Built in the 1850’s, the Lebeau Plantation was once the largest plantation south of New Orleans.
It survived the Civil War, the Great Depression, two world wars and Hurricane Katrina.

Located in the New Orleans suburb of Arabi, in its lifetime it has served as a ahome, hotel, casino and Sugar Festival grounds.

The two-story Greek Revival mansion reportedly had 16 rooms — eight on each floor — separated by a grand hallway that was 13 feet wide and 40 feet long, Hyland said. A spiral staircase was located on the outside of the home to circumvent a local tax on homes with indoor stairs.

Many of those rooms possessed black Egyptian marble mantelpieces and nine foot-high mirrors. the wall-to-wall carpets were imported from Europe.

In November last year, it was burnt down by ghost hunters. Lured by reports that ghostly lights had been seen in the building, seven men aged 17 to 31 broke in to determine the situation for themselves.

Reportedly frustrated by the lack of paranormal activity and with the help of some “substances”, they decided to set the mansion alight using stacks of wood.

The men have been charged with arson. 160 years of history is no more.

What can one say? Got to go down as one if the stupidest actions for a while.