Monte Vista Plantation was constructed by early French colonist, Lois de Favrot, son of Pierre Joseph Favrot in the 1850's. The steamboat "The Capital" delivered the supplies for the building of the house. Purchased in 1920 by Horace Wilkinson, Jr., it remained in the Wilkinson family until the 1980's. The home was placed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation on June 9, 1980. Monte Vista Plantation is still privately owned today.
After the Great Flood of 1927, government engineers decreed that Monte Vista Plantation and Poplar Grove Plantation, another Wilkinson home one mile to the south, would have to be sacrificed for the levees to be moved. The new route of the river road had already been staked out. Upon hearing this, Horace Wilkinson, Sr., of Poplar Grove planned a dinner party wherein he asked his wife to cook and prepare the most extravagant meal they had ever eaten and invited the chief government engineers. After dinner and a very generous amount of drinks, Mr. Wilkinson took the engineers on a tour of the grounds.
Once the engineers began praising the beauty of the grounds, Mr. Wilkinson pointed out how shameful it was that home would be destroyed with the newly planned levee system. His remarks caused the engineers to rethink their planning, and therefore the location of the river road. Mr. Wilkinson's prowess and quick thinking is not only what saved both Monte Vista Plantation and Poplar Grove Plantation, but also the reason why River Road winds around both plantations today.
Today, Monte Vista offers a taste of life during simpler times; a classic example of southern charm and elegance with a modern twist, perfect for your special day or event.
Monte Vista Plantation Home
3722 N. River Road
Port Allen, LA 70767
Phone: (225) 341-2642
montevistaplantationhome@yahoo.com
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