Greenwood Plantation, West Feliciana Parish, La. File prepared by Jan McCoy and submitted by Donald W. Johnson ------------------------------------------------------------------ ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** ------------------------------------------------------------------ THE EDWARD BUTLER PLANTATION HOME GREENWOOD PLANTATION AND MANOR FIRST REBUILT 1820 In a group of historic old plantation homes we find an unpretentious one, which replaces the beautiful Manor house built for Dr. Samuel Flower and his family. Dr. Flowers came to second house was further added to in 1850, when a number of white marble mantels were substituted for the wooden ones then in use, leaving the house as we see it today - a comfortable, ramb- ling, interesting home. A long and pleasing driveway leads from the Woodville Road to the gate- which opens onto a splendid wooded park with sunken garden and other att- ractive features that are generally found on a large estate. An odor of pines mingles with the fragrance of cape jasmine and sweet olive, for this is an old fashioned garden retaining all of its ante-bellum charm. Great trees are everywhere, which at midday create strong contrasts with their varied hues in the bright sunshine. On moon-light nights while the leaves are still on the trees, if one is in the right mood, in the imagination, one can see the great park peopled with shades of the many distinguished men and lovely ladies that in days long past made merry here, when life appeared like a long holiday, leaving capable overseers to attend to the plantation details. It is true if you investigate too closely these shades of the ancient gentry may turn out to be only flitting shadows. But watch some night when fragrant breezes stir the air and set the leaves to dancing, and you will see willowy ladies in wide spearding crinolines treading the step of a dance with gallant swains, perhaps in the whirl of a dreamy waltz. Then the great lawn becomes a gala ball-room floor and the park a plantation drawing-room. Of course to visualize these things, one must know the history of this old home, or be told about its olden days in the time when those whose beautiful portraits now adorn its walls walked and roamed about these grounds, gather- ing flowers or enjoying themselves in various ways. This is "The land of Audubon" and one can readily understand why, for the air is filled with bird song, and the feathery songster nest above the wide stairway leading up to the roomy porch which stretches across the front of the house. The main entrance hall with an attractive winding stair in the rear leading rooms of the house. Family portraits of past generations painted, over a handsome large antique claw foot mahogany sofa, hangs a lifesize portrait of Mrs. Harriet Flower, portraying this lady as she appeared later in life, while on the opposite wall is a three-quarter size portrait gallery of the Louisiana Historical Society. This fine unsigned portrait is attribut- ed to Jarvis, a distinguished portrait painter of ante-bellum days. Distinctive pieces of furniture, all genuine antiques owned by gene- rations past, are placed about the hall. The drawingroom to the right as you face the garden is English in style. In the rear of the English drawing- room we find a remarkably fine old concert grand Pleyel piano, of a very graceful design with brass inlays. No doubt it was made for display for it is one of the finest ever made by that celebrated French piano factory. In this room we find more fine old family portraits by Armand Sully and others equally as famous, in fact this lovely old home, like charming Oakley Manor, has a fine collection of ancestral poraits all of them paint- ed by distinguished artists. Here again is much quaint rosewood and mahogany furniture, Seyres vases, century-old ornaments of unusully beautiful shape and coloring, along with other articles such as lap desks inlaid, fanciful curio boxes, gaming tables, etc. In the rear of this room is the library, a room that a lover of Audubon would revel in, for those that were first printed and sold to subscribes to enable him publish his elephant edition of the "Birds of America". A large case of stuffed birds of various kinds mounted by a man who was taxidermist for the naturalist, hangs above a large antique desk, and all about this interesting room are mementos of the great lover of birds. The dining-room is large as most plantation dining-rooms are, and is treasure house of beautiful and interesting things each one a relic of old plantation days, when this community could boast of being one of the most cultured as well as aristocratic in America. The furniture of this room is mostly mahogany of the early Victorian period before it fell under the in- fluence of the East-Lake style, which became popular during the latter part of her Majesty's reign. It is distinctly European, a style that was reprod- uced by Signorette and Prudence Mallard in their studios in New Orleans. The dining-room chairs have spindle or balustraded backs and are unusually attractive in design, while the sideboard and buffets are handsome with their crouch panelling. Both are laden with rare china, fine Irish and Eng- lish crystal, and pieces of extremely fine silver with full molded grape de- sign beautifully finished by hand after removal from the molds. In reality many of the articles in this home are museum pieces. Attractive mantel sets, other ancestral portraits add to the interest of this room, while large fruit baskets filled with luscious-looking peaches, grapes and other temp- ing fruit give a practical touch to a room that is put to daily use. The drawing-room like the one at "The Cottage" (Butler Home) could be used as a model of the best period of Louis Philipp, devoted of the Empire "mixture" we so often find. The drawing-rooms in the Butler homes are some- what distinctive, and different from the drawing-rooms one usually sees in the finer old plantation homes of Louisiana and Mississippi. Not that they are more elaborate, but they have a European touch in their decoration while others have less of that European distinction. Especially are their window draperies captivating and they create an individual atmosphere. To the admir- er of olden periods they are the appropriate hangings to bring out the beauty of the various articles in these handsome drawing-rooms. The unusual- ly attractive carpet with center medallion is much like some that we see in fine old Virginia homes. In this room again we find ancestral portraits of beautiful women and handsome men, a distinct one is the life-sized three- quarter lenght portrait of Mrs.Penelope Stewart Mathews, daughter of Colonel Tignal Jones Stewart and wife of Charles Lewis Mathews. This portrait was painted by Amand, who also painted another one of this lady's sister in a slightly different pose, but in the same size as that which now hangs in the attractive nearby plantation home of her daughter's family, the Thomas Butlers. The portrait of Charles Lewis Mathews, son of Judge George Mathews which hangs in the hall, was also painted by Thomas Sully, while on the man- tel of the drawing-room is a portrait of the son of Charles Lewis Mathews by Amand. There is also a portrait of Charles Stewart by Amand, and another fine portrait of Mrs. Harriet Flower, as a very beautiful young lady (wife of Judge Mathews). It too, was painted by Amand. In 1850 when other changes were made in the house, the fine white marble were put in, replacing the original wooden ones. A tall pier mirror of the Louis Philippe period overlaid with gold leaf-the handsome frame is as was the day it was placed in this home nearly a century ago - adds great dignity to the room and reflects the many attractive articles in it. Filling an opposite wall panel is a fine large rosewood etagerre on which are many pieces of bric-a-brac, the most attractive piece being a large Limoge china fruit basket of gold open work, supported by two kneeling angels on a base finished in Roman gold - a most rare and attractive piece. It is an heirloom, as are the figurines, antique lamps and hurricane shades. Each helps to make a satisfactory picture of a drawing-room of a wealthy and cultured family of a century ago. The original brick outside kitchen of the first Greenwood manor stands some distance from the house. It is an attractive building of simple lines, much in use when the banquets for which this old plantation was famous were prepared. * * * * *