The house was built in the late 1700's by Jean Baptiste Laubel. In 1809 his sons sold the land and the house. Francois and Elisee Rillieux, free people of color,bought the house in 1822 and are credited with adding the eighteenth-century French millwork. In 1833 Antoine Boudousquie' bought the property and called it Reserve plantation.It was among the best-producing sugar plantations in the river area. In 1869 Widow Boudousquie' sold it to Leon Godchaux.
Godchaux immigrated from France to New Orleans around 1840 and was a peddler along the River Road, selling fabrics and thread and quality merchandise. He opened an upriver store in Convent and one in New Orleans which would become one of the crown jewels of Canal Street. By 1893 he owned more than thirty thousand acres on twelve plantations. He had his own sugar refinery which employed hundreds of local people.
My paternal grandfather who was a skilled cooper gave classes to Godchaux's employees on barrelmaking as that was the way sugar was shipped.
In 1909 President William Howard Taft, on a steamboat trip down the Mississippi River to study ways of improving the river, gave a speech from the top gallery of this house.
Leon Godchaux acquired great wealth through hard work and amazing political skills. The refinery was sold in the mid-1950's and after a decade or so was closed altogether.
The house is now the property of the non-profit River Road Historical Society which is restoring it to its nineteenth century appearance. When completed it will be open to the public and showcase a sugar industry museum and furnishings and artifacts from previous owners.