Robert Ruffin Barrow (1798 – 1875) was one of the owners of the most land and slaves in the southern United States before the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. He owned sixteen plantations, mostly in

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, and had large landholdings in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. He also invested money in projects in which he saw potential. The most well known investment he made was in the early submarine projects of his brother-in-law,

Horace Hunley Horace Lawson Hunley (December 29, 1823 – October 15, 1863) was a Confederate marine engineer during the American Civil War. He developed early hand-powered submarines, the most famous of which was posthumously named for him, '' H. L. Hunley'' ...

, for the

Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the Navy, naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the Amer ...

Early life

Barrow was born in 1798 in

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. His father owned Afton Villa.

Career

Barrow was one of the largest landowners in

Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana Terrebonne Parish ( ; French: ''Paroisse de Terrebonne'') is a parish located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 census, the population was 109,580. The parish seat is Houma. The parish was founded in 1822. Ter ...

, where he owned six plantations: Residence, Caillou Grove, Honduras, Myrtle Grove, Crescent Farm, and Point Farm. Residence Plantation took its name from the fact that Barrow regarded it as his home. Its main house Residence Plantation House is currently on the National Register of Historical Places. He also owned the Donaldsonville Plantation in

Ascension Parish Ascension Parish (; ) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 126,500. Its parish seat is Donaldsonville. The parish was created in 1807. Ascension Parish is part of the Baton Rouge metr ...

, the Locust Grove Plantation in

Assumption Parish Assumption Parish (, ) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,039. Its parish seat is Napoleonville. Assumption Parish was established in 1807, as one of the original parishes of the ...

, the Oak Grove Plantation in

Lafourche Parish Lafourche Parish () is a parish located in the south of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Thibodaux. The parish was formed in 1807. It was originally the northern part of Lafourche Interior Parish, which consisted of the present ...

, and several plantations in Texas. He became "one of the wealthiest planters" in Louisiana, and the owner of hundreds of slaves. During the

of 1861–1865, Barrow financed the construction of submarines for the

. He lost much of his wealth as a result of the war, however much was regained back to his family and descendants. Barrow was politically active in Louisiana.

Personal life, death and legacy

Barrow married Volumnia Washington Hunley, the sister of Confederate Navy officer

Horace Lawson Hunley Horace Lawson Hunley (December 29, 1823 – October 15, 1863) was a Confederate marine engineer during the American Civil War. He developed early hand-powered submarines, the most famous of which was posthumously named for him, '' H. L. Hunley'' ...

, in 1850. They had a son, Robert Ruffin Jr., and a daughter, Volumnia Roberta. Barrow died in 1875. His daughter Roberta, who inherited his Residence Plantation in Terrebone Parish, built the Residence Plantation House, now listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. With

Philanthropy

The best known investment R. R. Barrow made was for the construction of the Hunley submarines. Less known are the donation of land and money he made to many people. Records show that he donated land ~60 feet x ~117 feet that were valued at $300 each to widows of friends and workers, both white and black. The donations took place in the years 1854–1873. His largest donation to a private individual named John B. Pittman was half of the property of Oak Grove Plantation in

. There are donations to various churches of various Christian faiths. He donated five lots to St. Matthews Episcopal Church on Barrow Street in Houma, Louisiana, valued at $1000 (~$ in ) at that time on June 7, 1857. On September 1, 1857, he donated four lots on the corner of School Street and Goode Street in Houma worth $8000 (~$ in ) to the Church of Presbyterian Congregation. In 1856 R.R. Barrow gave the land and material for the Little Zion Baptist Church in Houma, which was the first black church in

Terrebonne Parish Terrebonne Parish ( ; French: ''Paroisse de Terrebonne'') is a parish located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 census, the population was 109,580. The parish seat is Houma. The parish was founded in 1822. Terr ...

, and enticed (by giving him a house to live in) a black free man of color (Rev. Isaiah Lawson) to come and be the pastor of the church and to educate the black children. The church was built by slaves and free men of color using cypress wood cut at R.R. Barrow's saw mill at Residence Plantation. On April 1, 1873, R.R. Barrow officially donated one arpen to the Church. The church has been remodeled several times and after remodeling the name was changed to New Zion Baptist Church. The church and graveyard can be visited today at 263 Grand Caillou Rd. in Houma Louisiana. Across Grand Caillou Road from New Zion Baptist Church is the church cemetery, which has over 700 tombs. Some graves date all the way back to the early 1800s. On June 14, 1847, R.R. Barrow gave a tract of land at the end of Church Street to Bishop Antoine Blanc of New Orleans for the specific purpose of building a Catholic church in Houma. At the time, St. Francis de Sales Parish covered the whole civil parish of Terrebonne and a part of St. Mary Parish east of the Atchafalaya. Rev. Z. Leveque was appointed the first pastor. He found about 200 Catholic families scattered throughout the parish, living mainly along the four principal bayous (Terrebonne, Petite Caillou, Grand Caillou and Black). He faced two major challenges: teaching the families the elementary doctrines of the Catholic faith, and the building of a church structure. He left the following year, before the church structure was complete; it was not complete until 1854. He did, however, leave a written report for his successor. After the abolishment of slavery R.R. Barrow gave to his workers the land and houses that the workers had lived on his plantations.

References

External links