On May 15, 2025, a fire broke out at the historic Nottoway Plantation, now known as Nottoway Resort, in White Castle, Louisiana.
The blaze began around 2:00 p.m. in the mansion’s south wing, quickly engulfing the 53,000-square-foot estate. Despite efforts by more than 40 firefighters, the iconic antebellum structure was completely destroyed. No injuries were reported.
Built in 1859 by enslaved laborers for sugar planter John Hampden Randolph, Nottoway was the largest remaining plantation mansion in the American South. It later operated as a museum and event venue, attracting thousands of visitors annually.
Initial investigations point to faulty wiring in an old bedroom as the likely cause, but a full review is ongoing.
Just a day after the fire, the Annabelle doll began trending online. The infamous haunted doll, recently displayed in New Orleans during a paranormal tour, sparked viral speculation linking it to the Nottoway fire. Though entirely unproven, TikTok and X users fueled rumors with memes and conspiracy theories. Officials have confirmed no connection between the doll and the fire.
You're telling me Annabelle, Thee haunted doll, went on tour and was the "reason" for the 165 yr old plantation set on fire?!? That's wild, I'm for it tho pic.twitter.com/oAw3DlJuaD
— Kuya E (@emmanuelvl99) May 20, 2025
Three days ago they moved Annabelle, one of the most haunted dolls from Monroe, Connecticut to New Orleans, Louisiana and now the largest sugarcane plantation in Louisiana burned down AND 11 inmates in a New Orleans Prison escape. Didn't the Warren's say she should never be moved pic.twitter.com/6FFKbFAmt7
— 𝐀𝐮𝐫𝐚 🕸️ O⅃O (𝟐𝟐-𝟐) (@Tosen_Kaname_) May 19, 2025
The loss has sparked mixed reactions. Parish President Chris Daigle called it “a significant cultural loss,” while others view the destruction as a symbolic end to a painful legacy rooted in slavery.
Owner William Daniel Dyess has pledged to rebuild the site—not as a replica, but as a space focused on equity and education.
As Annabelle rumors trend online, the real story remains a tragic loss of historic architecture and a moment of reckoning for how the South preserves and presents its past.
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