East Feliciana Parish Courthouse

The East Feliciana Parish Courthouse, which houses the 20th Judicial District Court of the State of Louisiana, was built in 1840. The simple, peripteral Greek Revival structure is the oldest still functioning parish courthouse in the state. The Courthouse was listed in the National Register as a National Historic Landmark in 1973.

The project, completed in 2011, was a total rehabilitation of the building reversing previous alterations so it can continue to serve its intended purpose in the community. The $2.5 million rehabilitation began with an assessment of the building’s current condition and usage. The project scope included very careful removal of hard Portland cement plaster; repair and repointing of the brick walls below, and replacement of the plaster with a traditional high lime mix on both the interior and exterior. It also included removal of the non-historic first floor slab and restoration of a ventilated crawl space, wood joists, and salvaged heart pine flooring.

On the second floor, the dropped ceiling was removed and the historic beaded board ceiling restored. All interior finishes were replaced based on documentation of historic colors and the historic courtroom and casework were carefully conserved. The community now uses the Courthouse square for its weekend Market event, which brings activity and revenue into the town. The installation of state-of-the-art judicial technology has also helped to ensure this Courthouse can continue to service its intended purpose into the distant future. This project received a 2014 National Preservation Honor Award from The National Trust for Historic Preservation.

This project was performed in collaboration with MTFA Design + Preservation.