2678 Highway 311
Schriever LA 70395
29.641579,-90.814027
A leisurely drive on a lazy Sunday afternoon down the back roads of southern Louisiana can be quite an excursion. You may drive for miles and see nothing but woods, trailers and run down shacks, when out of nowhere, like an oasis, a grand plantation worth several million dollars pops up out of nowhere. Start your journey in Baton Rouge on River Rd. and it will take you through several small towns and past some of the grandest homes in the country. Another route one may be interested in taking is beginning in Lafayette and head south on Hwy 90 through Morgan City, ending in Houma. Towards the end of your trip, just off the highway, you will encounter a beautiful home that definitely sticks out from the open fields.
The Ardoyne Plantation is a massive twenty-one room plantation home in the small town of Schriever. The story begins with a wealthy sugarcane farmer and state senator by the name of John Dalton Shaffer. When his wife’s, Julia, health starting to fade, John felt that the best cure was a change of scenery so he sent her away on an extended vacation to Europe, in the hopes of restoring her well-being. While she was away, John decided to surprise her by constructing a grand home that would be waiting on her when she arrived. He turned to architect W. C. Williams to design their plantation home based on a picture of a Scottish castle. Completed in 1894, Ardoyne Plantation was like no other, with extremely ornate designs and a massive corner tower which reaches a height of seventy-five feet. Needless to say, when Julia returned from her long vacation she was quite amazed at her “little cottage” that was promised to her. In an era when most homes were built in Acadian or Gothic fashion, this Victorian-styled home remains one of the finest examples in the state.
The home has been continuously owned by descendants of the Shaffer family and it is meticulously kept to preserve its years of history. The home is available for tours and special events and is a popular place for couples to tie the knot. If you happen to visit Ardoyne on the day of a wedding and stumble upon two women wearing white, fear not, for you are not in Utah nor is there an accidental double booking. For years, staff and visitors have reported seeing the apparition of a woman in a long flowing white dress. It is unknown as to who she is or where she comes from but many associate the “woman in white” concept with a mother who wanders aimlessly, mourning the loss of a child. Another spirit said to roam Ardoyne is the friendly ghost of a former family member comically named old Uncle Benny, whose well-worn boots are on display.
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