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The Derceto Manor was a mansion in Louisiana, United States, several miles away from New Orleans.
It appears as the central location of Alone in the Dark (2024).
History[]
Early days[]
According to the book Lost Plantation of Lousiana by Thierry Briclot, Derceto was first established as a small plantation on the eastern shore of Lake Pontchartrain. The land was considered difficult for industry and was sold for only 30 dollars to Eliah Pickford in 1818. Pickford employed hundreds of workers from nearby New Orleans to clear the woods and built a small plantation mansion facing the lake with a striking Greek Revival temple facade. Derceto kept a modest production of perique tobacco and indigo that persisted up til the Civil War. During the antebellum era Derceto was the source of many rumors concerning voodoo and witchcraft. People who traveled the lake reported seeing people dance at night in front of bonfires, bleating and wailing.
On June 17, 1862, Captain J.W. Norton of the Union Army recounts leading a raiding party from ships anchored in Lake Pontchartrain in order to seize control of Derceto and free the slaves working there. The captain was surprised to find the workers fighting back with unprecedented zeal. Norton's account describes these men and women as enraged with fanaticism Pickford reportedly tried to placate the raiders, but was shot in the confusion. Captain Norton left the mansion burning and retreated to his ships with his men. Derceto was left in ruins for several decades. The ownership of the land was long disputed and returned to the Ledoux family in 1901.
Several police reports were filed during the following years as the Ledoux tried to get rid of a camp of squatters on their land. The police made several visits to remove the trespassers, but the people kept returning. On November 1, 1907, inspector Legrasse of the police charged a deadly attack in order to save several children kidnapped by the squatters. Many were killed and even more were jailed.
The following year Ledoux rebuilt Derceto incorporating the surviving stone foundation and adding a magnificent wrought iron conservatory. The farm land had been reclaimed by the surrounding woods, so it was no longer profitable to use as a plantation. Instead the house was turned into an artists' colony. The Astarte Artists' Colony was a successful group of artists including figures such as painter Heinrich Cassel and the poet Norah Keith. The group was also known for their beloved Mardi Gras krewe called the Pirates of Pontchartrain.
On September 29, 1915, a tropical hurricane tore through Louisiana, causing Lake Pontchartrain to flood New Orleans. Due to the remote location of Derceto it took almost two weeks for outsiders to learn that the artists' colony was abandoned. The twelve residing artists had all vanished without a trace. The empty mansion was left standing on the shore of the lake with much of its temple facade intact. The Ledoux family had further no intention of repairing the house.
Alone in the Dark[]
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I'm Alone in the Dark, I'll explain some other time. This section is incomplete. You can help by expanding it. |
Sections[]
Ground Floor[]
- Garage
- Kitchen Garden
- Conservatory
- Laundry Room
- Cook (Mags' Room)
- Kitchen
- Pantry
- Boiler Room
- Food & Wine Cellar
- Infirmary
- Servant's Stairs
- Stairwell
First Floor[]
- Stair Hall
- Reception
- Treatment Room
- Clerk's Office
- Doctor's Office
- Piazza
- WC (First Floor)
- Orderly (Lottie's Room)
- Library
- Small Parlor
- Drawing Room
- Conservatory
- Grand Parlor
- Maccabean*
- Dining Room
- Room #1 (MacCarfey's Room)
- Room #2 (Ruth's Room)
- Room #3 (Empty Room)
- Servant's Stairs
- Stairwell
* Temporary
Second Floor[]
- Gallery
- Room #4 (Jeremy's Room)
- Room #5 (Batiste's Room)
- Room #6 (Perosi's Room)
- Sitting Room
- Room #7 (Grace's Room)
- Room #8 (Cassandra's Room)
- WC (Second Floor)
- Mezzanine
- Private Quarters (Dr. Gray's Apartment)
- Servant's Stairs
- Stairwell
Attic[]
- Attic
- Stairwell
Trivia[]
- Derceto's architecture and design was inspired by the Belle Grove Plantation, an elaborate Greek Revival and Italianate-style antebellum plantation mansion in Louisiana built in 1857.
- And just like Derceto, the Belle Grove Plantation was ultimately destroyed by a fire.
Gallery[]
General[]
Screenshots[]
