Overview

• The fire, caused by an electrical fault, completely destroyed Louisiana's Nottoway Plantation mansion, with no signs of arson identified by officials.
• Built in 1859 by enslaved laborers for sugar planter John Hampden Randolph, the 53,000-square-foot mansion was a symbol of wealth rooted in slavery.
• Recent owner Dan Dyess plans to rebuild the plantation but has dismissed the need to focus on its ties to slavery, sparking criticism from historians and activists.
• Public reactions to the fire varied widely, with some mourning the architectural loss and others celebrating the destruction of a site tied to oppression.
• Advocates are urging future efforts at Nottoway and similar sites to prioritize truthful education about the experiences of enslaved people over commercial interests.