Today, the Louisiana Old State Capitol’s legendary stained-glass dome rains down a wash of vibrant colors over the building’s interior. But the immediately recognizable dome wasn’t always there. In fact, many of the building's iconic elements were added after it was gutted by fire while occupied by Union troops during the Civil War.
The flamboyant dome, the imposing cast-iron staircase, the bronzed door hinges – all these distinctive details were part of an extensive 1882 restoration. For 22 years, as legislators met in Opelousas, Shreveport and New Orleans, the Old State Capitol sat abandoned, falling into disrepair and becoming what some referred to as an empty, gutted shell. After the Civil War ended, the state’s capital was moved back to Baton Rouge, and rebuilding began.
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Architect William A. Freret led the rebuilding of the capitol, adding a fourth floor, the expansive staircase and the stained glass dome where a grand central hallway previously stood. For nearly 50 years, the Old State Capitol served as the seat of government in Louisiana, until Governor Huey P. Long commissioned the current Louisiana State Capitol.
As the decades rolled on, the building was used to house various state offices, a financial office, an art gallery, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and even a club called The Fox Hole, which was frequented by U.S. war veterans. Eventually, as existing climate control failed to keep pace with the state’s blazing temperatures, the building’s plaster began to grow mold on the interior and exterior and it again fell into disrepair.
The Old State Capitol was restored to its current glory during a second, three-year restoration that began in 1991. Reopened in 1994, it features magnificent and painstakingly recreated details to reflect the original 1880s designs. Walls were replastered inside and out. Better temperature control was installed, as were new piping and conduit. Architects researched every detail to match the original doorknobs, hinges, window pulls and paint colors as precisely as possible.
“We got everything as close as it can be,” said Old State Capitol Executive Director Mary Durusau, explaining that the building has become one of Baton Rouge’s most popular tourist destinations, drawing around 50,000 people annually from around the world. “Working at the front desk is like working at the U.N. You’ll get visitors from Israel, Poland and Botswana, and we just had someone from Lichtenstein.”
The third weekend in May, visitors hailed from Malaysia, Spain, Canada, France, Honduras and around the U.S., with one family in town from Illinois for LSU’s graduation describing their visit as impressive and “even better than we expected!”
The 175-year-old building continues to serve as a beacon of Louisiana history and culture thanks to the generosity of donors who recognize the importance of maintaining this gem on the river, Durusau said.
The Old State Capitol has come a long way. The days of fist fights and tobacco spitting on the floor, and the tanks of “elixir” once kept above the House floor might have gone. But captivating details of Louisiana’s legendary politics, culture, and history radiate from every inch of the building as it continues to educate and inspire.
Said Durusau: “It’s so serene and beautiful.”
Plan your visit at louisianaoldstatecapitol.org/
