The Old LSU Site is located in

Pineville, Louisiana Pineville is a city in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is located across the Red River from the larger Alexandria. Pineville is hence part of the Alexandria Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,555 at the 2010 cens ...

. In November 1859, the institution's main building was completed. The institution's first superintendent was Major

William Tecumseh Sherman William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), achieving recognition for his com ...

. On January 2, 1860, the college opened with five professors and 19 cadets. In March 1860, the school's name was changed to Louisiana State Seminary of Learning & Military Academy (le Lycee Scientifique et Militaire de l'Etat de la Louisiane). The state's legislature allowed for as many as 150 cadets, with scholarships for boarding expenses. The total number of cadets eventually reached 73. The cadets were referred to as "beneficiary" cadets. After

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...

seceded from the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

in January 1861, Sherman resigned as superintendent of the school. In April 1861, large numbers of students and faculty began resigning in order to enlist in the Confederate military. On June 30, 1861; the seminary closed. It later reopened on April 1, 1862, with Rev. W.E.M. Linfield as acting superintendent. On November 1, 1869, the school was moved from Pineville and relocated to the capital city of

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the county seat, parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, E ...

. In March 1870, the school's name was changed to Louisiana State University (l'Universite' de l'Etat de la Louisiane). It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on August 14, 1973.

References

Louisiana State University buildings and structures University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Louisiana Buildings and structures in Rapides Parish, Louisiana Pineville, Louisiana National Register of Historic Places in Rapides Parish, Louisiana {{Louisiana-NRHP-stub