Pierre de La Ronde acquired the coveted plantation in 1783, and is believed to have finished his grand colonial style house in 1805.  It was considered to be one of the finest of its day, and  is the only house on the Battle of New Orleans field of which any physical remains have survived.

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On the date of the Battle of New Orleans, January 8, 1815, the house was commandeered as the temporary headquarters and field hospital of the British Expeditionary Force. This is where General Pakenham died and where General Gibbs' body was sent after his death in the field. They were then prepared in barrels of rum for shipment to Ireland for burial. The house was severely damaged during this time, and Colonel de La Ronde petitioned the U.S. Senate seeking compensation for $ 40,000 of damages and losses suffered in 1815.

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Tourists admire the magnificent avenue of live oaks stretching to the river.  This was said to have been planted on the 21st birthday of Pierre de La Ronde on April 20, 1782.  But no avenue of trees appears on any of the maps of documents of the 1815 campaign.  It is more likely planted on the 21st birthday of de La Ronde's son of the same name, on June 1, 1822.

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Pierre de La Ronde died in 1824 at the age of 62, and his widow in 1832. Heirs put the plantation up for public auction in 1832.  It was purchased by real estate speculator  Daniel Warburg for $ 127,000.

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Warburg used the name Versailles when he put up a subdivision of the property for an unsuccessful sale.  There was a further subdivision and three blocks, including the master house and improvements were sold to Louis Firmin Caboche in 1838 for $33,000.

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The house was later occupied by Louis Janin who bought many of the surrounding blocks which had been sold to various other persons, finally restoring it as a plantation.

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Following the Civil War, the plantation fell into neglect and decay and the house burned around 1885.  Most of the walls still standing were blown down by the 1915 hurricane.  Today, only slate floor tiles and severely deteriorated brick pillars remain of the original house.

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The de La Ronde house and plantation's importance is in its contribution to shaping the history of the U.S.A.

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