Tag Archives: Old State Capitol

Photo of the Day: Stained Glass Dome

Stained glass dome above the Old State Capitol, Baton Rouge, LA

Baton Rouge’s ‘Little Sham of a Castle’

Old State Capitol, Baton Rouge Louisiana

“It is pathetic enough that a whitewashed castle, with turrets and things – materials all ungenuine within and without, pretending to be what they are not – should ever have been built in this otherwise honorable place; but it is much more pathetic to see this architectural falsehood undergoing restoration and perpetuation in our day, when it would have been so easy to let dynamite finish what a charitable fire began, and then devote this restoration-money to the building of something genuine.”

– Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi

Apparently Mark Twain didn’t care much for the original Capitol Building in Baton Rouge, calling it a ‘little sham of a castle.’ I can kind of see his point. Read More…

Tallahassee Old State Capitol and Museum

Tallahassee Old State Capitol

Someone forgot to tell the good folks of Tallahassee that ‘history is written by the victors.’ At far too many historic sites we’ve seen the unpleasant aspects of our collective past downplayed, marginalized, or covered with a glossy coat of bullshit. But in Tallahassee’s Old State Capitol and Museum they present a refreshingly blunt picture of Florida history. Covering everything from the lynchings that ushered in the 20th Century to the presidential election debacle that closed it, the museum pulls no punches. They even highlight Florida’s failure to ratify the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution in a display headlined “Women Get to Vote (No thanks to Florida).” It’s an honesty that borders on self flagellation but is probably better described as mature self reflection. For our part, we appreciated a place that has the strength of character to admit its mistakes, instead of just extolling its virtues. Here’s to hoping that more places (and people) follow Florida’s lead.

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