STANDARDS

The material in this unit may be used to address the following Social Studies Standards:

G-1C-E4	H-1A-E3	H-1A-M4	G-1D-E1
H-1D-M6	H-1B-H1

DEFINITION

Pigeon houses

PURPOSE

Provide meat for planter's table
Provide fertilizer in the form of collected droppings

LOCATION

Often found on 18th and 19th century Creole plantations
Located at front, side or rear of plantation house or with other outbuildings
Sometimes paired and symmetrically placed flanking the plantation house

DESCRIPTION

One-and-one-half or two-story structure
Usually square; more elaborate ones were octagonal with cone shaped roofs
Upper story:

Holes provided around pigeon chamber to allow birds to fly in /out
Interior contained nesting boxes in which pigeons would roost
Usually reached by a ladder

Used for variety of purposes such as

storage
office
garconnier (separate residence for men)

ORIGIN

In France, only members of the gentry were permitted to keep pigeons
In Colonial Louisiana pigeonniers were considered status symbols
Pigeonnier may be descendant of late medieval towers which ornamented French castles and manor houses.

EXAMPLES

Parlange, Pointe Coupee Parish
Whitney, St. John the Baptist Parish

PRINTABLE VERSION

(21.5 KB)