
the Plains, and soon he built them a home. He married Judith Coleman Baker, and
they raised 12 children.
The original house had four rooms with a center hall. Mrs. Young died in 1823. At the time of her death they owned four tracts of land. The original tract of 500 arpents known as the Home Place was where James built their home. You must see and hear the history to appreciate this house. The house has also been visited by a couple of ghosts. Owners Roger and Sharon Hudson renovated the home and furnished it with beautiful antiques.
The Dr. East –Troth Home
23700 Hwy. 964
Dr. Albert L. East built the East-Troth house in 1914. Dr. East married Annie Young. They raised six children and their fourth child is Annie East who married Henry M. Troth. (Miss Annie East still lives on Pride Port Hudson Road and she is now 93 years young).
Through the years the home has remained in the East – Troth family. Today the grandson, John E. Troth, Jr. (Chip) and his wife Amy, own the house. Chip Troth is the fifth generation of the East family to own the property. The first East was Dr. Augustus L. East, who was a surgeon for the confederate forces during the Civil War. He was stationed at Centenary College then in Jackson, LA during this time.
Dr. Augustus L. East moved his family from Jackson to the
Upper Plains after the war. On Nov. 9, 1887, he purchased 105 acres and the
house from Robert T. Young. There was a racetrack on the back part of the
property, and Mrs. East, the former Mary Arabella Long of New Orleans, was very
fond of horse racing. The home was on part of the John Turnbull Land Grant.
Dr. Albert East inherited the home. The original house burned in 1913, and Dr. Albert East rebuilt the present house in 1914. Chip and Amy East have completely renovated and furnished the home with beautiful antiques. This one is a must see.
Turnbull – Young – Brian – Mills House
22552 Old Scenic Highway
This home was on the tour in 2004. The original part of the house is a 16-by-28 foot one-room structure of Anglo Construction. The post and beam in the four corners are hand – hewn and pegged.
The original part of the house is believed to date to the late 1700s. Over time, there were numerous renovations and additions. Betsy and Wilmer Mills own the home today. They have restored the Turnbull – Young – Brian – Mills house since they purchased it in 1998 and moved it 800 yards over near a pond to their property off Old Scenic Highway. For Betsy and Wilmer Mills the project has been a labor of love, and they use the historic house as their art studio.
This year the Mills are once again opening the house for the
tour. They are also sponsoring an art show featuring their work along with
other artists, writers, poets, musicians, potters, craft and jewelry artisans,
all of who are descendants of the house. All descendants of the house are
invited to participate. Call the Zachary Historic Village 225-654-1912, or
Betsy Mills 225-654-9372 for more information.
Descendants of Sylvia Turnbull Holsten Young, daughter of John Turnbull,
who are interested in participating in the Art Show, may also contact Zachary
Historic Village Museum.
Chapman – Miller – Kendrick House
4532 East Central Avenue
When the Mississippi River changed its course and washed away the port of Port Hudson, along with the other ports on the river that formerly serviced the farmers living in the Plains, it left them with no way to ship their cotton to the New Orleans Cotton Exchange. An alternate means of transportation had to be found.
In 1884, the railroad was built and served the people of the Plains. The train ran from Memphis to New Orleans, giving the farmers a way to ship their wares to New Orleans. The train stopped in Zachary, a depot was built and a town grew. Zachary boasted three cotton gins, and there were two subdivisions in Zachary at that time, The George Brown Tract and the Robert Flanders Tract.
The Chapman – Miller – Kendrick house was built on Lot 5 of the Robert Flanders tract. William Spencer bought Lot 5 from Robert Flanders for $100 and built the first part of the house on his lot. Spencer purchased the lot on Nov. 13, 1885. On Dec. 20, 1886, Mrs. Mary E. Chaney Chapman owned it. Mrs. Chapman made some changes in the house, and then it changed owners several times. Mr. Simon Miller owned it in 1897, and he also owned a mercantile store in Zachary. The Millers raised their family in the home.
The house changed owners again, and for a short time Robert
M. Annison owned it.
Next came N.H. de
Britton and then De Britton sold it to Cora E. Kendrick. The Kendrick family
owned the home for 55 years. In 1945, Gilbert Ayer purchased this beautiful
house from Annie Shaffett Kendrick.
Gilbert
Ayer’s widow sold it to Teri Joan Kent who was the last person to live in this
home.
Kent sold the house to Ronny
Lockett who is renovating.
He plans to
have it ready and open in time for this year’s Fall Festival of Homes Tour.
Young Family Cemetery
The Young Family Cemetery is
located on the Plains-Port Hudson Highway, a short distance from the Old Scenic
Highway, behind Plains Presbyterian Church.
James and Judith Coleman Young established the cemetery. It
was the custom in the early days to bury the dead in a family cemetery near the
plantation home. The Young’s buried their young children in this consecrated
place, and Mr. and Mrs. Young are also buried there in unmarked graves.
The land where the cemetery is located is on the old James
Young Land Grant. Robert T. Young, son of James, became the owner of the
property after the death of his father. On Oct. 28, 1874, Robert T. Young
donated four acres valued at $80 and also a 20-foot-wide drive from the
Plains–Port Hudson Road to the cemetery. Mrs. Elizabeth Young Lilly, wife of
Thomas W. Lilly accepted the donation for the family.
Today there are many descendants of James and Judith Young
who have been laid to rest in this beautiful and serene place.
Plains Presbyterian
Church
Old Scenic Highway
The Plains Presbyterian Church will celebrate its 175th
Anniversary this year in October and Zachary Historic Vill
age has been allowed
to celebrate with the church members.
The church is now offering worship in its fourth building. The first two buildings burned down. The congregation out grew the third building. The congregation uses the beautiful red brick-building, colonial in design, today.
Planning for this building started in 1956. It was completed for $125,000 and dedicated June 25, 1957. A. Hays Town, one of Baton Rouge’s most distinguished architects, designed it.
In the bell tower of the church there is a bell that dates back to the steamboat days. Mr. Ed Woodside purchased the bell on his plantation to use in calling his help from the fields. When he retired he donated the bell to the church.
It was hung originally in the third church building and it
rang often. The bell was transferred to the present building and rung at the
dedication.
On Oct. 28, 2007, the
Plains Church will celebrate 175 years of witnessing for the Lord, and the old
bell will ring again.
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