Lakeport Plantation - Lake Village, Arkansas - Plantation House

Lakeport Plantation is located in Lake Village, Arkansas and is off U.S 82 near the bridge to Greenville, Mississippi. Lake Village is located in the state's Delta Region and is approximately 125 miles from Little Rock. Visitors to the plantation should turn onto Highway 142 and go two miles to the plantation on the left, where the gravel drive entrance is between cotton fields at a bend in the highway with a sign at the entrance saying, "Epstein Land Company.''

The Plantation has produced cotton since the 1830s when slaves carved it from the heavily forested Arkansas frontier.Nowadays the Arkansas State University operates the site as a museum and education center, with the plantation house part of this tourist attraction.The aim here is to research and interpret the people and cultures through the years of plantation life in the Mississippi River Delta, with particular emphasis placed on the Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction periods.

Visitors can take tours of the plantations from 10am to 2pm Monday to Friday for a small donation. The tour includes the plantation house, which was donated by the previous owners to the university, and is the only remaining Arkansas plantation home on the Mississippi River. The house was built in 1859 for Lycurgus Johnson whose father Joel had earlier established the large plantation before the Civil War.

The restored Greek revival home was placed on the National Historic Register in 1974. Its restoration is ongoing with it being designated as an official project of the Save America's Treasures program in 2002 and donations from visitors continue to help this project. Groups of 10 or more get a discounted entry price, but group tours must be booked in advance.

The museum focuses more on the history of the people and what they did, looking at the relationships between the slaves and their masters. Exhibits and programs help visitors to understand these things and learn about the westward push for new agricultural lands, the role of African-Americans in the region's agricultural, plantation architecture and historic structures as well as more about using the natural resources such as the river.

Visitors wishing to stay near the plantation will find accommodation less than six miles away in neighboring towns and cities. On Highway 82 East at Lake Village is the Lakeshore Motel, which has 33 rooms including three suites and a conference center. The Holiday Inn Express Suites is on Highway 82 East in Greenville and has 73 rooms, 21 suites, a fitness center and an outdoor pool.

There are a few restaurants not too far from the plantation including the Lakeshore Cafe near the motel of the same name, which opens for lunch Wednesday to Sunday and dinner Tuesday to Saturday. A bit further afield but still in Lake Village is Rhoda's Famous Tamales on Saint Mary Street, which serves breakfast and lunches. Approximately 11 miles away in Greenville is Posecai's in Trailwood Drive, which opens from 5.30pm Tuesday to Saturday and includes a sushi night every Wednesday.