Alma

ALMA PLANTATION
Lakeland, LA

This house was constructed ca. 1825 along the banks of False River in Pointe Coupee Parish, LA. The plantation was owned by Julian Poydras and I was asked by the current owner to determine if this was Julian Poydra's house. What I discovered was a remarkable example of how a house changes over time. From it's original early 19th century form and appearance to the current appearnce, it has been continuously added on to and altered to continue it's useful life to this day! A study of this kind involves a complete documentation of the building from the crawl space to the attic. The crawl space reveals the original sills and floor joists which are still intact and in their as-built configuration. All subsequent additions are revealed by comparing materials and method of construction. Often, family history, land and title research allows a pretty accurate reconstruction of the time periods when the house was altered. As the family grew, the house grew along with it. I was able to identify five distinct periods of growth for this house.