Caspiana Plantation Store

Caspiana Plantation Store
Caspiana Plantation Store is located in Louisiana
Caspiana Plantation Store
Location1300 Texas Street, Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, U.S.
Coordinates31°46′13″N 93°05′47″W / 31.770278°N 93.096389°W / 31.770278; -93.096389
Built1906
NRHP reference No.92000583[1]
Added to NRHPJune 5, 1992
Caspiana Plantation Store side view

Caspiana Plantation Store is an American historic building and a former plantation store built in 1906, located at 1300 Texas Street in Natchitoches, Louisiana.[2][3] The store served as part of the crop-lien system, during the time of sharecropping which impacted the lives of many African American workers.[4]

It is listed as a National Register of Historic Places since June 5, 1992 for its agricultural history and significance.[5]

History

The Caspiana Plantation Store was part of the Caspiana Plantation, a Reconstruction-era cotton plantation built by William Joseph Hutchinson (1839–1913) and originally located in the unincorporated community of Caspiana in Caddo Parish, Louisiana.[6][7] The main house at the Caspiana Plantation is named Caspiana House, and is now part of the Pioneer Heritage Center at Louisiana State University Shreveport.[8][6]

The Caspiana Plantation Store allowed local sharecrop farmers to purchase seeds and equipment by using their future crop as collateral, which often trapped people in debt.[2] This store was most active from 1906 until 1942.[9] At one time there were hundreds of these plantation stores in the state, primarily found on the grounds of large plantations.[9]

In 1991, the plantation store was moved to the city of Natchitoches after the sale of the property.[2] The process of moving the building required it to be cut in half however despite the changes, it maintained much of its original features and is a rare example of plantation store architecture and history.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c "Caspiana Plantation Store". Cane River National Heritage Area: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary. National Park Service. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  3. ^ Bizier, Richard (1998-02-28). Louisiana. Pelican Publishing. p. 348. ISBN 978-1-56554-350-8.
  4. ^ Women's History Sites & Resources. National Collaborative for Women's History Sites. 2008. p. 70.
  5. ^ "Caspiana Plantation Store". NPGallery Asset Detail. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  6. ^ a b Lee, Malone. Louisiana Plantation Homes: A Return to Splendor. Pelican Publishing. p. 32. ISBN 978-1-4556-0780-8.
  7. ^ "Dictionary of Louisiana Biography - H". Louisiana Historical Association. Archived from the original on 2018-03-29. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  8. ^ Wildsmith, Henrietta. "Pioneer Heritage Center gives glimpse into settler life". The News-Star. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  9. ^ a b c "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Caspiana Plantation Store, #92000583". United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. June 5, 1992. Archived from the original on 2021-05-22.

Further reading