Jacques Telesphore Roman (March 22, 1800 – April 11, 1848) was a 19th-century

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...

businessman, sugar planter, and builder of the

Oak Alley Plantation Oak Alley Plantation is a historic plantation located on the west bank of the Mississippi River, in the community of Vacherie, St. James Parish, Louisiana, U.S. ''Oak Alley'' is named for its distinguishing visual feature, an alley (French ...

Early years

Born near Opelousas, Louisiana, the son of Jacques Etienne Roman of Grenoble, France, and Marie Louise Patin, Jacques Telesphore Roman and his family later moved to St. James Parish and engaged in the lucrative sugar trade. As the Roman family achieved greater prominence as leaders in society, their activities alternated between their sugar plantations in St. James Parish and elegant dwellings in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Madame John's Legacy Madame John's Legacy is a historic house museum at 632 Dumaine Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. Completed in 1788, it is one of the oldest houses in the French Quarter, and was built in the older French colonial style, r ...

on Rue Dumaine – which was purchased by Jacques Etienne's widow for herself and her bachelor sons shortly after her husband's death. From here Jacques Telesphore Roman began his courtship of Celina Pilie, whose prominent family lived around the corner on

Royal Street Royal Street (french: Rue Royale; es, Calle Real) is a street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. It is one of the original streets of the city, dating from the early 18th century, and is known today for its antique shops, art ga ...

. They were married on June 14, 1834.

Oak Alley

At this point, the fortunes of the Roman family had reached their pinnacle. Jacques' brother Andre was serving his first term as

Governor of Louisiana A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

, and his sister Josephine, was married to Francois Gabriel "Valcour" Aime, whose wealth, interest in the sugar industry, and opulent lifestyle had won him the title of "Sugar King Of Louisiana." On May 19, 1836, Valcour Aime sold Jacques T. Roman the plantation which riverboat captains later dubbed "Oak Alley." In keeping with the standards of the elite of that period, Jacques and Celina plunged with enthusiasm into the building of their own mansion on their newly acquired plantation. The architect is believed to have been Celina's father, Gilbert Joseph Pilie. Master builder George Swainy was contracted to direct the construction, which took over two years to complete.

Death

Jacques Telesphore Roman died in 1848, a victim of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in w ...

. Without any experience in business or sugarcane farming, his widow Celina Roman took over management of the plantation. Mixing her lack of experience with her penchant for opulent spending, Celina drove the plantation into near bankruptcy. Her only surviving son, Henri Roman, assumed responsibility for family affairs in 1859. His valiant efforts to preserve the position and holdings of the family failed — against the overwhelming economic and political turmoil resulting from the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...

and Reconstruction. The Romans joined the ever-growing tide of once powerful and proud Creoles caught in a downhill slide toward oblivion. {{DEFAULTSORT:Roman, Jacques Telesphore 1800 births 1848 deaths Louisiana Creole people American planters American slave owners