About this property
San Francisco Plantation House is a historic plantation house in Reserve, St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana. Built in 1853–1856, it is one of the most architecturally distinctive plantation houses in the American South. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974. It is on the property of the Garyville Refinery. The San Francisco Plantation House is located on the north bank of the Mississippi River, separated from the river by Louisiana Highway 44 and a levee. The house stands on about 8 acres (3.2 ha) of land, now surrounded by a farm of oil tanks. It is a 1+1⁄2-story structure, set on a full-height basement. The basement has a brick floor, reportedly 6 feet (1.8 m) deep, with brick piers rising to support the main structure. Side-facing divided staircases lead to the main floor, which is sheltered on three sides by an ornate porch, supported by fluted columns with iron Corinthian capitals. It has deeply overhanging decorative cornice, which in profile gives the house a styling called "Steamboat Gothic". The house is topped by a dormered hip roof. The interior is also richly decorated, with paintings attributed to New Orleans artist Dominique Canova on ceiling and door panels. The house is traditionally ascribed a construction date of 1853–1856, and may include elements of an older building. It was built for Edmond Marmillion. The unusual name “San Francisco” is believed to be derived from Edmond's oldest surviving son, Valsin's comment about the extraordinary debt he was confronted with when taking over the estate. He declared he was sans fruscins or “without a penny in my pocket.” The name evolved into St. Frusquin and, in 1879, was changed into “San Francisco” by the next owner, Achille D. Bougère. It is owned by Marathon Petroleum Corporation, which acquired the property when it bought the Garyville Refinery in the mid-1970s. It was open as a museum and event facility until 2022. National Register of Historic Places listings in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana Frances Parkinson Keyes (1885–1970), author of a novel called Steamboat Gothic
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about San Francisco Plantation House
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Questions about this property
When was San Francisco Plantation House listed on the National Register?
San Francisco Plantation House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 29, 1974.
What type of historic resource is San Francisco Plantation House?
San Francisco Plantation House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is San Francisco Plantation House a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. San Francisco Plantation House has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.
What is the period of significance for San Francisco Plantation House?
The period of significance for San Francisco Plantation House is recorded as the early_republic era, specifically around 1853.
Can I research the history near San Francisco Plantation House?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near San Francisco Plantation House will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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