March 23, 2022

LOUISIANA STATE CAPITOL

900 North 3rd Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801

“The Louisiana State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Louisiana and is located in downtown Baton Rouge. The capitol houses the chambers for the Louisiana State Legislature, made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as the office of the Governor of Louisiana.” -  Wikipedia

The capitol building is the tallest state capitol in the country, standing 450 feet tall.  It was constructed during the Great Depression when Governor Huey Long convinced the public that building a new capitol would be more cost effective in the future.  The building was completed in 1932 after a little over one year of construction at a cost of $5 million.  Upon its completion, Long claimed, “Only one building compares with [the Capitol] in architecture.  That’s St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome, Italy.” 

The pictures I looked at of the building before I visited didn’t do it justice.  As you approach the building it is very impressive in size alone.  There are many sculptures and reliefs representing much of Louisiana’s symbols and history.  There are 49 steps leading up to the front doors, each step has engraved the name of a U.S. state in order of its statehood and “E pluribus unum” on the top.

The front door opens directly into Memorial Hall.  The hall is often referred to as “the rotunda” because it takes the place of what is found in most capitol buildings, is 124 feet long, 40 feet wide, and four stories high.  Double life-sized sculptures of Louisiana’s famous governors stand in the hall.  At opposite ends of the hall are the House and Senate Chambers.  The Legislature was in session so access to the chambers was limited, but I was able to get a couple pictures at the doorway.  The only other place mention in the  capitol self-guided tour pamphlet was the Observation Deck on the 27th floor, however, the deck wasn’t open when I visited.

The building, while being architecturally impressive, also has an interesting history.  Some people question Huey Long’s methods of leadership, which would include how he got the funds to build the capitol building.  As the exhibit in the Old Capitol Museum said, people either loved him or hated him.  On September 8, 1935, Long was assassinated while he was in the Capitol.  He was interred on the grounds in front of the Capitol, and in 1938 the State Legislature appropriated funds to erect a bronze sculpture on a marble pedestal to honor him.