Roots in the Pines

In Greensburg, an equine sanctuary built on a rich family legacy

by

The journey to Overton Estates, nestled amid the abundant, towering pines growing along the dusty backroads of St. Helena Parish, must be undertaken deliberately—a thoughtful, if meandering, retreat into East Louisiana’s woods. This winding return to the forest cannot happen by accident; a traveler must choose their destination with care, follow the directions closely, and drive through the unbroken arboreal alleys of blue sky with a will. 

It was here that William Overton must have found some kind of fragile safety. According to family legend, the Overton patriarch arrived in Greensburg, Louisiana in the mid- to late nineteenth century.

“My grandmother says, when they would ask him where he was from, he would tell them he ‘came from the bushes,’” recalled Larry Overton, William’s great-great-grandchild. “He was definitely a runaway slave, and they knew that, but they literally knew nothing more about where he came from.” 

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How the land came into his hands remains a mystery, but under William, the seeds of what would someday evolve into more than three hundred acres of Black-owned property were planted. In the decades that followed William’s arrival in St. Helena Parish, his son, Fred Overton, shouldered the hard work of expanding the estate. A sharecropper, Fred ultimately acquired more than one hundred acres of land through tax sales, adding significantly to William’s initial tract—at one point portioning out some of the property to other sharecroppers for them to support their families. 

But Fred Overton’s legacy extends beyond his efforts to accumulate land. According to Larry, in the 1960s, Fred organized Black voters to get them to the polls, despite alleged threats from the Ku Klux Klan. 

He and his wife Daisy raised thirteen children, each of whom attended and graduated from a university. When they were growing up, after witnessing white children harassing them on their several-mile trek to the only Black school in the area, Fred built a school on Overton property. In addition to his own family, he invited any Black child who might have to walk a great distance for an education to attend (including the “Soul Queen of New Orleans” herself, Irma Thomas, during her childhood in Greensburg). He called it New Star School, even purchasing a bus so Daisy could ferry children safely to and from the building each day. After one of his daughters graduated from Southern University, she returned home to work at the school—where she taught both her father and mother how to write their names. New Star School was demolished in the 2000s after sustaining severe damage during Hurricane Katrina, though the site remains marked by an ancient oak tree.

“Horses were very influential for me—they were very peaceful for me. Sometimes we have to find something that breaks us away from the everyday hustle of what we’re doing. And horses do that.” —Larry Overton 

Today, Overton Estates encompasses more than three hundred acres of land. A new generation is poised to transform the property into a site that honors its history while re-envisioning its future. 

It was a bright September morning when I visited the estate, the warm, breezy air suffused with the scent of grass clippings, pine needles, and the cloying—though not wholly unpleasant—suggestion of horse manure. In the years since Fred Overton’s death in 1968, his 33-year-old great-grandson Larry Overton has transformed a portion of the estate into a horse sanctuary, offering trail rides, lessons, and a horsemanship clinic. Other family members remain on the property in their own homes up and down Charlie Overton Road, which bisects the estate land.  

“Horses were very influential for me—they were very peaceful for me,” Larry explained. “Sometimes we have to find something that breaks us away from the everyday hustle of what we’re doing. And horses do that.” 

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Although he grew up in Kenner, Larry spent his weekends in Greensburg with his grandparents. “My parents did not want us to have a traditional city lifestyle. They wanted us to still be connected to our roots,” he said. “I grew up in Kenner; in my mind, I was raised in Greensburg.”

The morning of our visit, Larry eagerly introduced me to the ten horses at Overton Estates—all rescues (my horse-loving colleague/photographer Molly McNeal assures me they are some of the sweetest and gentlest horses she has encountered). There’s two-year-old Thor, a friendly, spotted horse, who has his own paddock separated from the mares; then, across the road are Gypsy, Beignet (loves to have her rump patted), Azula (a former racehorse), Lucky (an eight-year-old miniature horse), and Harley Quinn (loves apples, watermelon—and attention), among others. In a separate, grassy expanse connected to a small pond lives seventeen-year-old Essence, who helps keep the baby of the group—Bayou Belle—in check. Their amicable temperaments make them approachable for those who have never ridden, or even seen, a horse before.

“I think that’s what gives Overton Estates its edge. That stuff was there and was built by my great-grandfather and his family. I take pride in that part, because it’s kind of really cool when you walk through the trees and see the trails, and wonder how he made this.” —Larry Overton 

The juxtaposition of equine companionship against the physical grandeur of a large, strong animal is what inspired Larry to make horses a focal point of his family’s land in the first place. While attending Southeastern University, Larry was part of a mentoring program in which he wanted to expose his mentees to something outside of their comfort zone.  

“We had a group of African-American men who had never been to the country, because they’re from the city,” he said. “I brought them to the country, and just the experience of them seeing the horses, being afraid of the horses, and then working through the fear of getting on the horse … I think that’s what made me realize we have something special at Overton Estates that most people don’t truly experience.” 

Today, Overton Estates hosts horsemanship classes for students involved in 4-H, supported by the Buffalo Soldiers Horse Riding Club of New Orleans, of which Larry is a member. Historically, the Buffalo Soldiers were United States Army regiments made up exclusively of Black soldiers, tapped to serve on the frontier in the nineteenth century. Today, the social club bearing the soldiers' moniker, which rides in eight to ten parades each Mardi Gras season, is “dedicated to excellence in horsemanship,” according to the club’s social media, while honoring the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers (including the layered, painful history of removing Native Americans from their land). Larry expressed he also has hopes of developing a richer relationship with the Louisiana ASPCA, envisioning a future partnership combining rehabilitation with equine education.

“Overton Estates has always utilized horses, and horsepower,” Larry said, pointing out that the winding trail connecting the entrance of the property to the mares’ paddock was cleared by Fred Overton with a log and mule. The sinuous pathway, surrounded by young trees already sporting early fall foliage, brush, blackberry and blueberry bushes, and grapevine, also has open sections for people to camp. 

“I think that’s what gives Overton Estates its edge,” Larry said. “That stuff was there and was built by my great-grandfather and his family. I take pride in that part, because it’s kind of really cool when you walk through the trees and see the trails, and wonder how he made this.” 

“I’m really empowered to keep the legacy alive,” he added. “I’m always referencing my great-grandparents, grandparents. I feel like it’s very important for us to acknowledge our history.” 

Near the front of the property sits a grassy, open space, still slightly dewy in the dappled morning light filtering through the tree canopy. Here, Overton Estates hosts annual spring and fall festivals, with dedicated space for fire pits and grills for a barbecue. At the fall event, Overton provides more than 120 pumpkins to kids in the Greensburg community free of charge, along with horseback riding, hayrides, music, and a safe place to trick-or-treat. Spring brings an Easter egg hunt and barbecue competition. 

Standing at the front gate of Overton Estates, with its well-appointed wooden sign bearing the property’s name and logo, regarding the freshly mown grass, the rippling treeline, and the empty road, it is easy to forget the significance of the property against the backdrop of such sweeping tranquility and natural beauty. Yet, so many acres of Louisiana land in Black ownership for more than one hundred years—through Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the Civil Rights Movement—demands a reckoning, an acknowledgement. 

Larry knows this. When he’s not talking horses or community, inspiring kids to find their spark in 4-H, or waxing eloquent about the idyllic repose of country living, he speaks his family’s story again and again—imbuing the land with the voices, journeys, and histories of its past. Blessing it.  

“You can’t erase legacy,” he said. “You can’t erase history. All you can do is carry it forward.” 

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