Calcasieu Parish | US Courthouses

Calcasieu Parish is named for the name of an Atakapa Native American leader meaning “crying eagle”.

Surrounding Parish and County Courthouses:

N – Beauregard Parish and Jefferson Davis Parish

E – Jefferson Davis Parish

S – Cameron Parish

W – Orange County, Texas and Newton County, Texas

Created: March 24, 1840

Parish Seat:

Marion 1841 – 1852

Lake Charles 1852 – present

Parish Courthouse – Lake Charles

Location: 1000 Ryan Street / Kirby Street

Built: 1911 - 1912

Style: Neo-Classical and Beaux Arts

Architect: Favrot and Livaudais

Contractor: Texas Building Company

Description: The building faces east and is two story buff colored brick, stone and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Lake Charles with the Courthouse Annex and Judicial Center on the west side and the Administration Building on the south side. The east front has a large Roman Doric portico with four high columns rising to a pediment at the roof line. There are north and south wings. A white colored balustrade runs along the edge of the flat roof. On the center of the roof is a large green colored solid copper dome. The building is a replica of the Villa Cora in Vicenza, Italy known as the Rotunda. In the interior, the building is in the form of a very stunted cruciform shape with the entrance at one end of the cross. This area has a flat ceiling, entablature-like beams, and four free-standing Tuscan columns. The columns and the accompanying pilasters are ornamented with small lion’s heads on the capitals. This area, and many other parts of the first story, feature numerous egg and dart moldings. Inside the entrance vestibule is an imperial staircase which leads to the principal Parish District Court courtroom on the second floor. The large square shaped courtroom with rounded corners is located at the center of the second story. The building houses the District Court of the 14th Judicial Parish District. The area is lit from above through a series of Roman lunettes which form part of a large Roman lantern protruding one story above the rest of the building. An annex containing two additional court rooms was constructed in 1958, and another annex for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals of the State of Louisiana was completed in 1960.

See: National Register of Historic Places – Calcasieu Parish Courthouse

Parish Judicial Center – Lake Charles

Location: 1001 Lakeside Drive / Kirby Street

Built: 1992 - 1994

Style: Modern

Architect: Hackett & Associates and Ellender & Broussard

Contractor: Bessette Development Corporation

Description: The building faces north and is a three story buff colored brick, buff colored concrete and glass structure. The building is located on the west side of the courthouse in the center of Lake Charles and is connected by a second story walkway. The north front has a recessed porch with pillars on the first story and large arched window above on the second and third stories. The east side has a recessed first story with pillars. The windows are horizontal. The roof line is flat.

History: The parish was created in 1840 and Marion was selected as the parish seat. The first courthouse was crudely built log cabin in 1841. The parish seat was moved to Lake Charles in 1852. The log courthouse was moved by ox to the new location. The second courthouse was a brick structure built in 1891 at a cost of $20,000. An annex was added in 1902. The courthouse was destroyed by fire on April 23, 1910. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1911 to 1912 at a cost of $200,000.

Parish Administration – Lake Charles

Location: 1015 Pithon Street / Gill Street

Built: 1966 - 1967

Style: Modern

Architect: Hackett & Associates and Ellender & Broussard

Contractor: Priola Construction Corporation

Description: The building faces west and is a four story red brick, concrete and glass structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Lake Charles on the south side of the courthouse. The main entrance is on the west side of the first story. The roof line is flat. The building was enlarge in 1998. An addition was added in 2003. The architect was Ellender Architects Associates and the contractor was Alfred Palma, Inc.

See: Located in the parish is the Louisiana Third Court of Appeal.