Collection:LPB

Genre: Documentary

Place Covered: Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority, LSU Rural Life Museum

Date Issued: 2020-03-12

Duration: 00:29:18

Subjects: LSU Rural Life Museum (Baton Rouge, La.) | History | Architecture | Museum exhibits | Slavery | Agriculture

Contributors:

• LaFleur, Donna Narrator
• Laudun, Tika Producer
• Fortenberry, Rex Q. Photographer
• Esneault, Mike Composer
• Floyd, David Interviewee
• Cizek, Eugene Interviewee
• Cazayoux, Eddie Interviewee
• Poche, Marlon Interviewee
• Poche, Lynette Interviewee
• Petit, Judy Interviewee
• Johnson, Ricky Interviewee
• Paul, Rita Neal Interviewee

This documentary from March 12, 2020, commemorates the 50th anniversary of the LSU Rural Life Museum in Baton Rouge, a 20-acre museum complex dedicated to preserving the history of the laboring class, both enslaved and free, in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries in Louisiana. The museum is located on land donated by the Burden Family. This documentary explores the history and architecture of several buildings at the museum complex, including the slave cabins, the overseer’s house, the blacksmith shop, the church, the dogtrot house, barns, cabins, the Bergeron house, the shotgun house, and the controversial Uncle Jack statue. It includes interviews with: David Floyd, the director of the LSU Rural Life Museum; Eugene Cizek, architectural historian; Eddie Cazayoux, architectural historian; Marlon Poche, former resident of Welham Plantation; Judy Petit, former resident of Welham Plantation; Reverend Ricky Johnson, the pastor at Mt. Olive Baptist Church; and Rita Neal Paul, the granddaughter of Rita Neal Paul. Narrator: Donna LaFleur