About this property
The Red Hat Cell Block is a former prison housing unit of the Louisiana State Penitentiary in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana which, for a time, also contained the state's execution chamber and electric chair. After a 1933 escape attempt, prison authorities constructed a new prisoner cell block, a one-story, 30-cell building at Camp E. That cell block, which became the most restrictive inmate housing unit in Angola, was colloquially referred to as "Red Hat", after the red paint-coated straw hats that its occupants wore when they worked in the fields. After a federal court ordered Louisiana prison authorities to enact reforms at Angola, Warden C. Murray Henderson phased out "Red Hat", and in 1972 Elayn Hunt had "Red Hat" officially closed. Red Hat became a dog kennel. In 1977 Camp J took "Red Hat"'s role as the most restrictive housing unit in Angola. On February 20, 2003, the National Park Service listed the Red Hat Cell Block on the National Register of Historic Places as #03000041.
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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.
Everything a full report reveals about Red Hat Cell Block, Louisiana State Penitentiary
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Questions about this property
When was Red Hat Cell Block, Louisiana State Penitentiary listed on the National Register?
Red Hat Cell Block, Louisiana State Penitentiary was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 20, 2003.
What type of historic resource is Red Hat Cell Block, Louisiana State Penitentiary?
Red Hat Cell Block, Louisiana State Penitentiary is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Red Hat Cell Block, Louisiana State Penitentiary?
The period of significance for Red Hat Cell Block, Louisiana State Penitentiary is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1933.
Can I research the history near Red Hat Cell Block, Louisiana State Penitentiary?
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