Louisiana Capitol History and Tour
SPEAKER'S OFFICE
Originally, these offices housed the governor and his staff. Today, this suite is used by the Speaker of the House and the Speaker Pro Tempore.
The original Terrazzo floor has been recently restored. The four walls of the reception room originally boasted fresco murals by Louisiana artist Conrad Albrizio. Unfortunately, they were destroyed during a cleaning and restoration effort in the 1950s. At that time, the murals had cracked, and because they were out of style, they were painted over and destroyed.
SITE OF LONG ASSASSINATION
U.S. Sen. Huey P. Long, the controversial political figure who served as governor from 1928-1932, was shot at this site. A plaque and a glass display case now mark the spot.
Long was shot on September 8, 1935. It was a Sunday night and the Louisiana Legislature was in special session. As he moved from the House Chamber toward the Senate Chamber, a young Baton Rouge doctor, Dr. Carl Austin Weiss, stepped forward. Shots rang out. Sen. Long stumbled down the hall and down the steps on the Senate side of the building. He was taken to Our Lady of the Lake Sanitarium, which was then located across the lake behind the capitol. He died on September 10, 1935 as a result of his bullet wounds.
Great controversy continues to surround this event.
Although the official record lists Dr. Weiss as the assassin, many theories abound as to
who fired the fatal shots and why. Numerous books and articles have been written about the
various theories and the incident.