Crescent Farm: History! Harmony! Home!

Description:

CRESCENT FARM: HISTORY! HARMONY! HOME! YOUR SLICE OF SPORTMEN’S PARADISE!!!

This is your chance to own a majestic home, executive office, or corporate retreat in Houma, LA. Sitting on almost 13.4 acres of land, including a 3.5 acre pond, and surrounded by majestic oaks, some dating over 400 years old, this grand site is perfectly suited for that business or businessperson looking to make a statement with their office. Or it would be a grand residence sitting amongst ancient oaks unlike any other setting in Houma.

The main house is 3 levels and is centered around the grand staircase in the front leading to the second level. The front entrance stairway dominates the visual character of this building because of its size, shape, location, materials, and craftsmanship, and places a strong emphasis on the principal entry to the building. Window and door openings also reinforce the overall visual character of the building. The front windows clearly help define its character given the symmetry of placement in accordance with the dormers. The operable shutters also serve to complement the color contrast.

The first level offers a reception area, lobby, 2 offices, a conference room, a library, and a bathroom. The mechanical room is also located on the first level. On the second level you will find 4 more executive offices - each with its own fireplace, 2 additional offices, open bullpen office space or break area, kitchen, and one full and one half bathroom. Moving on up to the third level, there are 3 more large offices, conference room, and more bathrooms. The possibilities are nearly endless.

In 2023, the main building was updated with a Daltile Perennial Porcelain tile roof to match the original style but with updated, modern materials. The color of the roof adds to the charm of the building and features a lifetime limited warranty (50 years of transferable coverage under conditions including, but not limited to, registering new ownership with Daltile within 60 days from purchase date).

The property also has a 2,200 SF office building/club house/guest quarters towards the rear with multiple offices, a full bathroom, and kitchen/breakroom.

The site has elaborate features, including numerous mature oak trees that appear as old, if not older than the original structure. There is a rear workshop constructed of materials similar to the home; landscaped garden to the rear of the home with central fountain pond and elevated brick-lined trellis; brick lined walking paths of crushed brick; brick drainage gutters throughout the site; a large stocked fishing pond with central island and gazebo wharf accessible from an arched wooden bridge, and brick bulk heading surrounding the island and adjacent drainage structures; rear orchard with maturing trees; and concrete parking and drives to accommodate +33 vehicles.

According to the LSU Agricultural Center’s online flood map site, the entire property is in Zone X, the most desired flood rating on FEMA’s 2023 updated maps for Terrebonne Parish. A PDF copy of the map and data can be found attached to this listing.

Showings must be scheduled at least 24-hours in advance with a listing agent present. A pre-approval letter for the buyer must be submitted prior to showings.

 

HISTORY

Historic Crescent Farm was established in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana in 1827 by William Alexander Shaffer from South Carolina and was the center of operations for the Shaffer family land holdings. The present building occupying the home site was constructed in 1849 and was the centerpiece of a sugar cane farm that included its own sugar mill. Crescent Farm continued to be a major producer of sugar cane until the 1920’s and was then acquired by corporate processors in the 1930’s. The home is colonial and was designed by a Philadelphia architect. Its defining feature is a grand center hall that runs the length of the house. It is built of locally milled cypress.

Wooden columns, a balustrade and louvered shutters grace the front of this historic home which sits high atop a brick foundation. The windows, transoms and sidelights across the front elevation have the original glass panes intact. Two of the original panes bear the signatures of children of the original owner who scratched their names into the glass with diamonds in the mid 1800's.

During a renovation, an inscription was discovered behind one of the fireplaces written by a carpenter who worked on the original construction predicting that the house he built would long outlast him and his descendants. That has come true.

Still standing on the grounds are a fifteen foot cistern, and a milk house where the farm's dairy was processed into milk, cream, butter, etc.

An archaeologist survey done in the late 1980’s showed the original cart path in front of the house and evidence of the location of a carriage house and several cabins to the rear of the property which was additional housing.

Over the years, significant interior square footage was added to accommodate modern life, and hundreds of oaks, cypress and pine trees were planted around the home. There are several mature oak trees on the grounds that exceed 400 years old. The land adjacent to the home has a stocked fishpond with gazebo, a sunken garden and a mature fruit orchard.

This statuesque home site and exquisite land is a tribute to Southern elegance!!!

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