What She's All About

Over the years, many wonderful and fascinating individuals have had a hand in shaping a dream for Oak Alley ... some tried and won , some tried and lost, others just tried and gave up. Still, they all had one thing in common ... they CARED enough to try.

Most of them are gone now, leaving only bits and pieces of the whole story ... yellowed documents in parish archives, remembrances shared from generation to generation, a letter or two, a faded photograph yet, most important of all, Oak Alley herself.

Oak Alley's adaptive restoration in 1925 by her new owners, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Stewart, was the first example of ante-bellum restoration along the River Road. Through the years, Oak Alley was the scene of many events affecting those who had given her a second chance at survival in the struggle against time and the elements. Josephine Stewart outlived her husband by 26 years and, shortly before her death on October 3, 1972, created a non-profit foundation, which would be known as the Oak Alley Foundation, in order that the home and 25 acres of ground would remain open for all to share.

The Foundation Years
High Hopes, Hard Work, Faith

When Zeb Mayhew, Jr. came to the plantation, he brought visions from his own past into future plans for Oak Alley. As a boy growing up in New England, he had spent many vacations at the plantation with his Aunt Josephine, and in New Orleans with his Grandmother Julia, and considered Louisiana his second home.

He chose Tulane University as his alma mater and, upon graduation, put down permanent roots on the banks of The Mississippi River. When an opportunity arose to take over the reins of Oak Alley Foundation, he jumped at it.

The challenge was enormous, operational funds minimal, and a great deal of work crucial to the preservation of the house, grounds and out buildings. There was no doubt of the historic value attached to the beautiful treasure bequeathed to The Foundation, but there had not been funds for an endowment for operation and maintenance, and the whole undertaking had to start from square one!

Undaunted, Zeb dug in, working one day at a time. In addition to the Foundation's 25 acres accommodating the antebellum manor, the overseer's house and an office building, the remaining plantation acreage had been willed by Mrs. Stewart to her nieces and nephews and their children, including Zeb.

The responsibility of supervising this legacy also fell to Zeb, and his efforts at successfully managing one entity without compromising the integrity of the other are clearly manifest in the self-maintaining, well organized Oak Alley Plantation of today.

Even more of the dream was realized in 1998 when Zeb became the sole owner of all but The Foundation's historic 25 acres, the antebellum manor and stately grounds. The door was finally opened upon a breathtaking future full of possibilities and endless opportunities for visitors to Louisiana's River Region to share her golden past while experiencing the enjoyment of her many faceted present.