Historical Baton Rouge Hotels

[FYI: If you are looking to book a hotel room you have come to the wrong place.]

Data on the following hotels are sparse to me, I will chronological these hotels in order when I can put a date on them.
Only two of the historical hotel buildings exist today (to my knowledge) and are used as hotel's, the Hilton and the Indigo.

BATON ROUGE HOTELS [Historic Hotels (all destroyed but the last two)]

Madame Legendre's Hotel (hear Legendre pronounced) In 1825 she owned the town's largest inn. Source.

City Hotel (on Lafayette St., circa 1861)

Harney House Hotel, (Lafayette and Main streets, built in the 1840s, lost by fire in the 20th century).

Grand Capitol Hotel, renamed the Grouchy Hotel

Grouchy Hotel, (grew-SHAY), renamed the Louisian Hotel.

Louisian Hotel, renamed from Grouchy Hotel, it existed until the mid-20th century.

Istrouma Hotel, built at Third and Florida Streets in 1904, managed by Alex Grouchy and Son. It had 5 floors and contained 90 rooms. An annex built in 1924 also contained 90 rooms. The Fire Department order the 90 rooms of the old part shut down due to fire hazards.
http://ref-raff.wikispaces.com/Baton+Rouge+-+Hotels+-+Old+Istrouma+Hotel 

Mayer Hotel, said to have been at 214 Third St., founded by Buffington S. Mayer, he was also one of the founders of the Istrouma Hotel.

Mayfield Hotel, (Third St.)

Union Hotel, (opposite the old Court House, possibly 4th St.).

Verandah Hotel, c1830s, Third & Laurel Streets; operated by the Lorente family  Source

Wax Hotel, (unsubstantiated).

Heidelberg Hotel, now Hilton Hotel, About link

King Hotel, now Indigo Hotel, 

[More to come if when ever I learn more.]

Confederate statue taken down

Statue of the "East and West Baton Rouge Parishes Confederate Soldiers" Memorial. Remained on the medium of North Blvd. at 3rd Street for 125 years.

Recently, this old statue of a Confederate Soldier was taken down. It use to sit atop a cement base with steps until the base began to crumble and they replaced the statue on this unworthy base. It was taken down for the construction of the new "Baton Rouge Town Square" and It will eventually be installed onto the Old State Capitol grounds beside the "Merci Railroad Boxcar" (additional link). For now it is at DPW on Chippewa St.

The original base with statue was erected in honor of the veterans of the Civil War from East and West Baton Rouge Parishes. It was dedicated by Governor John McEnery (Jan. 13,1873-May 22, 1873).

[Note: McEnery was not allowed to finish his term as it was illegal for Democrat's in Louisiana to be elected under Federal reconstruction edicts until the Federal troops left Louisiana in 1877. Reason being Democrats was made up in part by White supremacy (old South); Republicans being the anti-slavery party.] 

See main post on statue and close-up photos of statue: 

UPDATE: The preserving of the statue was put to a vote parish wide, and it was elected to be preserved on the Old State Capital Building grounds. The Town Square is completed (the reason why the statue was taken down in the first place), but I went down town to see it, expecting it to be installed, but it was nowhere to be seen, unless the Executive Branch of Parish Government vetoed the election to save it.

Magnolia Cemetery Slideshow

If someone wanted to get a glimpse of Magnolia Cemetery in detail and get a sense of past Baton Rougeans long gone, I just found a really nice slide-show that might do that and I think that it deserves a post of its own instead of just placing the link in my link list.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/smailtronic/sets/72157600055147841/show/

Civil War Provost Marshal's jail and Hospital of the Union Army Beneath Old State Capitol.

Recently, I was asked by the Director of the Old State Capitol Building to go to the ground floor of the Old State Capitol Building beneath the main floor as you walk in. I wanted to go to see the place where the Union forces which was occupying Baton Rouge had a place for the Surgeon to perform surgery and the Union Provost Marshal had a jail.

My guide told me as we passed a room, "This is where they had their hospital". Then we proceeded to the jail area.

During one of their renovations of the Old State House they accident broke through a brick wall, what they found was amazing. They found a jail cell with Civil War era artifacts, which they left intact. I could see the ragged edge of the old brick wall that was broken into. A steel door resembling a old steel jail door (solid not bars) was put in place in the wall that was broken into with two sliding doors, one for adults and one for children to look into. There is a projection of a ghost prisoner that appears and disappears.

Federal Provost jail cell beyond door with two viewers. Notice the ragged brick wall that was broken into, it must have been erected long ago to close off that jail cell after the occupation. I know the door looks wooden but it seemed iron when I was there. Either my photography is going bad or my camera, my latest photos has been out of focus.

 Actual Civil War Provost Jail with ghost-like projection.

As a compiler of Baton Rouge History and one that loves history so much I felt so privileged to be there. nothing could compare to the excitement I felt in being there.

The plaque reads: This mysterious jail cell was discovered when a brick wall was accidentally demolished during recent renovations. The cell is believed to have been used by the office of Provost Marshal, which was the law enforcement arm of the occupying Union Army during the Civil War. In 1862 the Provost Marshal used the State House as headquarters and used some parts of the building to hold prisoners for civil offenses and anti-Union activities.

The cell remains exactly as it was found. The objects have been identified as authentic to the Civil War Era, but little is know beyond that...

 Last part of the plaque is in reference to the ghost-like projection.

I apologize for my camera flash in this photo, but maybe this plaque will add to this post.

DUTIES OF THE PROVOST MARSHAL

The duties of the Confederate field provost marshals mirrored quite closely those of their Federal counterparts. The provost marshal's responsibilities (both Confederate and Federal) were the following:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   

- Suppression of marauding an depredations, and of brawls and disturbances, preservation of good order, and  suppression of disturbances beyond the limits of the camps.

- Prevention of straggling on the march.

- Suppression of gambling houses, drinking houses, or barrooms, and brothels.

- Regulation of hotels, taverns, markets, and places of amusement.

- Searches, seizures, and arrests.

- Execution of sentences of general courts-martial involving imprisonment or capital punishment.

- Enforcement of orders prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors.

- Deserters.

- Countersigning safeguards.

- Passes to citizens within the lines and for purposes of trade.

- Complaint of citizens as to the conduct of soldiers.

- Confiscation of contraband.

- Prisoners of war.

- Intelligence.

- Passports for travel.

- Arrest of "Draft-dodgers" and men who were "AWOL".

  Source

George Washington Statue Stolen by Federal Troops in Baton Rouge in 1862.

In 1848 the State of Louisiana commissioned famed sculptor Hiram Powers, of 19th century notoriety, to create a full-length statue of the likeness of George Washington which took six years to complete in Powers studio in Italy.

Image Link: Powers' bust of Washington (ca. 1838–44), made in preparation for sculpting our full-length statue.

During the occupation of Federal (Union) troops in Baton Rouge a decision was made that the statue should be removed from Baton Rouge (from the South), to keep the Rebels from vandalizing it.

"Louisianans were enraged by this, but powerless to stop its transfer. One prominent citizen called the act, "...the most outrageous act of spoliation that ever made an American cheek tingle with shame."" Source [Parenthesis added]

They shipped the statue to Washington DC via New Orleans and New York City.

Account of the theft of the George Washington statue by federals from the Old State House, Baton Rouge, 1862. Account here:

Many thanks, for the helpful info above, to: civilwarbuff.org

and to arkansasties.com

"Statues have come and gone — most notably that of George Washington, now housed at the State Capitol..." Source Note: If that is true it has to be a replacement as the original was destroyed.

~~*~~ 

Also at the time of the occupation of Baton Rouge by the Union the state legislative library was housed in the State House which comprised of 7,000 books, some manuscripts, and maps. Some material was stolen by the North and brought to Wisconsin, among which were  the French and Spanish archival records of the various colonies of Louisiana -- Our History.

Early State Library located in the Old State House

Source

And thanks to louisianagenealogyblog.blogspot.com for bringing it my attention.

Wisconsin Historical Society returned some of the 

material taken from State House.

Source at below web site:
Many thanks to louisianagenealogyblog.blogspot.com

"Greenwell Springs Road" house

HOUSE ON GREENWELL SPRINGS ROAD 

This house sat well outside the city limits for most of it's existence.  
I don't believe this is antebellum, I am thinking turn of the century to 1920s.

I have no knowledge of architecture at all, I have though payed more attention to the steps in trying to guess an age of this house (notice the extremely wide and low "rails" of the steps (if they can be called that).

I would love to see this house to be maintained, but it isn't my call.
The owner houses his migrant workers here.
I made attempts through the workers to get the owner to contact me to no avail.
I will drive by to get an address off the mailbox on the street.

Great Oaks Plantation House

GREAT OAKS PLANTATION HOUSE

910 N. Foster Drive

The stately manor was built on an old Spanish Land Grant, it is now a B & B.
400-year-old live oaks creates a picturesque setting.

Carl Weiss House

Site of the home of Dr. Carl Weiss

and Mrs. Yvonne Louise (Pavy) Weiss and son, Carl Austin Weiss Jr.
Across street from 430 Lakeland Drive in Baton Rouge. 

No one could have lived closer to the Capitol Building than the Weiss's, he might have frequented the building often and the legislator's probably all knew him by sight.


 In 1933, Dr. Weiss married the former Yvonne Louise Pavy of Opelousas. 
The couple had one son,  Dr. Carl Austin Weiss, Jr. (born 1934). Source 

The, white, foundation wall of the demolished 'La Dept. of Insurance Building' behind the sign is causing the strange effect (if you noticed the sign appears to leap off the photo) on the lower part of the sign. 

 

Dr. Carl Weiss

By 1935 Weiss was the best known ear, nose and throat surgeon in Louisiana.
Dr. Weiss was described as "unassuming, successful, family-rooted, apolitical".
Other than the sign, I will not taint his name here as he has not been proven guilty.


"LOUISIANA: Death of a Dictator" NY Times, Monday, Sep. 16, 1935

His body was exhumed on October 29, 1991, from Roselawn Cemetery, for forensic evaluation, fifty-six years after the event, and never returned to Roselawn. Source

...the body of Carl Weiss, the doctor who allegedly shot Huey Long and was then mowed down by Long’s bodyguards fifty-six years ago, is also going to be exhumed for examination (1991). There are persons who believe that someone in Huey’s entourage shot him and that the guards either went berserk or by prearrangement gunned down a patsy on whom to pin the shooting. The idea is to check the position and angle of Weiss’s wounds for whatever light this might shed on his location at the crucial moment. Source Parenthesis added

::::Doubts persist of Weiss's guilt or innocence::::
Was he a convenient scapegoat, or was he an assassin. 
On this post I will consider Weiss just a mild-mannered E.N.T. Physician, innocent until proven guilty, but the preponderance of motive is not in he favor.
I do not seek to convict men in the court of public opinion, but to just state historical facts.

Video: The Assassination of Huey Long

The movie, "All the King's Men (2006) was based on the political life of Huey P. Long.

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The Baton Rouge Municipal Dock - 1920s

In the early 1920s, the need became apparent for a public docking facility to handle cargo for smaller shippers and port users. By 1926, the Baton Rouge Municipal Dock had been completed at a cost of $550,000. It was located on the east bank of the Mississippi adjacent to the present I-10 bridge. (The structure can still be seen today) This new facility enabled ocean-going vessels to off-load heavy cargo onto barges for upriver transport, or to rail for inland shipment through Baton Rouge. Source

Most people in Baton Rouge are oblivious of the 1920 era 'Municipal Dock' located just South of the newer Mississippi river bridge (East bank), the dock was the first improvement from the Baton Rouge Wharf. Before the levees was built, the Baton Rouge wharf allowed steam boats, military ships, and flat boats to pull up next to the bank. The steam boat received and delivered passengers and bales of cotton while the navy boats received coal for their boilers. Source unknown, may be my own words.

Personal comment:
When I first started researching Baton Rouge, I walk out on the dock of the Municipal Dock and I saw phone booths (no phones) I had to learn the name and history of the dock. Since then, I believe, some metal roofing was stolen. I went out there again in late Summer of this year ('10) to refresh my memory and to see what remains of what I saw. Since my first visit it had been chained up, ere before my last visit someone has busted through, so I began to walk. After I walked a few yards I saw that the sheet metal flooring of the catwalk has became rusted and in some spots I could see right through it, so I didn't venture further as it would have been too dangerous.

Pier and Beam Foundation

Recently when I was roaming the Internet I stumbled across a very good commentary on the history of a particular structural type in Louisiana in a comment from a Realtor, it was on "Pier and Beam" foundation, she graciously gave permission to post that comment and she sent me a photo (subject of comment) that is a fine example of the structural type. I thought it was entertaining history trivia.

 "Pier and Beam foundation here in Louisiana, started not just for flooding, but to keep the homes cool in the extreme heat and humidity. The raised floor allows a breeze to travel under the home. Many of these structures have insulation under the home to keep the floor from being freezing cold on your feet in winter. It's also why area rugs became popular decor here in the South. Another function of the raised floor was to minimize "critters" from entering the home." -Ann Dail 

Credit:

Ann Dail, Broker/Owner

Baton Rouge Area Homes, LLC

http://www.batonrougeareahomes.com/

 Example of Pier and Beam Foundation

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