Centenary State Historic Site
"The East Wing Dormitory"
The East Wing dormitory was the first of the campus structures to be built. Built between 1832 and 1833, the building was designed by Captain Delafield, and constructed by Alexander Smith of Wilkinson County, Mississippi at a cost of $14,000.00 (Nelson 1931:86)
The East Wing was a two-story brick building, 183 feet long by 25 feet wide. The height of the exterior walls was 28 feet. There were 24 rooms with six double stack chimneys to heat each room. There were thirteen columns, each 24 feet high, lining the front of the building.
The East Wing was used as a dormitory upon its completion, and with the exception of the Civil War (in which it was used as a hospital) served no other function until its demolition. After Centenary College moved to Shreveport in 1908, the East Wing was privately owned and presumed to fall into a state of disuse. In 1935 the building was razed to the ground.
The ruins you see before you are all that remains of the East Wing Dormitory building.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • War, US Civil.
Location. 30° 50.504′ N, 91° 12.701′ W.
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Regionally, this marker is in the Florida Parishes and in Greater Baton Rouge. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Centenary College's Main Academic Building (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Centenary State Historic Site (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Battle of Jackson (about 600 feet away); a different
More about this marker. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday-Saturday.
Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
Entrance Fees:
$4 per person;
Free for seniors (62 and over) and children (3 and under).
Credits. This page was last revised on October 26, 2020. It was originally submitted on September 23, 2017, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 418 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 23, 2017.
