Louisiana Square

Louisiana Square. A seat of government for more than 200 years. , This elegant memorial park recalls many eras of southern Louisiana history. The Ascension Parish Courthouse to your right is the most prominent landmarks today, but this square designed in 1806 has witnessed important events in regional government, war, politics, religion, and law.

If you had been standing on this spot in 1830, you would have been looking at the front of the State Capitol of Louisiana. The Capitol building no longer exists, but you can imagine what it must have been like in this broad plaza---carriages arriving with dignitaries, politicians speaking, militia marching by, lawyers bringing clients to trial and citizens celebrating the 4th of July.

, Photo Captions

1 Synagogue , Jewish citizens built the Bikur Cholim synagogue here in 1871. Large numbers of Jews immigrated here from Germany and France. The synagogue closed in the 1950s; the building now serves as a hardware store.

2 Doctor Office Memorial , Dr. John H. Lowery practiced medicine in Donaldsonville from the late 1800s until 1941, but also became a plantation owner, justice of the peace and philanthropist. His small doctor office was moved here as a memorial to this pioneer of healing.

3 Capitol Building Site , In 1830-31 the Louisiana State legislature met here after having selected Donaldsonville as their state capital. However, the lawmakers moved back to New Orleans finding the building leaky and the town short on comforts. The building was torn down, but was located just behind the old National Guard Armory building you are facing.

4 Governor Nicholls Birthplace , Francis T. Nicholls (1834-1912), a Donaldsonville native, served as Governor of Louisiana twice following his service as a Confederate officer in the Civil War. He grew up in a house called "Old Bustle Hall" that once stood on the street corner behind you.

5 Courthouse , Today's courthouse features a renovted courtroom on the second floor. The Clerk of Court holds records here dating back to 1770. Most of the records from the 1800s were handwritten in French.

6 Parish Jail , Ascension Parish's fifth jail sits behind the courthouse and dates to 1867. No longer used as a jail, the cells upstairs are sometimes used as movie sets, as in the 2013 mini-series Bonnie and Clyde.

Ascension Parish Courthouse , In his city plan, William Donaldson set aside two lots for a courthouse and jail. Unfortunately, the first four courthouses were destroyed by acts of war or fires. The red-brick courthouse that remains today was built in 1890 and remains in use., The Donaldsonville Cannoneers, a local artillery unit drilling here in 1891., In the court's 1849 marriage records we see the name of "Jean Lafitte," possibly the son of the legendary pirate and privateer.