In the second half of the 19th century, inspired by the romantic castles of Europe, Americans began to erect their own buildings imitating medieval fortresses. Over time, the fascination developed into the surprising style that was American Neo-Gothic. One of the earliest and most interesting examples of this style is the Old Louisiana Capitol building in Baton Rouge. In the capital of a state known for its French influence and swampland, a fairy-tale castle was built that impresses with its Gothic walls and fanciful glass dome, shimmering with hundreds of colours. Interestingly, one of the most prominent US writers blazed a trail of hatred for the unusual architecture of the Louisiana State Capitol.
Moving
In 1846, the Louisiana State Capitol was moved to the southern state city of Baton Rouge (French for “Red Stick”). The move of the state legislature from New Orleans was intended to ensure the decentralisation of power in Louisiana. This was a rather controversial decision, as New Orleans was at the time the fourth largest city in the US and the new capital had a population of a medium-sized village at the time.
The city commissioned James H. Dakin to design a state capitol that would differ in form from the popular copies of the Washington original. Interestingly, the New York-based architect went on to flourish his career designing many public buildings in the South. In terms of style, it is worth mentioning that Dakin already had large buildings in his portfolio, but he completed almost all of them in the popular neo-classical order. The architect must have gone back to his New York roots, as in his early days he designed churches in the early Neo-Gothic style. A fanciful castle located next to wetlands seemed a unique idea that would set the state Capitol apart from its counterparts.
By the late 1840s, Dakin was a much sought-after architect. He had served in the Mexican-American War, designed the University of Louisiana building, and to top it all off, undertook design work on the New Orleans post office. Within a few years, he was constantly travelling between several cities in the state. Because of this, the Capitol was under construction for five years, and the architect died moments after the building was completed.
Fairytale stronghold
On the west side, officials were greeted by a heavy, fortified risalit made up of two octagonal towers. The façade is lined with Gothic ornamentation such as masquerades and cascades. In addition, lines are marked on the walls to resemble the stone blocks of a fortress. Above the entrance, a large stained-glass window, which is divided into three sections, is accentuated. Interestingly, the pieces of glass in the window are shaped like diamonds (harlequins). When you pass under the Tudor entrance arch, you will notice a richly decorated wooden door. The blanks on top and the small windows in the towers add to the castle’s character. It is worth mentioning that the ‘castle’ is situated on a small hill.
The richly decorated fortress hides an amazing colourful interior. The salmon-coloured walls harmonise with the marble chequerboard floor. Black and green have been further added to the colour scheme of the interior, while some metal elements gleam with a golden hue. A twisting metal staircase with many ornaments leads to the atrium. It spirals around a central pillar, which then shoots upwards and transforms into a colourful dome. The glass fan vault is made up of hundreds of colourful elements. With the right sunlight, the interior is flooded with a mixture of colours with a pink glow. Significantly, the walls of the atrium repeat the masquerades and cascades familiar from the building’s exterior.
Romantic forgery
Dakin’s work, however, did not last long in its original form. In 1862, Union troops set fire to the building, causing the original wooden interior to burn down. For twenty years the burnt-out edifice stood empty, and the plight of the defeated South made rebuilding impossible. It was not until 1880 that architect William A. Freret of New Orleans undertook to rebuild the ruin. The fairytale character of the interior is his work. The architect opted for metal, with wood appearing in only a few details.
It is also worth mentioning that the greatest opponent of the castle form of the building was the famous writer Mark Twain, who was downright disgusted at the sight of the edifice. According to Twain, such a building should never have been built in the slavery-stained swamps of Louisiana. The castle was associated with the tyranny of European rulers, and the very idea of such a building was said to be a romantic falsification of reality. The writer’s opinion was also shared by some local newspapers.
Swamp castle
Louisiana regained its Capitol, but after just 40 years of reconstruction, the building proved too small for the growing needs of officials. In the 1920s, the authorities in Baton Rouge authorised the construction of the new Louisiana Capitol, notable for its 137m tall tower. The building was designed in the then-popular art déco style, but there will be time for a more detailed description of this work.
Today, the Old Louisiana Capitol houses the Museum of Political History, and occasionally the city rents the building for events and balls. The Louisiana ‘castle’ is a display of romantic fantasy and European inspiration. The Americans have taken the rich ornamentation of the Gothic and translated it into an administrative building. The heavy fortress and its colourful interior create a fairytale combination. You can read about other American castles and European inspirations HERE and HERE.
Source: Louisiana Old State Capitol, SAH Archipedia
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