Our Views: Sprucing up Capitol grounds
We’re glad Old State Capitol officials are moving ahead with development of a master plan to guide the development of the four-acre site for future generations. The Old State Capitol’s grounds were last updated 72 years ago by the Works Progress Administration. Old State Capitol Director Mary Durusau said plans call for development of the Old State Capitol Grounds into “an outdoor classroom presenting the history of the building and its landscape as well as the unique ecology of the area.”
Supporters of the Old State Capitol are raising private funds for the development plan. Additional funding for the project is coming through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Tonight’s “The Jewel of the State House” gala will benefit the development of the master plan. For information about the gala, call (225) 342-0500 or visit http://www.louisianaoldstatecapitol.org.
Completed in 1850, the Old State Capitol, 100 North Blvd., has a distinguished history as the seat of state government and, in recent years, a nationally known museum of politics. The castle-shaped building is a great Louisiana treasure, and we’re glad restoration efforts have returned the building to its former glory. But the Old State Capitol grounds need some attention, too.
We wish Old State Capitol officials luck in crafting plans for the grounds’ improvement and bringing them to fruition.