In Renowned rooms and gardens, we showcase historical homes, zooming in on a prominent room at each attraction. At Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie, Louisiana, we take a closer look at the Artifact Room.
“We have so much new going on at Oak Alley, with our ReDiscover Oak Alley initiative that is part of a larger master plan,” says Director of Marketing Hillary Loeber.
With the completion of phase one in 2018 came the Artifact Room, which provides new opportunities to interpret the plantation’s history.
“This room is a reminder that what we share is not just the South’s history, Louisiana history or a plantation’s history, but rather human history,” Loeber says.
Visitors can study the monogrammed silver owned by Jacques Roman, the builder of Oak Alley, who operated a sugar plantation on the land.
“The Louisiana shackle placed next to the metal wedding plate had very distinctive differences in meaning to its owner,” Loeber says. “The plate, made of copper, was used to create Henri Roman’s wedding invitation, an announcement of his union to his bride—a happy event. The shackle was used to make a different kind of announcement with its rattle, as it announced the presence of a slave, who, incidentally, was not allowed to marry.”
For more information, email Loeber or go to oakalleyplantation.org.
Top photo by Oak Alley Plantation
Support for Courier articles provided by:
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens
History Colorado
The Huntington Library
