Page 38, March 11, 1979 - Sunday News

By ELIZABETH
TOUCHETTE

Entering the grounds of
Melrose Plantation, at
Natchitoches, Louisiana, is
like stepping into a setting
for ‘Roots’.

_ The ‘big’ . house and
cabins, ° including one of
distinctive _ African ar-
chitecture, can be glimpsed
beyond the twisted branches
of the enormous: live oak
that dominates the tranquil
scene. Melrose is in the
process of loving restoration
by the Association for the

Preservation of Historic
- Natchitoches. :

Pronounced Nakatush, it
is the oldest city in the
Louisiana Purchase.
Founded by ai French
Canadian, Louis Juchereau
de St. Denis in 1714, it claims
to have been integrated for
200 years. Boosters use

Melrose as an example.

Melrose Plantation ‘was
first owned by Marie

Therese Coincoin. Born a
slave on the St. Denis:
plantation she was
bequeathed —

to a_ white

children, freed.

planter, Pierre © -Metoyer,
who became the father of

" ten of her fourteen childrén.

a

Metoyer freed her and .

then. was pressured to end

their liaison and marry a=

white woman. He deeded a
small land grant to Marie
Therese. A larger grant was

- made to her in the name of |
Spanish King and.

the
another grant went to -her
slave son. Louis. ‘She
managed his lands until
Metoyer was able to. have
him, and eventually all their

This 44-year-old illiterate
black woman with the help
of family and her own slaves

- Fan a lucrative operation at

what: she called Yucca
plantation. —

Succeeding generations

did not fare as well. The

property was decimated and
according _to local lore,
finally lost as a -gambling
debt.

Whites took over. They
changed the name _ to
Melrose and attempted
unsuccessfully to erase the
Plantation’s black history.

ou’ll love it on the plantation —

In 1898 Joseph. Henry
acquired the property and
his son’s wife, known as Miss
Cammie, became ‘the
Mistress of Melrose. She
quickly turned it into a
haven for artists and writers.

As long as her protegees

» produced, they could live,

free of charge, in refur-

bished slave cabins that she’

brought to Melrose from her
own land and other plan-
tations. Rachel Field,
Harnett’ Kane,
Franken, and. Lyle Saxon
were among her best-seller
authors.

Rose

Miss Cammie had a
weavers cabin, too, and a
bindery. (In-fact these were |
the first buildings to. be
festored. A weaver is
already in residence
reproducing quilts and
coverlets from early samples
for the scon to be furnished
‘big’ house and for eager
tourists.)

‘The Henrys -had a cook,
Clementine Hunter. En-
couraged by writer-in-
residence Francoise Mignon
(who came for six months

CONTINUED ON PAGE 39

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