The Builders

About this book

Between 1828 and 1850, antebellum Louisiana experienced a period of immense economic and population growth. During this era of unprecedented change, six master carpenters, all native to other parts of the United States, migrated to the Lafourche region of southeast Louisiana. In The Builders, author David Plater dives deep into the archives to provide detailed narratives of the lives and careers of these craftsmen as they worked in and around the bayou towns of the Mississippi River Delta. The stories of each man--told through court records, police jury minutes, succession records, and beyond--demonstrate how a relatively unpopulated region came to be a thriving center for trade. What is more, Plater shows how each man's background and expertise contributed to the architecture that came to define antebellum Louisiana.