Louisiana State Arsenal (New Orleans, Louisiana)

 arsenal / weapon and ammunition storage, museum

The Louisiana State Arsenal was constructed by James H. Daskin in 1839. Behind the main building is a small courtyard separating it from the small three-story portion which fronts on Pirate’s Alley. It is sitted on a plot of land that was occupied as early as 1728 by a French guardhouse and prison, later destroyed by fire in 1768. The Spanish rebuilt the prison in 1768, only to see it burn the same year. The Spanish built yet another building on the site after the fire of 1795 that served as a long time prison until its removal in 1837. It was demolished upon the completion of the prison on Orleans Street, which has also since been demolished.

The first occupants of the building were the Louisiana Legion, an aristocratic military organization of men from prestigious American and Creole families. The three-story Greek Revival building served as the state arsenal from 1840 until 1915. From 1846 until the Civil War in 1861, the arsenal was used by the Orleans Artillery and served as the headquarters of Gen. P. G. T. Beauregard, Adjutant General of Louisiana. During the Civil War, it was used as a base for military supplies until New Orleans’ capture in 1862, when it became a military prison and Federal headquarters.

During Reconstruction, the building was used as the arsenal for the Metropolitan Police. This integrated police squad would see trying times in New Orleans, and on Sept. 14, 1874, they were involved in the bloodiest civilian battle of the century, known as the Battle of Liberty Place. The arsenal was then used by the re-organized Orleans Artillery and as a State Arsenal until 1914, when the building became part of the Louisiana State Museum. Today, the Arsenal is open to the public and houses various exhibits relevant to Louisiana history and artisans.