♪ >> LOUISIANA'S OLD STATE CAPITOL, THE CASTLE ON THE HILL.

THIS NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK IS ONE OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED EXAMPLES OF GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE IN THE UNITED STATES.

INSIDE THESE WALLS HOLDS AN ACCOUNT OF LOUISIANA'S HISTORY, SURVIVAL AND PURPOSE.

BUILT IN 1850 HIGH ATOP A BLUFF FACING THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, THE OLD STATE CAPITOL IN BATON ROUGE HAS SEEN DAYS OF GLORY AND SUFFERED MANY INDIGNITIES.

OVER A CENTURY AND A HALF, THE "CASTLE ON THE HILL" STOOD WITNESS TO HISTORY INCLUDING LOUISIANA'S SECESSION FROM THE UNITED STATES, SUFFERED THREE MAJOR FIRES, OVERSAW THE IMPEACHMENT TRIALS OF GOVERNOR HUEY LONG, INAUGURATED A GOVERNOR AND HIS GRANDSON EXACTLY 100 YEARS APART.

OVER THE YEARS, THIS "CASTLE ON THE HILL" HAS NOT ONLY SERVED AS THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT FOR THE STATE, IT HAS ALSO BEEN A PRISON, A HOSPITAL AND EVEN BARRACKS FOR UNION SOLDIERS.

NOW, IT IS A WONDERFULLY PRESERVED JEWEL THAT SERVES AS A MUSEUM TO LOUISIANA'S POLITICAL AND GOVERNMENTAL HISTORY.

AND WHEN PEOPLE FIRST COME INSIDE, THEY ARE WELCOMED BY THE BEAUTIFUL ROTUNDA WHICH INCLUDES A SPIRAL STAIRCASE MADE OF CAST IRON, AND OVERHEAD, THE BREATHTAKING GLASS UMBRELLA DOME THAT FEATURES OVER 2,000 INDIVIDUAL PANES.

THIS GOTHIC STRUCTURE OPENED IN 1850 AND COMPLETED A VISION CREATED BY NEW ORLEANS ARCHITECT JAMES DAKIN.

THAT'S WHERE WE WILL BEGIN OUR STORY.

BACK IN THE 1840S, THE TOWN OF BATON ROUGE, POPULATION 4,000, WAS MAKING A BID TO MOVE THE STATE CAPITOL FROM NEW ORLEANS.

CRITICS STATEWIDE SAID POLITICIANS WERE MIXING TOO LITTLE STATE BUSINESS WITH TOO MUCH PLEASURE OF THE "BIG EASY."

BATON ROUGE CITIZENS POOLED $20,000 TO PURCHASE LAND FROM JUDGE THOMAS GIBBS MORGAN AND CONVINCED THE LEGISLATURE TO MOVE THE STATE CAPITOL TO BATON ROUGE.

>> BECAUSE IT WAS PRETTY MUCH THE CENTER OF TOWN AT THE TIME.

IT WAS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN.

IT WAS A WONDERFUL SITE ON A BLUFF.

IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST HIGH SIGHTS ON THE RIVER.

>> THE CASTLE DESIGN WAS THE BRAIN CHILD OF NEW ORLEANS ARCHITECT JAMES DAKIN.

HE CONVINCED LAWMAKERS OF THE IDEA WITH THE SIMPLEST OF MEANS.

>> WHEN HE FIRST DREW UP HIS DRAWING, HE JUST HAD A LITTLE SKETCH OF A DRAWING AND SAID, THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO BUILD.

IT LOOKED LIKE A CASTLE, AND HE DECIDED HE WANTED A CASTLE BECAUSE EVERY OTHER CAPITOL IN THE COUNTRY WAS LIKE THE CAPITOL IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

IT HAD A DOME IN THE MIDDLE AND THEN THE TWO WINGS ON THE SIDES.

HE THOUGHT LOUISIANA WAS A DISTINCTIVE STATE AND THAT IT NEEDED A DISTINCTIVE CAPITOL.

>> THE "CASTLE ON THE HILL" WAS ONLY 11 YEARS OLD WHEN GOVERNOR THOMAS OVERTON MOORE CALLED A SPECIAL SESSION IN THE HOUSE CHAMBERS ON JANUARY 26, 1861, THE LEGISLATURE VOTED TO SUCCEED FROM THE UNION.

SIXTEEN MONTHS AFTER THAT ANNOUNCEMENT IN THIS CHAMBER, UNION FORCES MADE THEIR WAY INTO BATON ROUGE, OCCUPYING THE TOWN AND THE STATE HOUSE.

AND, IN 1862, JUST FOUR DAYS AFTER CHRISTMAS, AS UNION TROOPS RESIDED HERE AND CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS WERE HELD AS PRISONERS, A GREAT FIRE STARTED IN A CHIMNEY, ENGULFED THE BUILDING AND COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE INTERIOR.

ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS THE GREAT WHITE EXTERIOR WALLS HOVERING OVER THE TOWN LIKE A GHOST OF THE WAR.

LOUISIANA'S CONFEDERATE CAPITOL WOULD MOVE NORTH TO OPELOUSAS, THEN SHREVEPORT.

UNION POWERS WOULD LATER RENAME NEW ORLEANS AS THE NEW CAPITOL.

THIS SHELL OF A BUILDING WOULD REMAIN DORMANT FOR THE NEXT TWO DECADES.

THE TWO LIONS IN FRONT OF THE OLD STATE CAPITOL ONCE GUARDED THE FRONT OF THE ST.

LOUIS HOTEL IN NEW ORLEANS.

FOR SEVEN YEARS, THE HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF CANAL AND ROYAL WAS THE STATE CAPITOL DURING RECONSTRUCTION.

HOWEVER, THE UPROAR CONTINUED FROM LAWMAKERS ALL ACROSS LOUISIANA FOR A BETTER SUITED BUILDING TO CONDUCT THE STATE'S BUSINESS.

THE LEGISLATURE MADE A BOLD DECISION IN 1877 ASKING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR FUNDS TO REPAIR THE STATE HOUSE IN BATON ROUGE.

AFTER ALL, IT WAS DESTROYED BY UNION SOLDIERS DURING THE CIVIL WAR.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT APPROVED THE REQUEST.

WITH THE HELP OF ARCHITECT WILLIAM FRERET, THE OLD STATE CAPITOL CAME BACK TO LIFE IN 1882 BUT WITH A NUMBER OF CHANGES.

THE RESTORED LOUISIANA CAPITOL EVEN DREW CRITICISM FROM MARK TWAIN WHO SAID IT WAS A SHAME THAT DYNAMITE DID NOT DESTROY WHAT A CHARITABLE FIRE HERE HAD STARTED.

>> WELL, YOU HAVE TO TAKE MARK TWAIN FOR WHAT MARK TWAIN WAS.

HE WAS A SATIRIST.

HE MADE FUN OF THINGS AND THAT'S HOW HE MADE HIS LIVING.

BECAUSE FRERET HAD TAKEN THIS CASTLE THING TO THE N-TH DEGREE AND HE HAD BUILT LITTLE CAST IRON TURRETS ON TOP OF THE TURRETS, AND THEN HE HAD THEM PAINTED KIND OF FEDERAL BROWN WITH THIS AWFUL-LOOKING DARK TRIM.

SO, YES, IT WAS PRETTY UGLY.

>> IF FRERET WAS OFF TARGET WITH THE TURRETS, HE MORE THAN MADE UP FOR IT INSIDE.

VISITORS SEE IT THE MOMENT THEY WALK IN THE ROTUNDA.

HIS FOURTH FLOOR ADDITION WAS CREATED TO HOUSE THE BUILDING'S SIGNATURE FEATURE, A MULTI-COLORED GLASS DOME THAT SITS ABOVE THE ROTUNDA LIKE AN UMBRELLA.

OTHER INSPIRING POINTS OF INTEREST INCLUDE BOTH THE HOUSE AND SENATE CHAMBERS.

THE CURRENT TRANQUIL AND ELEGANT SETTING STANDS IN DIRECT CONTRAST TO SOME OF THE GRITTIER DAYS OF PAST POLITICS.

THE DAYS OF THE OLD STATE CAPITOL AS THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT WERE NUMBERED WHEN GOVERNOR HUEY LONG CAME TO POWER.

ALTHOUGH THE NEED FOR A NEW STRUCTURE WAS APPARENT TO ALL, MONEY WAS JUST NOT AVAILABLE.

LONG DID ORDER THE TURRETS ON THE TOWERS REMOVED AFTER A LARGE CHUNK OF ONE TOWER BROKE OFF AND FELL TO THE GROUND.

LONG ONCE SAID THERE WAS NOT ANOTHER BUILDING IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY THAT WAS SUCH A DISGRACE.

AND HE WOULDN'T PAY $25 FOR THE WHOLE THING.

BUT IT WAS LONG FIGHTING FOR HIS POLITICAL LIFE EARLY IN HIS ADMINISTRATION, LEAVING NO TIME TO WORRY ABOUT THE PROBLEMS OF AN AGING STATE HOUSE.

IN APRIL OF 1929, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES VOTED TO IMPEACH LONG AND SENT THE CHARGES TO THE SENATE.

THE SENATE SUMMONED LONG TO FACE THE CHARGES.

THE IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS DID NOT LAST VERY LONG.

FIFTEEN SENATORS PRESENTED A DOCUMENT STATING THEY WOULD NEVER VOTE FOR IMPEACHMENT, REGARDLESS OF THE EVIDENCE.

HUEY LONG SURVIVED AND HIS POWER ONLY GREW.

A YEAR AND A HALF LATER, THE "KINGFISH" WOULD SUCCESSFULLY PUSH HIS PLAN FOR A NEW STATE CAPITOL.

WITH THE ATTENTION FOCUSED ON THE NEW BUILDING, THE OLD STATE CAPITOL LANGUISHED IN THE GRASS.

BY THE 1980'S, THE CASTLE ON THE HILL WAS MERELY AN AFTERTHOUGHT TO THE BATON ROUGE LANDSCAPE.

THE FUTURE OF THE BUILDING WAS IN JEOPARDY.

WITH THE BUILDING REACHING A POINT OF NO RETURN, SCORES OF LOUISIANA CITIZENS, POLITICIANS AND OFFICIALS WOULD NOT LET THE OLD STATE CAPITOL GO DOWN WITHOUT OF FIGHT.

STARTING IN THE 1990'S, A MASSIVE RENOVATION PROJECT WOULD BEGIN TO SAVE THE OLD STATE CAPITOL ON THE HILL ONE MORE TIME.

THE SIX DECADES AFTER STATE GOVERNMENT MOVED TO A NEW CAPITOL, LOUISIANA'S OLD STATE >> WHAT I THINK IS INTERESTING IS THE PAINSTAKING DETAIL THAT WENT ON TO THIS RESTORATION.

I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT IT WITH A BROAD BRUSH, YOU SEE THE FINAL RESULT, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS IAN MACNAUGHTON DID, THE ARCHITECT ON THIS PROJECT, WAS INCREDIBLE RESEARCH ON THE PAINTS, TYPES OF PAINTS, HARDWARE AND LOCK WORKS.

EVERYTHING YOU SEE IS AS CLOSE AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE TO WHAT THIS >> AND EVER SINCE THAT GRAND OPENING OF 1994, LOUISIANA'S OLD STATE CAPITOL ONCE AGAIN WELCOMES VISITORS FROM ACROSS THE STATE AND AROUND THE WORLD TO CONTINUE TO TELL THE STORY OF LOUISIANA.

OUR OLD STATE CAPITOL TOUR COMES BACK TO EARTH TO VIEW SOMETHING IN PLAIN SIGHT, BUT JUST AS EASILY GETS OVERLOOKED.

IT IS THE SEVEN-FOOT CAST IRON FENCE, FULL WITH FLEUR DE LIS, AND OTHER IMAGERY THAT SURROUNDS THE ENTIRE FOUR-ACRE GROUNDS.

>> WELL, THE FENCE WAS AND IS AS HISTORICAL AS THE BUILDING.

IT WAS ERECTED IN 1855.

IT HAS A LOT OF SYMBOLISM TO IT.

THERE IS A LOT OF CUT FOILS WHICH IS A FOUR-LEAF CLOVER TYPE THINGS THAT'S IN THE GATE.

EAGLES, MAGNOLIA PODS OR PINEAPPLES, DEPENDING ON WHO YOU LISTEN TO.

>> LOUISIANA'S OLD STATE CAPITOL IS HERE TO SHARE ITS WEALTH OF STORIES, HISTORY AND ARTIFACTS.

>> WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE THESE STORIES.

AS MUCH AS WE WANT TO PRESERVE THE HISTORY OF THE PAST, THIS IS A PLACE THAT CALLS PEOPLE FORWARD, THAT CALLS PEOPLE TO BE ENGAGED IN GOVERNMENT, TO UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS.

AND WE CAN POINT TO THE PAST AND SHOW ILLUSTRATIONS OF HOW PEOPLE HAVE MADE SUCH A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THIS STATE, AND WE WANT TO CHALLENGE PEOPLE TO DO THE SAME TODAY.

>> LOUISIANA'S OLD STATE CAPITOL STILL STANDS PROUD AFTER ALL THESE YEARS.

THAT'S BEEN MADE POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE EFFORTS OF SO MANY PEOPLE WHO REFUSED TO LET IT LEAVE THE BATON ROUGE LANDSCAPE, AS WELL AS OUR COLLECTIVE MEMORY.

THEIR EFFORTS NOW STAND AS A TESTAMENT TO THIS "CASTLE ON THE