PORT SULPHUR, La. — Nestled in the heart of Plaquemines Parish, just off LA-23, is Woodland Plantation.
“Woodland Plantation was built back in 1834 by William Johnson and it was a sugarcane plantation. The Johnson’s owned it until 1893 or so when they sold it to the Wilkinson’s,” says Woodland Plantation innkeeper Foster Creppel.
And the Wilkinsons owned the property until 1997, when Foster and his parents bought it at auction. That’s a very brief history, but there are tidbits about this beautiful place that aren’t to be missed.
Did you know the famous pirate Jean Lafitte was a frequent visitor?
“Jean Lafitte would commandeer people’s boats offshore, steal slaves back in the day and bring them to Woodland Plantation,” says Creppel.
And from there, Captain William Johnson, the plantation’s first owner, and one of America’s premier river pilots, would trade slaves up and down the river. But in the interim, slaves would stay in a cabin on the property, a piece of history that still exists to this day.
There’s also the overseers house, the place where the plantation manger once lived, and the big house that fans of the whiskey-flavored liqueur Southern Comfort, should recognize.
“After prohibition they put it on the label in 1934 and was on the label until 2009,” says Creppel.
That’s right, Woodland Plantation was depicted on the Southern Comfort label for 75 years, along with the home’s sprawling acreage, a horse drawn carriage and a steamboat, chugging along the mighty Mississippi.
Today, the plantation serves as a country inn and restaurant, inviting travelers from both near and far to enjoy this extensive property, even its wildlife.
