National Register of Historic Places

Calcasieu Parish Courthouse

Lake Charles, Calcasieu County, Louisiana
Listed
November 2, 1989
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
89001938

About this property

Calcasieu Parish Courthouse is located in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The previous courthouse burned down in the great fire of 1910. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in Calcasieu Parish on November 2, 1989. Calcasieu Parish was created on March 24, 1840, from the parish of Saint Landry, and named after the Calcasieu River. Old maps use the Indian spelling Bayou Quelqueshue and Culcashue. The first parish seat was originally called Comasaque Bluff but was renamed to Marsh Bayou Bluff. On September 14, 1840, it was chosen as the parish seat. On December 8, 1840, the name was changed to Marion, Louisiana. There has been confusion with the like-named town of Marion in Union Parish, incorporated in 1852. The first parish seat was finally renamed Old Town, and is located southeast of Moss Bluff on English Bayou near the crossing of old Hwy 171. The first parish courthouse, a log cabin, was built in August 1841 in Marion. In 1852, Lake Charles was chosen as the parish seat, and the log courthouse was moved to the new location. By 1853, a wooden courthouse was built. In 1891, a new colonial brick building was built. In 1910, the courthouse was destroyed by the Great Fire. The new courthouse was finished in 1912. The dome on top of the courthouse is of solid copper. The courthouse, offered by the architectural firm Favrot & Livaudais, was a copy of the Villa Capra "La Rotonda" outside Vicenza, Italy.

Location

Lake Charles, Calcasieu County, Louisiana
30.22614, -93.21838

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
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

Lake Charles City Hall, Old
Industrial
0.1 mi
Waters Pierce Oil Company Stable Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Civil War
0.1 mi
Noble Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Calcasieu Marine Bank
Industrial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Calcasieu Parish Courthouse listed on the National Register?

Calcasieu Parish Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 2, 1989.

What type of historic resource is Calcasieu Parish Courthouse?

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

What is the period of significance for Calcasieu Parish Courthouse?

The period of significance for Calcasieu Parish Courthouse is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1910.

Can I research the history near Calcasieu Parish Courthouse?

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