Beauregard Parish Courthouse
National Register of Historic Places

Beauregard Parish Courthouse

DeRidder, Beauregard County, Louisiana
Listed
September 21, 1983
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
83000490

About this property

The Beauregard Parish Courthouse is located in DeRidder, Louisiana, the location of the parish seat. The courthouse was built at the same time as the Beauregard Parish Jail, by the same people, and completed around the same time in 1915, as directed by the Beauregard Parish Police Jury. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on 22 September 1983. The Hudson River Lumber Company donated a tract of land to the City of DeRidder. Property that adjoined this tract was owned by the First Baptist Church. The newly formed Beauregard Parish Police Jury, carved out of the old Imperial Calcasieu Parish, purchased the property and a building from the church. Stevens-Nelson of New Orleans was chosen to design a courthouse and jail. Falls City Construction Company was awarded the contract in September 1913. Both buildings were completed in 1915 at a cost of $168,000. There is a lighted tunnel leading to the jail. It was incorporated into the design to facilitate the transfer of accused or prisoners to and from the jail to stand trial while maintaining safety. The tunnel is no longer in use. The jail has now been renovated to some degree and is open for tours to the public during weekdays and there are special lantern tours at night on occasion, as well as a haunted house around Halloween each year. The tunnel, however, has been completely blocked off at some point between the jail and the courthouse. The small portion visible from the jail side usually has standing water inside it, sometimes quite a lot of water. Thus, it is no longer lighted and/or usable by anyone. A trial that ended in two hangings in the Beauregard Parish Jail took place at the courthouse. This gave rise to the name "Hanging Jail" but any notoriety concerning the courthouse was lost after the hanging on March 9, 1928. The 101 year courthouse was in need of updating, that included expansion for a third courtroom, handicap access, elevator upgrades (ADA accessible), sewer upgrades and a facelift to include the courtyard and sidewalks. A new sprinkler and fire alarm system is also included. Corne Lemaire Group is the architectural firm and the bid from Pat Williams Construction was accepted. The policy jury had previously purchased a large former First Baptist Church compound, located beside and behind the jail, and the main building has been renovated to be temporarily used. National Register of Historic Places listings in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana

Location

1st St.
DeRidder, Beauregard County, Louisiana
30.84631, -93.28723

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Toy House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Sills House
Industrial
0.1 mi
DeRidder Commercial Historic District
Industrial
0.1 mi
Beauregard Parish Jail
Industrial
0.1 mi
Hudson River Lumber Company General Manager's House
Industrial
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Beauregard Parish Courthouse listed on the National Register?

Beauregard Parish Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 21, 1983.

What type of historic resource is Beauregard Parish Courthouse?

Beauregard Parish Courthouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Beauregard Parish Courthouse?

The period of significance for Beauregard Parish Courthouse is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1915.

Can I research the history near Beauregard Parish Courthouse?

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