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 grounds would remain open for all to share.
