Starr Homeplace - Oak Ridge, LA (An Eternal Love)

5317 Hwy 133/425 North

Oak Ridge, LA 71264

32.660116,-91.766069

www.starrhomeplace.org 

 

*Special thanks to our Northern Chapter for all their hard work.

            After hearing our fair share of horrible stories involving murder, torture and other horrible acts, it’s time to take a break and actually tell a story of love, honor and devotion that would continue on even after death. In the small town of Oak Ridge is a nine-acre jambalaya of historical homes, each with their own story to tell. Every building placed here was moved from a different part of the nearby area. The story begins with a simple home that was built out of pure love and creativity. From there, the land was expanded on to serve as a museum of sorts that showcase what the ingenuity and devotion of the common man can accomplish.
            Our adventure begins with a young couple by the name of Jim and Isabel Rolfe. The two lovebirds were inseparable and wedded one another on August 22, 1945. Jim was a master builder of homes and boats and was considered a jack of all trades. Isabel’s dream was to have their very own home where they could someday raise a family together. However, the two knew that the future was grim, as Isabel had contracted ruhmatic fever, and the lining of her heart was severely damaged. Her doctors would inform her that she would only have about six or seven years to live and she would be forbidden to have children.

            This traumatic news was a low blow to the Rolfe’s. However, instead of sulking and only counting down the days, Jim was determined to grant his wife’s wish of giving her the dream house she had always wanted. Although it seemed impossible, Isabel gave him a bit of motivation, proving anything is possible when she gave birth to a baby boy named Joe in June of 1950. Day in and day out, Jim worked his fingers to the bone on the family abode. He began working on the home in 1952 and the project was a one-man operation. Everything was done by hand from mixing the concrete, cutting all the lumber with a handsaw and cutting the moldings.
            As the home began to take shape, Isabel’s health steadily declined yet she fought long and hard. She was determined to live long enough to see her young son go to school and to be able to move in to her completed home. Knowing her time was limited, Jim began focusing on particular areas of the home that would make it inhabitable. During the summer of 1956, Isabel’s wish was granted, as the family was able to move in to their new home, which currently consisted of a kitchen, bedroom, bath and back porch. Only a few months later, her son attended school for the first time. As Jim had kept his word, Isabel had kept hers and on November 23^rd, she passed away, having defeated all odds, living seven years longer than expected.
            Jim would continue on adding to the home in honor of his late wife. Construction slowed as Jim was now a single parent having to raise a young boy. Jim eventually remarried, yet it was nowhere near as enjoyable as the first one. Joe excelled in school and continued on into college. Jim was able to focus his attention once again on his beloved home and in 1973, it was officially complete. Jim finally could sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor. On March 1, 1985, Jim would pass away and finally reunite with his beloved Isabel.
            After college, Joe would return to his family home with his new wife, Starr. The two would live a happy life together for many years until the two would eventually grow apart and amicably decide to go their different ways, although they remained close friends. Some people are like that, as they make better best friends than a couple. Such seemed the case with Joe and Starr. By 2002, Starr had plans to return to the home on a permanent basis when tragedy would strike again and Starr would pass away in her sleep.
 

Panoramic shot of the Starr Homeplace taken by our Northern Chapter.

           As a memorial of sorts to his beloved Starr and hard-working parents, Joe decided to turn the property into what he calls, “a regional creative community.” Claiming that human creativity is the most valuable of all resources, Joe continues to add to his living museum, suitably called the Starr Homeplace, which breathes the breaths of lives loved and lost.
            The Starr Homeplace consists of nineteen buildings, all from different eras and areas of North Louisiana. Some buildings date back as early as 1835, such as the old log cabin, which originated from the Smith Place, just south of Oak Ridge. Other notable structures on the property consists of the Fluker House (1900), the Music Room (1870), the Hogan Commissary (1915), the Chink Files Outhouse (1940), the Tenant House (1920) and the Rofle Barn (1927). The barn holds a special place in Joe’s heart, as it was one of the last things he and Starr worked on together before she passed away. The grounds also feature other historical sheds, mills and shops, all of which showcase different tools and methods of goods manufacturing throughout the years.

On-site blacksmith shop.

            Whether it be the culmination of so many historical buildings all brought into one location or simply the eternal love of a devoted couple that linger, ghostly encounters have been a common occurrence at the Starr Homeplace. The current owner as well as visitors and volunteer workers have reported numerous anomalous events over the years. Figures have been seen in or near many of the buildings, including the main residence. Disembodied voices and unexplained noises have been heard when no one else is around. A sense of an unseen presence has often been felt when visitors and staff are left alone. On a regular basis, objects are moved around and seldom found immediately. The missing items are generally found days later in the same exact spot where they had disappeared, or in extremely odd areas. Electrical devices are turned off and on without any malfunctions being found.
            Our group has been fortunate enough to conduct two separate investigations of the Starr Homeplace. We have always said that spirits do not act on command; otherwise we could all be rich! No individual location, regardless as to how haunted it may be, is active every night of the week which is why we try our hardest to do follow-up investigations of all our cases. Such was the class with the Starr Homeplace, only it was our first visit that was more active than the second. In addition to obtaining several interesting electronic voice phenomena (AUDIO 1)(AUDIO 2) and a couple of pretty cool Spirit Box sessions, as one investigator was setting up his equipment in the old Milk House, he heard the sound of someone walking up behind him then stop. He turned around to see who was there, only there was no one to be seen. He walked outside of the building, examining the outside perimeter further and still could locate no one. The second investigation was utterly dead, no pun intended!
            The Starr Homeplace is an incredible place to visit, not only to get a taste of a wide array of North Louisiana history but to simply pay honor and respect to truly good hearted and hard-working people. In an age where there is so much evil, sometimes we need to slow things down and enjoy the moment, embellishing on the simple things in life and remember that nothing last forever, everything we have can vanish in an instant and the only thing certain is that nothing is for certain!