A Visit to Louisiana’s Old Governor’s Mansion

Perched on a mound right by the North Boulevard Town Square, the Louisiana Old Governor’s Mansion in Baton Rouge is a fascinating historic site that welcomes visitors from all over the country and beyond. Powerfully evocative, you can almost hear the voices of former governors, their first ladies and children, echo through the meticulously decorated rooms that comprise this once official state residence. 

Beginning with Governor Huey P. Long, who ordered the Georgian mansion’s construction, and ending with Governor Jimmie Davis, the building was home to nine Louisiana governors between 1930 and 1963. Later, it housed the Louisiana Arts and Science Center, and finally opened to the public for tours as the Old Governor’s Mansion in the late 1970s.

Multiple renovations have kept the storied structure and its grounds in fine fettle, including recent work that brought new beauty to its historic Rose Garden and saw the restoration of rare panoramic French wallpaper in the estate dining room. The mansion remains one of Baton Rouge’s most popular venues to host a wedding, reception, luncheon or princess ball, or to simply do a little time traveling.  

Summertime is a great time to pay a visit to this history-rich downtown Baton Rouge attraction. 

The House that Huey Built 

The roots of the Louisiana Old Governor’s Mansion are inextricably tied to the hubris of its most famous governor, Huey Pierce Long. Elected in 1928, Governor Long made plain his dismay at the condition of the existing governor’s official residence, the Knox Mansion in downtown Baton Rouge. The aged structure had hosted governors and their families since 1887, and Long didn’t hide his desire to see it razed. He was in disbelief when officials told him it wasn’t necessary. Never one to take no for an answer, Long proceeded in secret, using prison labor to demolish the building without legislative approval. The move effectively forced lawmakers to allocate $150,000 towards construction of a new mansion, since none now existed. 

Soon, Long’s brand-new Governor’s Mansion was underway on the site of the former Knox Mansion on North Boulevard between Royal and St. Charles Streets. Stroll through the structure today to see the vestiges of Long’s grand intentions. It’s believed he had an opinion about nearly every aspect of the building’s style, beginning with his selection of prominent New Orleans architects Weiss, Dreyfous, and Seiferth, the firm responsible for designing the Pontchartrain and Jung Hotels, and later, Charity Hospital and the new State Capitol. Allegedly, the larger-than-life Long commanded the architects to include design elements that intentionally mimicked those of the White House, including an East Room, a state dining room and lavish decorative features. 

The mansion was completed in 1930, becoming home to Long and his wife, Rose, and their three children. Visitors often comment on the variety of finishes, including elaborately tiled bathrooms, each a different color scheme, four types of marble, both oak and terrazzo flooring, a range of textiles and intricately layered crown molding—all intended, of course, to send a message of grandeur, power, and prosperity. The "House that Huey Built" provided yet another opportunity for Long to showcase his influence at every turn.