Louisiana’s Old State Capitol: A Castle in an Unlikely Locale

In this installment of ‘Larger Than Life: Architecture Through the Ages,’ we focus on medieval architecture in a quintessential American city.

Originally three stories, with a fourth story later added over the central stairwell, the Old State Capitol Building appears to be made of marble. However, the architect planned for the exterior to have an off-white stucco over brick so that the appearance is of an old stone-block constructed castle. Recognizable medieval architectural elements are in the crenellated, or battlement, roofline. Steve Heap/Shutterstock

Louisiana’s Old State Capitol is situated majestically on a bluff overlooking the wide Mississippi River in Baton Rouge. Instead of a capitol building presenting classical architectural elements, which were popular in most 19th-century state and federal buildings, this structure became a castellated (presenting battlements) Gothic-style fortress—unlike anything the South or Louisiana had ever seen.

Designed in 1847 by American architect James Harrison Dakin (1806–1852) and completed in 1852, the building includes many elements that characterize Europe’s ancient castles, including towers with crenels and merlons (openings) in the pinnacle battlements as well as slit-style windows. The structure’s design is also decidedly Gothic in style, especially evident in the quatrefoil and pointed arch windows.