Louisiana's Old State Capitol
Louisiana's Old State Capitol, a Gothic architectural treasure, stands high on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. The 160-year-old statehouse has withstood war, fire, scandal, bitter debate, abandonment and an occasional fistfight. Today, the building stands as a testament to bold, inspired leadership and active citizenship.
In 1990, the Louisiana Legislature placed the former statehouse under the jurisdiction of the secretary of state and appropriated funds for a major restoration project. The building re-opened as the Center for Political and Governmental History in 1994. Now referred to as the Museum of Political History, the Old State Capitol has received awards for its architecture, exhibits and preservation.
The Old Louisiana State Capitol, a National Historic Landmark, is located in downtown Baton Rouge, next to the Mississippi River at 100 North Blvd. and currently houses the Old State Capitol Museum of Political History, which contains several state of the art exhibits. The Center is open Tuesday-Saturday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Admission to the museum is free. Contact us for further information.
In 1847, Baton Rouge lured Louisiana's capital away from the city of New Orleans with the donation of a plot of land high on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi. Architect James Harrison Dakin (1806-1852), a New York native with a thriving practice in New Orleans, was retained to design the new capitol building.
Dakin described the building as "Castellated Gothic" because of the cast-iron decoration of its crenellated battlements and turrets. The building's construction started in 1847 and ended in 1852, the same year as Dakin's death. The statehouse featured heavy masonry walls covered with lime mortar plaster scored to resemble stone blocks.
The statehouse served as the seat of Louisiana government until 1862 when Union troops captured Baton Rouge. Fleeing Union troops, Louisiana legislators abandoned the building in which they had voted to secede from the Union in 1861. The building was used as a Union prison and garrison until December 28, 1862 when the interior of the building was destroyed due to an accidental fire started by Union soldiers.
The ruined interior was completely reconstructed in 1882 by architect and engineer William A. Freret who installed the signature grand staircase. Since older legislators remembered the darkness from the 1850 period, Freret added the magnificent stained glass "lantern," or dome, in an effort to emit more light. A single ornate central pier was included to support the dome, the whole resembling a grand umbrella of painted glass.
On March 1, 1882, Governor McEnery and other state officials arrived in Baton Rouge to officially take possession of the newly restored statehouse and the new life of the capitol began.
The Capitol Advocate, March 3, 1882, reported: "For Baton Rouge, the restoration is the auspicious beginning of a new era. The new movement of prosperity felt here during the past year was impelled by the expectation of this event. Now, we will have the solid reality. Old citizens will tell you how the city sprung into new activity, when the Capitol was first established here in 1848."
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