LSU Rural Life Museum

What do you think this was used for? Comment A, B, C, or D 👇

A) Holding a lock of a loved one's hair
B) Concealing a hidden dose of poison
C) Storing a pinch of perfume or scent
D) A tiny keepsake locket for a photo

Answer will be revealed in a pinned comment in 24 hours.

🚜 Powering the Past: The Antique Engines Showcase is coming to the LSU Rural Life Museum on July 25! Come see antique tractors, engines, farm implements, and more vintage equipment up close, with live demonstrations throughout the day.

🌾 Join us here at LSU RLM!

A dress that outlived its odds.

In early rural America, work clothes were made to be worn, not saved. Stitched for the fields, the kitchen, and the endless motion of daily labor.

Worn by Mrs. Allen of Anacoco in Vernon Parish, the dress was protected day to day by an apron - the real workhorse of a woman's wardrobe. Four generations of her family passed down this piece until it reached us.

Like clothing, Vernon Parish also carries a layered past. From 1806 to 1821, a stretch of far southwest Louisiana was known as the Neutral Strip; a space considered no-man's land when Spain and the United States couldn't agree on the boundary between Louisiana Territory and Texas. The dispute wasn't settled until the Adams-Onis Treaty was ratified in 1821. The treaty drew the line at the Sabine River - the same border that still separates Louisiana and Texas today.

A dress, an apron, and a disputed stretch of land. Each small pieces of a much larger story.

📸 Collection of Breeze Ahlstedt, great-granddaughter of Mrs. Allen

🔨 Interested in volunteering at the LSU Rural Life Museum? 📚

Join us for a Volunteer Information Meeting on Saturday, July 25, at 11:30 a.m., immediately following the Junior Docent Information Meeting.

⏳ Time: 11:30 am
📍Location: Movie Room
LSU Rural Life Museum
4560 Essen Lane
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Come learn about volunteer opportunities, meet our volunteers and volunteer coordinator, and discover how you can help preserve and share Louisiana history with our community. We look forward to meeting you!

📺 Tune in tomorrow morning!

Catch the LSU Rural Life Museum during The Sunday Journal at 6:30 a.m. on WBRZ Channel 2. Learn more about the museum, its collection, and the stories that bring Louisiana history to life. 🌾

The episode is out now. Check it out! 🔨⚔️

Cast in Steel Season 1 has premiered on YouTube. The show follows university teams in a metal casting competition as they design, cast, finish, and test replicas inspired by George Washington’s sword.

SFSA is the organization behind Cast in Steel, and this premiere is an awesome moment for manufacturing and STEM: education, history, and hands-on metal casting all in one story

Every Wednesday, our woodworking and preservation volunteers help care for the historic buildings at the LSU Rural Life Museum.

Whenever it is feasible, one of the guiding philosophies of historic preservation is to repair rather than replace.

Last week, we were fortunate to have Jean Becnel, founder of Architectural Preservation LLC, demonstrate a technique for repairing damaged and rotted windowsills without removing the original sill.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Jean for sharing his expertise, and to our Wednesday preservation crew for their dedication to preserving both the museum and Louisiana's heritage.

Building this house took six years.

Known as the Thomas Neal family home, this house originally stood in Gardner, Rapides Parish, Louisiana. Construction on the Dogtrot House began in 1863, and wasn't completed until the late 1860s.
The house was built from hand hewn pine logs. The design is simple but smart. Two rooms under one roof and connected by the "dog-trot," an open breezeway. Long before air conditioning, the open central corridor kept air moving through the Louisiana heat.

The Neal family lived in this house until 1976. That's over a century of history inside these same log walls.
In 1979, the Neal family donated the house to the LSU Rural Life Museum — where it was reconstructed on museum grounds and still stands today.

Swipe to see then and now.
📍 Rural Life Museum 🏛️ Dogtrot House, c. 1863