By 1930, the Gothic revival castle that served as Louisiana's capitol was obsolete, and too small for the efficient operation of state government. Huey P. Long began his campaign for a new capitol shortly after his election as governor in 1928, claiming t hat a new building would result in increased efficiency.

In 1930, Long asked the State Board of Liquidation for five thousand dollars to employ the New Orleans architectural firm of Weiss, Dreyfuss and Seiferth to draw up plans. Long gave the architects free reign in the building's design, apart from saying tha the wanted a tower. Complete plans and specifications were ready for bidders by early November.

The project faced tough opposition in the legislature, but Long's landslide win in the September U.S. Senate election enabled him to railroad the proposal through. In a special legislative session, a constitutional amendment authorizing the construction of the new capitol was added to a $75 million highway construction bill. The first vote fell four votes short of the two-thirds majority needed, but the Speaker of the House ordered a roll-call vote. With long standing at the rear of the chamber, the fin al vote was seventy-one in favor to twenty-three against. In the Senate, the bill passed by a margin of twenty-three to five.

A building commission was established and on October 3, the commission decided on the exact site for the building and ordered detailed plans. On November 4, the voters of Louisiana passed the constitutional amendment authorizing construction by a margin of fourteen to one. Six days later the completed plans and specifications were submitted to the bidders. On December 10, a contract was awarded to the George A. Fuller Company of Washington D.C., and construction began on December 16.

A spur of the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad was constructed to the site in order to deliver the materials for the capitol, including 200 carloads of limestone, 50 carloads of marble, 26 carloads of granite, 285 carloads of sand, 240 carloads of gravel, 190 carloads of cement, 108 carloads of bricks, 500 carloads of tile, 20 carloads of terazzo, 30 carloads of bronze, 24 carloads of ornamental iron, and 100 carloads of structural and reinforcing steel.

Construction of the concrete pile foundation began on January 19, and by June 26 the steel skeleton was completed. The finished capitol was dedicated in cerimonies coinciding with the inauguration of Governor O.K. Allen on May 16, 1932. Ironically, Huey Long, now a U.S. Senator, was unable to attend due to his duties in Washington.

Ulric Ellerhusen's frieze around the fifth-floor level of the capitol, illustrates various aspects of Louisiana history and life. Unfortunately, many details in the frieze can only be appreciated up close, and much of the frieze simply cannot be seen from the ground. This first section of the frieze, on the left side of the front wall of the Capitol, depicts the early history of Louisiana, and is in chronological order from right to left.

La Salle:
Robert de La Salle discovers the mouth of the Mississippi River and claims the river basin for France. He names the territory "Louisiana" in honor of Louis XIV.

Iberville and Bienville:
The Le Moyne brothers are depicted on Ship Island, their base for exploration of the Gulf Coast in February 1699. Iberville holds a telescope, and their ship Badine can be seen in the background.

Settling the Louisiana Territory:
Next to a trapper and a group of farmers stands Antoine Crozat, the first to promote the settlement and economic development of Louisiana. A pioneer family builds a log cabin.

Bienville plans the city of New Orleans:
Bienville and engineer Adrien de Pauger plan the city of New Orleans in 1721. In his hand Bienville holds a map that clearly shows the crescent bend in the Mississipi River.

The arrival of the Casket Girls:
The "Casket Girls," named for the small trunks in which they carried their belongings, were respectable young ladies sent from France in 1727 to find husbands. They are shown being receied by the Ursuline nuns, who housed them in their convent until they married.

Bienville as Governor:
Beinville is shown as royal French governor of Louisiana, a post he held for most of the period from 1701 to 1743.



This section of the frieze, on the front wall of the capitol to the right of the main entrance, is in chronological order from left to right:

The Burial of De Soto:
Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto was one of the first to explore Louisiana. After his death in 1542, he was buried in the Mississippi River by his crew.

Marquette and Joliet:
In 1663, Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet were the first to systematically explore the Mississippi River. Here they receive a peace pipe from an Indian chief.

Iberville and Houmas Chief:
Iberville is pictured in front of a totem pole with the chief of the Houmas Indians. The future capitol city would take its name from this baton rouge, or red stick.

Bienville and Bayou Goula Chief:
Bienville recieves Tonti's letter to La Salle from the chief of the Bayou Goulas in 1699. Fourteen years earlier, Tonti had left the letter with the chief when La Salle had failed to meet him to establish a settlement. Bienville was the next Frenchman to arrive. The letter verified that the river he and his brother were exploring was the same river that La Salle had claimed for France.

The Natchez Massacre:
On November 26, 1729, a French expedition massacres the Natchez Indians in retaliation for the destruction of a French colony two years earlier. Chief Great Sun watches the battle, smoking a pipe.

The Arrival of the Acadians:
In the early 1760s, the Acadians are exiled from Nova Scotia by the English rulers of Canada. They make their way to Louisiana, where they are welcomed by a Creole family.

The Execution of the Leaders of the Revolt of 1768:
In 1768, Nicolas de LaFrénière and a group of prominent French Creoles revolted against the Spanish takeover of Louisiana and drove out Governor Antonio Ulloa. General Alejandro O'Reilly arrested and executed the ringleaders of the plot.



This section of the frieze, on the west wall of the capitol, depicts Louisiana at war. This theme is personified by a sword-weilding female figure, accompanied by a pelican.

The Spanish American War:
Colonel Theodore Roosevelt is pictured against the backdrop of Havana harbor.

The Civil War:
To the left of the central figure, a Civil War infantry group is led by General Beauregard. To the right, the Washington artillery of New Orleans bear Louisiana and Confederate flags. In the background, chains are stretched across the Mississippi River to hinder Union navigation.

The Mexican War:
General Zachary Taylor, hero of the Mexican War, leads his troops through cacti-studded terrain.



Extending around the corner onto the north wall, the frieze depicts World War I. The scene is described in the May 16, 1932 edition of the State Times:

A larger panel shows a dug-out covered with elephant iron with infantry-men advancing to "No-Man's Land." The "zero hour" is indicated by an officer looking at his wrist watch, and the suggested tramp of men in the winding trenches. A scolding sergeant... urging his men forward in the eloquent and picturesque language of the trenches, is portrayed.
Back of these are several large camoflauged cannons. Artillery men, telephone men, and observers, each attending to their separate tasks, add realism to the picture. In the middle distance a tank is seen and in the far distance the Leviathan, with a convoy of destroyers. John A. Lejeune, commander of the marines, that Louisiana man, whose leadership counted during the last war, occupies a prominent place in this picture.

The section of frieze on the east wall depicts Louisiana at peace. This theme is personified by the semi-nude female figure in the center, with a dove of peace perched on her outstretched hand. She kneels in front of a live oak tree draped in Spanish moss, with magnolias, the state flower, to either side. On the left are figures representing agriculture, including cotton pickers, a man cutting sugarcane, and a farmer plowing his fields. To the right of the allegorical figure are scenes representing Louisiana's waterways. A trapper sets his trap, surrounded by equipment used in preparing pelts. To his right, a fisherman wades through the swamp holding a net, with several types of boats in the background.



The frieze section on the north wall depicts the evolution of Louisiana law and justice. The allegorical figure in the center is seated on a throne flanked by pelicans, with scales and fasces, symbols of justice and government.

To the left, Livingston, Lislet and Derbigny draft the Louisiana Code of 1824, Napoleon and a lawyer prepare the Napoleonic Code of 1801, and General O'Reilly presents the Spanish Law of the Indies (1769).

To the right of the central figure, Bienville, accompanied by a slave, presents the Black Code of 1724. Behind them stands Louis XIV. To his right, Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton and Madison draft the U.S. Constitution.

On either end are pictured great lawmakers from ancient history: Hammurabi, Ikhnaton, Solon and Justinian on the left, and Moses, Solomon, Julius Caesar, and Charlemagne on the right.

Six frescoes by Louisiana artist Conrad Albrizio originally decorated the Louisiana state capitol. All but one were destroyed during renovations in the 1950s. However, preliminary color sketches by the artist exist in the collection of the Anglo-American Art Museum at Louisiana State University. Click on each thumbnail image for a larger version.

Old Plantation Life in Louisiana
east wall of governor's reception room (destroyed during 1955 renovations)






Trucking Cotton and Cutting Sugarcane
south wall of governor's reception room (destroyed during 1955 renovations)





Allegory of Louisiana
North wall of governor's reception room (destroyed during 1955 renovations)





Industrial Louisiana
West wall of governor's reception room (destroyed during 1955 renovations)







"And the Lord commanded me to teach you statutes and judgements that ye might do these" (Deuteronomy 4:14).
Court of Appeals (uncovered in 1994)





"That judgement shall return righteousness and all the upright in heart shall follow it" (Psalms 94:15).
Originally the chambers of the state Supreme Court, this room is now the governor's press room on the fourth floor. It is normally covered by a blue curtain.