Mandeville, LA
A theme… having a theme makes this fulltiming life so much more predictable… more plan-able… less random. Last Spring, our theme was to follow the Lewis & Clark Gang back from the west coast to their starting point near St. Louis, MO. We had journals and maps and interpretive centers and exhibits and stories to guide us on our way, to bring the trail alive, to transport us to that time so we could share the experience… at least in some small ways. The L&C theme worked well for us because it was linear and sequential, it was with us almost every day, and it followed a general path which we wanted to take anyway.
Since that time we’ve been grappling with the whole subject of themes. In fact, we now have more than one theme and they’re being worked with less intensity due to their spread-out locations around the country. One of these is to visit all the Presidential Libraries and Museums. We’ve done a few so far — Hoover, Truman, Ford, Clinton — but have 7 or 8 to go.
Another theme is to visit all the State Capitol buildings. These grand old buildings are almost always worth the visit except that many of them are located in busy, congested large cities, which runs counter to one of our prime directives: “To stay as far away from big cities and congestion as humanly possible.”
Anyway, today, Wednesday, we drove the old “toad” the 75 miles over to Baton Rouge to visit the Louisiana State Capitol, which is the 6th one that met our theme’s criteria… we have to visit in person and photograph both interior and exterior shots to qualify. As with many of the first states admitted to the union during the late 1700’s and early 1800’s, there is often more than one building to see — and Louisiana is no exception. In one exhibit I saw today, I think the Louisiana State Capital was in no less than 11 locations during it’s history. But the two most significant buildings were the Old State Capitol built in 1850 and the current State Capitol completed in 1932 — thankfully both are in Baton Rouge.
The new Capitol is a high-rise building that tops out at 450 feet high and 34 floors — very unusual as most state capitols are ornate stately domed affairs of only a few floors. It’s the highest State Capitol in the USA. The exterior is mostly limestone and the interior various marbles from Vermont and Italy. The entrance is approached via a grand staircase of 48 stairs, one for each of the first 48 States.
Through the main doors is a large central Memorial Hall which makes up most of the high-ceilinged first floor including the Chambers for the House of Representatives to the east and the State Senate to the west. The basic design is similar to Nebraska’s Capitol, which we haven’t seen yet, but was built in 1/10th the time… just 14 months. I didn’t have high expectations, thinking it would feel a lot like any modern office building. But after our visit I feel it probably accomplished what it’s designers were trying to project… a modern building, using technology and capabilities derived from the industrial revolution, forward looking, breaking from the past. There was some art and symbolism and grandeur on the first floor that gave the place some of the reverence I’ve felt in other Capitols, but I’d still rank it low on my list of the one’s I’ve seen. My preference is for more classical architecture.
Next on the agenda was the Old State Capitol. Just a short walk away from the current Capitol in downtown Baton Rouge, it was a nice surprise that added some spice to the day. While the exterior and overall design isn’t notable or what you’d call impressive, some of the interior features commanded your attention.
The large central spiral staircase, stained glass ceiling, and lantern roof was the focal point. I found myself walking around the central rotunda looking up and snapping picture after picture of the ever changing angles and colors. It felt like a Capitol, almost church-like. This building was built in 1850 and, during various terms, served as the State House until replaced by the new Capitol in 1932. It was gutted by fire during the civil war and the Senate chambers burned again later. By the 1920’s the old building was just too small and had to be replaced. It was certainly a worthwhile stop.
