Lagniappe Lecture: Capitol Park & Spanish Town

Preserve Louisiana has partnered with the Capitol Park Museum to present a Lagniappe Lecture on Capitol Park and Spanish Town with author Matt Isch. Isch's book, Capitol Park and Spanish Town, highlights the historic neighborhood of Spanish Town, the oldest neighborhood in Baton Rouge, and the surrounding Capitol Park area. The area has a long history, with land disputes from France, England, Spain, and the United States dating back to the 1700s. Since then, the area has been home to an Army garrison, the original Louisiana State University campus, and the new State Capitol, and is today best known for its Mardi Gras celebration and pink flamingos.This lecture is offered in conjunction with a two-week community-based history and public installation project called If This House Could Talk. Founded by the Cambridge Historical Commission, the project situates around twenty temporary, informative signs throughout the Spanish Town neighborhood. The signs offer historic information and biographies of the homes and structures in the neighborhood, giving visitors a peek into the historic significance of the area. Visitors are encouraged to explore the neighborhood signs before coming to the lecture at the Capitol Park Museum, 660 North Fourth Street. 7 pm. preserve-louisiana.org.