Oak Alley Plantation Tour

The lower reaches of the Mississippi River were the primary sugar producing areas in Louisiana. Sugar first became an attractive crop in 1795 when sweet sugar syrup was successfully granulated. Sugar is the most demanding commodity to produce; planting, harvesting and refining all labour dependent. Sugar plantations used slave labor, large estates owned an average of 110 slaves. 

The slavery at Oak Alley exhibit shared the story of those who were enslaved on this plantation from 1835 to 1865. 

The big house was built as a gift from Jacques Roman for his wife Celina and took three years to build (1837 - 1839).  This house fell into disrepair due to the fall of slavery after the Civil War. It was almost completely destroyed with cattle breaking into it and using it for shelter when the Stewart family bought and restored it in the 1920s. 

Josephine Stewart loved the outdoors and worked in her gardens,favouring Boxwood hedges and English gardens. She also recognized that after her death the house may fall into disrepair again. So she willed it to an organization that would maintain it and open it to the public. Hense, our visit today.