Chretien Point Plantation
Chretien Point Plantation is located in Sunset, Louisiana, and was originally built by Joseph Chretien. His son Hypolite whom was married to Felicite, died in 1839. This left Felicite to do a job that no other female had to do. She became the overseer for this 640-acre plantation by mounting on a horse and keeping the slaves in the field. She became obsessed with her new role in society and began doing things that traditionally only males would, such as smoking cigars, playing cards, and starting up some business deals. It turns out that Joseph had been doing some business with the famous pirate Jean Lafitte. It is unknown how this relationship started or why Lafitte traveled so far inland.
Felicite then in turn let Lafitte use her plantation as a place of staging sales of stolen goods, including undocumented slaves. By 1839 Lafitte had moved on but his followers still used the plantation to conduct business with Felicite’s approval, or without regard for her own wishes. These men noticed that Felicite was rich and all alone on this plantation without any protection. In the middle of night one night, pirates descended upon the plantation to steal some of her riches, including her jewelry. She walked down the steps towards one of the pirates with his eyes on the beautiful necklace she held in her hands.
The pirate was so focused on the necklace that he did not even realize what happened when Felicite pulled out a gun from underneath her night gown and shot the pirate to death on the 11th step. The rest of the pirate’s fled upon this courageous act from Felicite, and her slaves ran to the house to bury the body and clean the stairs to get the blood stains off. The body of this pirate was buried somewhere on the plantation in a unmarked grave. People who work and stay at the house, which is now an inn, have reported seeing the ghost of this pirate. The footsteps of this ghost are heard as he makes his final climb.
The sounds of the pirate are also heard in the dining room and parlor. This pirate ghost seems to enjoy playing with the coins of guests that are left out in the room. The ghost of Celestine, Felicite’s daughter-in-law, is also seen at the plantation. Her portrait can be seen hanging over the fire place since 1846. Her ghost is dressed in a white gown and appears mostly in the dining room. She sometimes appears to the staff during stressful times to give them words in an effort to calm them down during a situation. The ghost of Felicite also haunts this plantation and is seen in the Magnolia room on the 2nd floor. She has been seen in the window here holding back the curtains.
Felicite’s ghost is seen wearing a wide-brimmed hat with black netting that hangs all the way down to her waist. This was the traditional attire of Creole women who were in mourning. A Civil War battle called “The Battle of Little Crow Bayou” is replayed in a ghostly form at the plantation. The battle took place in 1863 and the plantation became caught up in the crossfire. The plantation was almost destroyed but then saved by Hypolite II, Felicites son, who sent out a Masonic distress signal. The Union commander at the battle was also a Mason and he stopped destruction from happening after internalizing the distress signal. Felicite fed the Union soldiers and had her slaves bury the dead Confederate soldiers. The apparitions of the soldiers involved in this battle can be seen walking across the grounds of Chretien Point Plantation.
(Source: Dwyer, Jeff. Ghost Hunter’s Guide to New Orleans. 2007.)
i have a photo of myself, my boyfriend took of me on the stairway
that’s possibly the pirate was killed there is an orange orb of a masked man above my left shoulder. really scary looking masked man with a long
beard.
My friends and i went to the house of nov.14,2009 at night and it got real cold then we went up to the hose and we saw someone in the window and then we turn around and then we went on the bridge and the car stop then it came back on then it cold!! then we just say a white clod go across the bridge! what’s up with that!?