The majority of homes in Sweet Bottom Plantation are related to the Antebellum era in American history between 1800 and 1865. “Antebellum” (Latin for “before the war”) refers to homes built in America preceding and during the Civil War. The term does not relate to a particular architectural style, but rather to a time and place in history. Most Antebellum era homes were built in the styles of: Greek Revival, Classical Revival, French Colonial, Italianate and Federal.
Architecture in the American South associated with the Antebellum era was introduced by Anglo-American planters and successful business leaders in cities, especially after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Homes built for Southern plantations and urban neighborhoods during this era shared many common features:
• Classic proportions
• Symmetry
• Rhythm of patterns
• Decorative detailing
• Stately trees
• Grand entrances
• Twelve-foot ceilings
• Elegant interior mouldings
• Covered galleries and piazzas
• Columns
• Hip or gable roof
• Evenly-spaced windows
• Shutters
• Ornamental cast-iron
• Formal gardens
The following pages provide overviews of Antebellum
era architectural styles found in Sweet Bottom.
