Louisiana – State Capitol (Aug 17, 2020)

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We were able to view the Louisiana State Capitol from the outside. We did talk to a guard who opened the door when we came by, but she said that they were not allowing visitors into the Capitol due to the COVID-19 virus. So we walked around the outside.

“At 450 feet (137 m) tall and with 34 stories, it is the tallest building in Baton Rouge, the seventh tallest building in Louisiana, and tallest capitol in the United States.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_State_Capitol)

“Four allegorical busts representing Law, Science, Philosophy and Art are carved into the corners of the tower reaching from the 22nd to the 25th floor. The cupola, originally referred to as a “temple”, is dominated by large windows on all four sides, each topped with a pediment. Four stone eagles act as flying buttresses from the top of the cupola to the beacon atop the tower. The State Capitol is topped with a 23-foot -tall (7 m) lantern “symbolizing the higher aspirations of Louisiana.”
Flanking both sides of the stairs are free-standing, limestone sculptures by Lorado Taft entitled Pioneers (above) and Patriots (below), respectively, memorializing both the early settlers and defenders of Louisiana.
The front doors to the Capitol are reached by a “monumental stairway” consisting of 49, Minnesota granite steps. Each step has engraved the name of a U.S. state in the order of its statehood; Alaska and Hawaii, which were admitted after the completion of the Capitol, are both on the last step along with the phrase “E pluribus unum” (“Out of many, one”)

Mike remembers stepping on the Pennsylvania step back in ####. He wishes he had the picture.

Lorraine’s hands is the shadow. lol
The Louisiana State Capitol is often thought of as “Huey Long’s monument” due to the influence of the former Governor and U.S. Senator in getting the capitol built. On September 8, 1935, Huey Long was assassinated in the State Capitol by Dr. Carl Weiss. Weiss, in turn, was gunned down shortly thereafter by members of the Louisiana State Police acting as Long’s bodyguards. His alleged motivation for the attack was that his father-in-law, Judge Benjamin Pavy, was going to be gerrymandered out of office by Long.  Long lingered for two days at the nearby Our Lady of the Lake Hospital before he died on September 10.
The Old Arsenal Powder Magazine in Baton Rouge is a surviving part of what was once
Louisiana’s largest military complex. Located on grounds that adjoin the Louisiana State Capitol Complex, the historic structure has been restored as a museum interpreting the history of the important 19th century Baton Rouge Arsenal.
Great to see this soldier saluting in this memorial.

That wraps up our trip to Louisiana. Glad to see family and to see the surroundings of Louisiana. Hope you enjoyed the pictures.

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