Gathering at the mansion, 1944.
THE HOUSE THAT
Following the Civil War, New Orleans was Louisiana's capital until 1881, when political shifts returned the title to Baton Rouge. Initially, governors lived in rented city homes, but by 1887, conservatives secured enough power to buy the first governor's mansion, the Knox House on North Boulevard. Purchased for $1000, the residence became so linked with conservatism that when Huey Long rose to power, he had it demolished - a story worthy of a page-turner.
Rats and politicians
Long plotted to build a new mansion on the site of the Knox home. To sidestep opposition, the governor placed surrogates on the Louisiana Board of Liquidation, which had the authority to borrow money. He complained that the Knox House was infested with termites and rats, unbecoming of a Louisiana governor who had to entertain “potentates and dignitaries.” It didn’t matter if the story was true, only that it was plausible enough for his cronies to act on it.
Rubber Stamp
The Board of Liquidation gave Long its approval to ask the Legislature to replace the building, but, as always, he was in too big a hurry to follow the legal process. Long phoned only his supporters, then declared he had gathered the votes for appropriating $150,000 to build the mansion. Although his deception caused an uproar, he pressed on.
Louise Jones in the East Room.
Euginia in the East Room.
The Leches in the library.
Prisoners on parade
Long used convicts from the Louisiana State Penitentiary to remove the contents of the Knox House and truck them back to the state prison. Supervised by prison guards, the convicts then tore down the house within six hours.
Ignoring the howls
On Feb. 26, 1929, a day after the Knox House was razed, the Board of Liquidation approved plans for the new mansion, which Long and the State hired architects to design. According to one telling, Long walked into the offices of the architecture firm, Weiss, Dreyfous and Seiferth of New Orleans, pulled a $20 bill out of his wallet, slapped it upside down on a desk, and said, “I want that.”
That unverified story has circulated since the 1930s, becoming part of the history and myth of Huey Long’s ambition. It is believed that Long wanted a mansion that resembled the White House, a symbol of his power and aspiration to rise to the presidency.
Construction began in early 1930 with Long overseeing it and pushing for a quick completion. The mansion opened in June, when the Legislature was in session.
Though Long built the mansion, he didn’t spend much time in it. He lived mostly in hotels and in his private homes in New Orleans and Shreveport.
Jimmy Davis Jr.’s birthday.
Louise Jones in the East Room.