Category: History
“Oh, the lavender fields. They’re so beautiful this time of year. You can’t tell because they’ve already been cut. Womp womp. This is an iconic site to photograph in the summertime when the lavender fields are in full bloom, usually July. Nestled between two hillsides, it’s a quiet place in the Provençal valley where you can see beautiful tints and shades of purple dancing in the summer fields as the sun sets, leaving their pale shadows hovering in the mists of the morning.”
Dating back to 1771, the original structure was only a quarter of what it is today. One feature of the house was the white paint slathered over the stucco-plaster exterior. Unfortunately, the hot, humid summers caused the white paint to drip off, exposing the pink stucco underneath. They had to reapply a coat of white paint each year that would subsequently dissipate each year in the summer humidity. After sitting vacant for a number of years, the house was converted in 1812 into what would become Georgia’s first bank, Planter’s Bank.
“Moonshiners put more time, energy, thought, and love into their cars than any racers ever will. Lose on the track, and you go home. Lose with a load of whiskey, and you go to jail.” – Junior Johnson, NASCAR legend.
The house gained fame after the family had some local mafia members murdered on the back gallery. After falling into disrepair for a number of years, it was purchased in 1926 by New Orleans architect, General Allison Owen. A group of local women established Beauregard House Inc. to prevent the house from being turned into a macaroni factory and convinced Gen. Owen to preserve the house as a memorial for Gen. Beauregard. How fitting that Owen’s father, William Miler, was one of the founders of the Louisiana Historical Association.