Old State Capitol
The Old State Capitol is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and in 1832, Pierre Couvillon was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives. He was then elected to the state senate where his power greatly increased. On his political agenda, Couvillon primarily focused on the state’s banking laws and regulations. For in 1840s Louisiana, the banks only favored a small amount of wealthy families. Couvillon countered this by exposing the corrupt bank officials to the public sector. In 1852 at his home, Couvillon died of a heart attack, following the outrage he felt when he heard many senators were lining up for shares in the financial playoffs.
Couvillon was buried in Mansura Catholic Cemetery, leaving his wife and their ten children. This was a big blow to the reform movement in Louisiana, for he was a true pioneer. The Senator was so dedicated to reforming the bank industry in Louisiana that even after death, his ghost went back to work at the state capitol building. Legislators in the building said they felt his presence leading up to the Civil War. In 1862, the Union army marched through Baton Rouge and set the Capitol building on fire. The building was restored, and it stands today on top of a hill.
The building is no longer operating for the state legislatures, but visitors are still welcome for tours. The only state legislature still at the building is the old Senator, keeping an eye on the people that come to visit his former business of glory. In 1994, the Old State Capitol building was renamed the Louisiana Center for Political and Governmental history. Following this, Couvillon’s ghost became very active, triggering off the motion detectors late at night. The ghost has also left footprints on dusty floors from locked rooms, stole from visitors and staff members, and has had a certain desire for pliers. A total of 15 pliers have disappeared over the years once left alone for a few seconds.
(Source: Dwyer, Jeff. Ghost Hunter’s Guide to New Orleans. 2007.)
