Shadows on the Teche

     Surviving the Civil War and the Reconstruction Period, Shadows on the Teche is one of Louisiana's outstanding Antebellum homes. Now owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Iberia Parish plantation home is in outstanding condition, having undergone a series of repair and restoration projects. Not only is this remarkable sugar plantation home well preserved, but an extensive collection of the family’s papers have been saved. Last of Weeks-Hall lineage, William Weeks-Hall donated nearly 17,000 documents, including his family's letters, invoices and photographs to the trust.
     Built along the Bayou Teche deep in Cajun Country, Shadows on the Teche followed a Greek Revival style, known to omit excessive decorative elements. The simple facade was set off by a series of columns and a second story veranda. Exterior stairs eliminated hallways, and opposing windows took advantage of summer breezes. Built in 1834 on a 3000 acre sugar plantation, the home was occupied by Federal forces during the Civil War. Mary Week's insistence of staying on during the war may have spared the property. Relying heavily on slave labor, the plantation never fully recovered after the war, and family members were forced to sell off portions of the plantation in order to survive. William Weeks-Hall, fourth generation family member, donated the house, gardens and a wealth of the plantation's historic paperwork to the National Trust. Today, this National Historic Landmark is a favorite plantation tour stop, entertaining over 25,000 guests a year.

    Shadows on the Teche Directions