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 Aerial
view of the Pentagon Barracks
Courtesy of the Louisiana
Office of Tourism
Additional
views of the Pentagon Barracks, including two historic images of
the interior of the Barracks when they were used by Louisiana State
University cadets as dormitories, c.1904
Courtesy of the Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation, and the National Register collection |
The Pentagon Barracks of East
Baton Rouge Parish has been won and lost by the Spanish, French, and the
British, and even has the distinction of being the site of the birth of
a nation - the short-lived Republic of West Florida. During it's use as
a military post, many famous men and public figures served or visited,
including Lafayette, Robert E. Lee, George Custer, Jefferson Davis and
Abraham Lincoln. The British erected a dirt fort on the site of the barracks
in 1779, which was soon captured by the Spanish Governor of Louisiana,
Bernardo de Galvez. Not wanting to be under the rule of Spain, the citizens
of the West Florida Territory revolted and in September of 1810 raised
the flag over the fort declaring their independence and announcing the
birth of the Republic of West Florida. The citizens then turned the area
over to the United States on December 10, 1810. The fort served as the
assembly point for American troops going to the Creek War in 1813-1814
and to the Battle of New Orleans in 1814-15. A major expansion of the
post was made in 1819-1823 when new barracks were built and a large Arsenal
Depot was established to serve the southwestern United States. The four,
two-story brick buildings were built in 1825 after six years of planning.
Captain James Gadsden of the U.S. Army, who prepared the schematics for
the barracks, headed the construction. Originally, there were five buildings,
Gadsden having intended for a group of buildings arranged in a pentagon-shaped
configuration to be erected for the boarding of enlisted soldiers.
The fort remained an U.S. military post until 1861 when it was seized
and captured by the State of Louisiana, who turned the operation of
the arsenal over to the Confederacy. However, in 1862 during the Battle
of Baton Rouge, Federal troops reclaimed the garrison and renamed it
Fort Williams for the late commander who died in the battle. After the
Civil War, in 1884, the General Assembly of Louisiana passed a resolution
allocating the full usage of the buildings and grounds of the Pentagon
Barracks to Louisiana State University. The University gained full possession
of the grounds in 1886. Today the Pentagon Barracks houses the offices
of the lieutenant governor and private apartments for state legislators.
The Pentagon Barracks are located at State Capitol Dr. at River
Rd. in Baton Rouge. It is not open to the public.
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