| Louisiana State Capitol | |
|---|---|
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Location | 900 North 3rd Street Baton Rouge,Louisiana United States |
| Coordinates | 30°27′25″N91°11′14″W / 30.45704°N 91.18736°W /30.45704; -91.18736 |
| Construction started | December 16, 1930; 94 years ago (1930-12-16) |
| Inaugurated | May 16, 1932; 93 years ago (May 16, 1932) |
| Cost | $5 million |
| Client | State of Louisiana |
| Owner | State of Louisiana |
| Height | 450 ft (137 m) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | Weiss, Dreyfous and Seiferth |
| Official name | Louisiana State Capitol Building and Gardens |
| Designated | June 9, 1978 |
| Reference no. | 78001421[1] |
| Designated | December 12, 1982 |
TheLouisiana State Capitol (French:Capitole de l'État de Louisiane) is theseat of government for the U.S. state ofLouisiana and is located in downtownBaton Rouge. The capitol houses the chambers for theLouisiana State Legislature, made up of theHouse of Representatives and theSenate, as well as the office of theGovernor of Louisiana. At 450 feet (137 m) tall and with 34 stories, it is the tallest skyscraper in Baton Rouge, the seventhtallest building in Louisiana, and the tallest capitol in the United States. It is located on a 27-acre (110,000 m2) tract, which includes the Capitol Gardens. The Louisiana State Capitol is often thought of as "Huey Long's monument" due to the influence of the former Governor andU.S. Senator in getting the Capitol built.[2] The building's construction was completed in 1931. It was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1978 and was designated aNational Historic Landmark in 1982.
To secure the mouth of theMississippi River for the French, the town ofNew Orleans was founded in 1718 and became the capital of thecolony of Louisiana in 1722.[3] In 1763, theTreaty of Paris ceded the portion of Louisiana that was west of the Mississippi River, as well as New Orleans, to Spain and the remaining territory east of the Mississippi was turned over to Great Britain.[4] The French reclaimed Louisiana from the Spanish in 1803 after theTreaty of San Ildefonso in 1800; the territory was then sold as theLouisiana Purchase to the United States. The ceremonial transfers of Louisiana from Spain to France in November 1803 took place in front of the colonial seat of government,the Cabildo. The transfer from France to the U.S. occurred there as well less than a month later.[5][6]
New Orleans continued to be the location of the capital of theTerritory of Orleans, and through its admission into the U.S. as the state of Louisiana. The State Legislature passed a resolution declaring that the seat of government be moved to a "more convenient place" than New Orleans.[7] No action was taken until 1829 when the Legislature voted to move toDonaldsonville. It convened for the first time in Donaldsonville in January 1830. On January 8, 1831, it became "dissatisfied with the quarters there", and adjourned shortly thereafter to return to New Orleans.[8]
Included in the Louisiana State Constitution of 1845 was a clause that required the state capital to be moved from New Orleans by 1849.[9][8] A committee was formed to prepare a site for the eventual move and, the designs byJames H. Dakin were chosen in a competition on May 5, 1847. The city of Baton Rouge donated a plot of land situated on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River to the state on September 7 for the construction of the new capitol.[10][11] Dakin's design for the capitol consisted of a "castellated"Gothic Revival building, a rarity for government buildings in the United States.[12] The capitol was dedicated on December 1, 1849 in what was planned to be a grand ceremony. However, a devastating fire in Baton Rouge a week prior saw the funds reallocated as aid for the victims, which was deemed a "more worthy cause".[13] The Old State Capitol is considered the best example of Gothic Revival architecture in theSouth, although it was notably criticized byMark Twain, who called it an "architectural falsehood" due to its cod-medieval appearance (which he attributed to the influence ofSir Walter Scott).[14][15]
With the start of theCivil War in 1861, and the occupation of both New Orleans and Baton Rouge by theUnion Army, the location of the state government was moved toOpelousas in 1862, and then toShreveport in 1864.[8] The portion of Louisiana that was occupied by Union troops was governed out of New Orleans.[16] The vacant Old State Capitol was originally used as a prison by the Union Army and, then, as a garrison for itscolored troops.[11] On December 28, 1862, it was gutted by an accidental fire.[11][13] After the war, the state government returned to New Orleans and utilized amechanics' institute as a meeting place until the state purchased an old hotel in 1875. The State Legislature appropriated money to rebuild the Old State Capitol in 1880;William A. Freret was placed in charge of the reconstruction.[12][17] Under Freret, the capitol's famous spiral staircase and stained glass dome were added, as well as a fourth floor.[18] The State Legislature returned to Baton Rouge, after the completion of the renovations, on May 8, 1882.[17]
By the 1920s, the Old State Capitol was starting to show its age and proving to be too small for the expanding state government.[19] Proposals were drawn up for a new building, but were never acted upon due to the lack of money and more important issues.[20] In 1928,Huey Long was electedGovernor of Louisiana as apopulist candidate. Long seized upon the idea of using a new capitol as a way to symbolize the end of the "political domination of Louisiana's traditional social and economic elite" in the state.[14] In January 1930, Long secured funds from the Board of Liquidation, enabling him to hire architects to design the new capitol and approachedLeon C. Weiss with the proposal; Weiss' architectural firm Weiss, Dreyfous and Seiferth was well known for its many public buildings it had designed in Louisiana.[14][21] By using funds that he controlled to start the design work, Long prevented the State Legislature from stopping the construction of the capitol. The designs for the capitol consisted of a modern skyscraper, sited on the former campus of theLouisiana State University, and expected to cost$1 million.[22] In aspecial session of the State Legislature in September 1930, abond issue for the final cost of the new capitol—$5 million—was passed despite initial reluctance from some of the legislators.[23]
By November 1930, the designs for the building were finalized, and, on December 16, construction of the capitol was started.[24] Aspur from the nearbyYazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad to the capitol was also built "to facilitate the delivery of the 2,500 carloads of necessary materials".[24] Work on the building progressed rapidly due to the insistence by Long that it be completed under his governorship.[25] Long, who had been elected to theUnited States Senate in 1930, delayed taking the oath of office until January 1932 to prevent a political adversary,Paul N. Cyr, from becoming governor. Despite being completed in little over a year, the State Capitol was not dedicated until May 16, 1932, during the inauguration of GovernorOscar K. Allen.[25][26]
Upon its completion, Long claimed, "Only one building compares with [the Capitol] in architecture. That'sSt. Peter's Cathedral in Rome, Italy."[27][28]
On September 8, 1935, Huey Long wasassassinated in the State Capitol by Dr.Carl Weiss.[29] Weiss, in turn, was gunned down shortly thereafter by members of theLouisiana State Police acting as Long's bodyguards. His alleged motivation for the attack was that his father-in-law, Judge Benjamin Pavy, was going to begerrymandered out of office by Long.[29] Long lingered for two days at the nearbyOur Lady of the Lake Hospital before he died on September 10.[30] His bodylay in state at the State Capitol where approximately 100,000 people—some from as far away asArkansas,Mississippi andTexas—paid their respects.[31] On September 13, Long was interred on the grounds in front of the Capitol.[32] In 1938, the State Legislature appropriated $50,000 to replace Long's original gravemarker, a simple tombstone, with a more monumental one; two years later, a marble pedestal surmounted by a bronze statue was erected.[33] Stray bullets that were fired by Weiss hit some columns in the corridor. The bulletholes are still present directly outside of the governor's office.[citation needed]
On April 26, 1970, a bomb consisting of "twenty to 30 [sic] sticks of dynamite" was detonated in the Senate Chamber.[34] The bomb was an apparent retaliation for the shootings of threeAfrican Americans by the police; a second bomb exploded at a Baton Rougecountry club.[34] A splinter of wood from a desk in the chamber remains embedded in the ceiling from the force of the explosion.[35] The Louisiana State Capitol was added to theNational Register of Historic Places on June 9, 1972, and was designated aNational Historic Landmark on December 12, 1982.[1][36]
The inspiration to reject the traditional "rotunda-dome-and-wing" capitol when designing Louisiana's came from Nebraska. At the time, theNebraska State Capitol, designed byBertram Goodhue, was under construction and was the first that was a modernskyscraper instead of traditionally being modeled on theUnited States Capitol. Despite the inefficiencies of floor space in early skyscrapers due to the presence of elevator shafts, Huey Long insisted that his capitol be a tower.[37] The Louisiana State Capitol has 34 stories and is 450 feet (140 m) tall, making it the tallest capitol in the United States.[38] Currently, it is also the tallest building in Baton Rouge and the seventhtallest in Louisiana.[39]
The Capitol's facade was constructed out oflimestone from Alabama and is decorated with many sculptures andreliefs, and includes much ofLouisiana's symbols and its history. Afrieze designed byUlric Ellerhusen runs along the top of the tower's base, at the fifth floor, depicting the actions of Louisianans in wartime and peace, from colonization toWorld War I.[40] Between eachpilaster on the outside of the House and Senate chambers is one of twenty-two square portraits of important persons in Louisiana history.[a] The portraits were divided up among several New Orleans sculptors:Angela Gregory worked on eight, Albert Reiker on six, John Lachin and Rudolph Parducci jointly on six, and Juanita Gonzales completed two.[41]
The front doors to the Capitol are reached by a "monumental stairway" consisting of 49,Minnesota granite steps.[42] Each step has engraved the name of aU.S. state inthe order of its statehood;Alaska andHawaii, which were admitted after the completion of the Capitol, are both on the last step along with the phrase "E pluribus unum".[42] Flanking both sides of the stairs are free-standing, limestone sculptures byLorado Taft entitledPioneers andPatriots, respectively, memorializing both the early settlers and defenders of Louisiana.[42] On either side of the front doors are reliefs designed byAdolph Alexander Weinman depicting allegorical scenes of government providing "protection and encouragement...to the welfare of its people."[43] Contrasting with Weinmans's reliefs isLee Lawrie's flatterarchitrave that frames the doors and portal; the architrave more closely resembles the style ofancient Egyptian reliefs.[44]
The tower itself is relatively unadorned until the 21st floor, where the square tower starts to transition to an octagonal shape.[45][46] Four allegoricalbusts representing Law, Science, Philosophy and Art are carved into the corners of the tower reaching from the 22nd to the 25th floor.[46] The cupola, originally referred to as a "temple", is dominated by large windows on all four sides, each topped with apediment.[45][47] Four stone eagles act asflying buttresses from the top of the cupola to the beacon atop the tower.[45] The State Capitol is topped with a 23-foot -tall (7 m) lantern "symbolizing the higher aspirations of Louisiana."[48]
The Louisiana Capitol Garden comprises 30 acres (10 ha), the majority of which are laid out to the south and east of the capitol.[49] The landscaping of the grounds was overseen by the capitol's architect Leon Weiss and was installed byJungle Gardens onAvery Island.[50] The gardens flora includeazaleas,camellias andmagnolias—thestate flower of Louisiana. Manylive oaks were also transported to Baton Rouge; a few oaks, which were already present and were incorporated into the gardens, are over 200 years old.[50][51] The 10 miles (20 km) of sidewalks in the grounds are all lined withboxwood hedges.[33]
The south park is 600 feet (200 m) square and is divided by two 20-foot (10 m) sidewalks extending from the capitol parking lot to Boyd Avenue.[51] In its center is an arrangement of cris-crossing walks where the remains of Huey Long are interred; marking the spot is a 30-foot -tall (10 m) monument, including the 12-foot (4 m) bronze statue of Long, designed byCharles Keck.[52][53] The grounds east of the capitol are less formal with "clusters of evergreens, palms, and small flower garden."[51] The sidewalks east of the capitol end at theOld Arsenal, which has a 60-by-115-foot (18.3 m × 35.1 m)rose garden in front of it.
The Louisiana State Capitol houses the chambers for theLouisiana House of Representatives, theLouisiana State Senate and, the office of theGovernor of Louisiana and several other state offices. Huey Long had an apartment installed for his use on the 24th floor under the impression that the altitude would help alleviate his "hay fever".[54] An observation deck, complete with a gift shop, is located on the 27th floor allowing views of Baton Rouge and the Mississippi River.
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The front entrance to the capitol opens directly into the four-story, rectangular Memorial Hall. The Hall is 124 feet (38 m) long and 40 feet (10 m) wide; it is often referred to as a "rotunda" despite not being round as it takes the place of one in a traditional domed capitol. Embedded in the floor, in the center of Memorial Hall, is a bronze plaque 10 feet (3.0 m) in diameter and weighing 3,290 pounds (1,490 kg).[55] The plaque depicts arelief map of Louisiana showingparish boundaries and seats, industries and exports, and the flora and fauna of Louisiana. Mounted on the balcony over the elevator banks are the flags of the entities that have held dominion over Louisiana.[b]
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The chambers for the Louisiana House of Representatives and State Senate, along with Memorial Hall, make up the majority of the capitol's broad base. The Louisiana House of Representatives and the Louisiana Senate meet here for 120 days during a regular session to make bills and either vote them into law or kill them.
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The 1975television filmThe Deadly Tower, depicting the shootings at theUniversity of Texas at Austin in 1966 byCharles Whitman, was filmed at the Louisiana State Capitol. The film was unable to use the actualtower in Austin. Instead, the capitol, which bore a similar appearance and whose grounds have a similar layout, was used.[56]
The Louisiana State Capitol, especially the bronze plaque in Memorial Hall, is featured heavily in the2006 film adaptation ofRobert Penn Warren's novelAll the King's Men.[57] The novel itself was thought to be inspired by the life and assassination of Huey Long.
Featured in the opening scene pep rally of the 1988 filmEverybody's All-American with theJohn Goodman character climbing up theHuey Long statue.
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| Preceded by | Tallest building in Louisiana 1932–1969 | Succeeded by |
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