A huge fire destroyed the former Nottoway Plantation in White Castle, Louisiana, last week. The blaze burned for nearly 40 hours, completely leveling the 53,000-square-foot mansion. Videos of the fire quickly spread across social media, with many viewers expressing relief and even joy at the loss of the site, which has a dark and painful history.
Nottoway Plantation was once one of the largest slave-owning estates in the South. Enslaved Black people were forced to work the land under brutal and violent conditions. Stories passed down describe people being tortured, raped, and mutilated on the property. For generations, the plantation stood as a symbol of cruelty and oppression.
In more recent years, Nottoway was rebranded. It became a museum, a wedding venue, and a tourist attraction — but many people felt that this makeover was an attempt to cover up the horrors that happened there.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Louisiana Fire Marshals. So far, there’s no word on whether it was an accident or something more. But for many people, especially descendants of those who suffered there, the destruction of Nottoway Plantation feels like a powerful end to a painful chapter in history.