Possible historic discovery at Magnolia Mound Plantation is definite mystery

Possible historical discovery at Magnola Mound Plantation in Baton Rouge
(Gallery by Chelsea Brasted, | The Times-Picayune)

A construction crew at Baton Rouge's Magnolia Mound Plantation stumbled upon a line of bricks that offer a possible historical discovery and a definite mystery. The bricks appear to be the foundation of a building, but the structure doesn't appear on any historical maps of the site, according to a June 4, 2013 release.

"We’re not sure how old this (brick foundation) is or even what it is since we can’t find a record of it on any map," said John Sykes, Magnolia Mound Plantation director with BREC, in a prepared statement. "We are currently working with archaeologists to determine what it would take to properly expose the entire brick feature and research its origins. It would be great if it dates from our earliest historical period."

The crew that discovered the possible building foundation was working on the new Turner Visitor Center, which is being paid for through the 2004 Imagine Your Parks program and private donations . An area was being cleared for additional drainage when the bricks were found.

BREC hired Survey's Unlimited Research to observe the excavations during construction, and this is the third discovery made during this project. The previous two, however, were not deemed significant.

The discovery of the bricks will not slow completion of the visitor center because they are outside of the construction zone, according to a release.

Magnolia Mound Plantation was once the epicenter of a 950-acre complex that cultivated corn, cotton, tobacco and indigo, according to a dissertation filed with Louisiana State University. Under new owners, the plantation would eventually house about 50 slaves.
