The owner of the largest remaining antebellum mansion in the South — which burned to the ground this week — hopes the 166-year-old Louisiana home will rise again. Fire officials believe the cause of the Nottoway Plantation blaze was electrical and not suspicious,

Local officials in Iberville Parish are heartbroken and lament the irreparable loss of what had stood as a iconic symbol from a challenging period in American history.

The Nottaway Plantation in White Castle, Louisiana, started burning around 2am on Thursday morning and was completely destroyed within hours despite the efforts of 40 firefighters. At 53,000 square feet it had been almost as big as the historic core of the White House and was used as an events venue.