By David Vitrano

L’Observateur

DESTREHAN – The weather may not have been what employees at Destrehan Plantation were hoping for, but it didn’t dampen their spirits as they held a celebration honoring not only the 250th birthday of Jean Noel Destrehan but also the opening of the Herbert J. Harvey Jr. Legacy Room.

Nancy Robert, executive director of Destrehan Plantation, told the crowd as they waited to see the new exhibit, “As we look back at the changes that came to Destrehan Plantation throughout the years, we remember a time when the house stood vacant. … I believe that what we have been able to accomplish in the past 40 years is just the beginning, and there is much more to come.”

Herbert J. Harvey Jr. was a descendent of Destrehan. In 1969 he established the Azby Fund, a New Orleans-based philanthropic organization that aided in the development of the Herbert J. Harvey Jr. Legacy Room. Although Harvey is no longer living, Michael Liebaert, managing director of the Azby Fund, came out for the grand opening.

Within the room, documents and personal artifacts from the Destrehan family are displayed in state-of-the-art settings. The juxtaposition of new and old within the room seems to embody the efforts of those who put their time and energy into the preservation of Destrehan’s legacy.

Some of the visitors to the plantation that day had a sort of preview of some of the artifacts unveiled that day.

Jean Noel Destrehan Roger Marsolan, who was visiting from Covington, pointed to a saddle bag in one of the display cases and said, “I used to play with that when I was a child.” She is the great-great-great-great granddaughter of Destrehan.

Her daughter, Jeanie Bazer, was also there, and as she stood next to a portrait of her great-great grandmother, the family resemblance was undeniable.

“It’s just wonderful. It kind of brings it all together,” said Bazer of the plantation’s newest offering.

After seeing the Legacy Room, guests were treated to tours of the rest of the house given by tour guides in full period regalia. Completing the illusion were students from Harry Hurst Middle School dressed as descendents of Destrehan.

In the main parlor of the house, birthday cake was served while the Harry Hurst Middle School choir provided the entertainment.

Destrehan Plantation has gone through many stages in its long history. Once a thriving plantation home, it stood vacant for some time and could have been lost were it not for the work of a few concerned citizens. Robert recounted one of the darkest times in the house’s history, when looters tore much of the structure apart chasing the legend of a buried treasure, a treasure that was never found and probably never existed.

Said Robert, “I believe there was treasure here all along. And through the years we found that reassure in all of the volunteers, staff and organizations that have come to assist us in this preservation effort.”