Reviving a Timeless Plantation Legacy

Building With Passion and Detailed Research on Pre-Civil War Architecture

VIEW THEIR HISTORIC RESTORATION JOURNEY

17 Oaks Plantation — Southern plantation home with wrap-around porch and columns

Preserving History, One Brick at a Time

Historical Accuracy

Faithful replication of historical construction methods and pre-Civil War architectural design.

Personal Journey

A Service-Connected Disabled Vietnam Veteran and his wife's dedication to history.

Hurricane Recovery

Rebuilt from Mary Barton's home estate on the Mississippi River, destroyed in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina.

Cultural Significance

Highlighting a pivotal historical location in Southern American history.

A Veteran's Vision for Preservation

Lewis Barton, and his wife, Mary, are creating 17 Oaks Plantation in Christmas, Florida. After losing their oceanfront home in the 2004 hurricanes, the Bartons, who have been married for 45 years, dedicated themselves to reviving the legacy of a beloved family estate.

Lewis and Mary Barton on the porch of 17 Oaks Plantation

From Recovery to Historical Discovery

In early 2011, Lewis underwent open-heart surgery and, in 2013, contracted sepsis, which led to a 10-day intravenous morphine treatment. While still recovering, Lewis traveled to Louisiana to explore the levees of the Mississippi River and tour pre-Civil War plantations. During this week-long journey, he studied the architecture and engineering of over 30 plantations. Upon returning, the Bartons purchased 15 acres of land shaded by Hammock Live Oak trees, where 17 Oaks Plantation now stands.

17 Oaks Plantation — front view through the oak trees

A Labor of Love

The name, 17 Oaks Plantation, is inspired by the 17 oak columns encircling the plantation home, each measuring 16 inches square and standing 16 feet tall. Starting in May 2013, while still recovering from his surgery, Lewis took on the task of clearing the land himself — setting up a tent on the property and working with a chainsaw and backhoe. Initially working in two to three-hour intervals before resting, he maintained this routine seven days a week for over a year. Now, having shed thirty pounds and freed from prescription medications, he can work nine to ten hours a day without needing to rest.

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17 Oaks Plantation — full estate view with pond and columns

Plantation and Novel

Lewis Barton is an enthusiastic hobbyist whose interest in history led them to build the 17 Oaks Plantation based on a pre-Civil War plantation and has also led them to write a fascinating book, Countess Athena & Godfather's Twins, based on five generations of historical events involving Duke Vito and Duchess Marie Cornino, along with their eight grandchildren.

Countess Athena & Godfather's Twins

The first book of a four-book series, illustrating eighty years of Sicilian family life — their love and devotion, traditions, commitment and loyalty, royal families merging, wealth, survival, and crime.

"New book titled 'Godfather's Twins Don Vito & Mafia Kennedy's — The Kennedy's Double Crossed' coming soon!"

Countess Athena & Godfather's Twins — book cover by Lewis Barton