Shadows on the Teche: Glossary of Words
| Acre | a land measurement equal to 4,840 square yards |
| Antebellum | refers to the time period prior to war; in the United States primarily used to define the period 30 years before the Civil War; often identifies homes or artifacts produced during the period |
| Architecture | Study of buildings including methods and materials of construction; Shadows architecture is Greek Revival and French Colonial |
| Armoire | a piece of furniture used to store clothing |
| Arpent | French measurement approximately equal to an acre; the Shadows property was 40 arpents deep by 4 1/2 wide |
| Cistern | structure used to store rain water; two brick structures primarily underground are located at the rear of the Shadows |
| Civil War | military conflict between northern and southern states between 1861 and 1864 |
| French Colonial | architectural style adapted from French design to meet climate conditions in the western hemisphere. (examples include exterior staircases and gallery construction) |
| Geneaology | study of one's ancestry or lineage |
| Generation | for reference at the Shadows, a group of people who belong to one family period; for example, the children of David and Mary Weeks will be identified as the second generation |
| Greek Revival | architectural style adapted from Greek design; at the Shadows includes Doric columns and certain spects of exterior decoration |
| Hogshead | unit of measurement for many products including sugar; the large barrel of sugar weighing 800-1200 pounds |
| Landscape | for reference at the Shadows, all aspects of the property's exterior; includes historic layers of functional and decorative gardens |
| Plantation | description for a large land area are dedicated to growing a specific crop; although sugarcane supported Shadow's construction, no documentation exists for sugarcane growing on this location |
| Sugarcane | tall grass leafy plant which produces sweet juice when crushed; sugar and molasses are products; grown in several southern states including south Louisiana |
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