Towering above the Baton Rouge skyline, the Louisiana Capitol Building is one of the most visited capitols in America. Forever linked with the political career of Huey Long, the building is one of the leading samples of a 1930s Art Deco style. One of only nine capitol buildings without a dome, the 450 foot skyscraper was the creation of Huey Long. Part of his gubernatorial campaign platform, Long pushed to replace the obsolete capitol building.
     Approved during a special 1930s legislative session, a constitutional amendment was favored by the Louisiana citizens by a 14 to 1 margin. Taking nearly two and a half years to complete, construction was accomplished by the famous Washington D.C. firm of George A. Fuller Company. A rail spur, used to haul in building material, was built by the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad. Approximately 2500 carloads of materials, including 200 carloads of limestone facade material, were hauled over the spur. Elected to the U.S. Senate during construction, Long wasn’t present during the capitol building dedication.
     On a tragic note, Senator Huey Long was shot in the halls of the new capitol on September 8, 1935. Today, a fitting memorial marks the gravesite in the center of the Red Stick Capital Gardens.