The 'Old Courthouse and Jail'

(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first in a series.)
The tale of the removal of the ‘old’ St. Mary Parish Courthouse and jail has been told so many times that it has become the stuff of legend.
But over the years since the debate to replace the historic structure began, the story has grown in stature and mystique. This is the first in a series of articles tracing the timeline of events from 1960, not long after a prior move to build a new courthouse failed, and another began which eventually led to the demolition. Nearly 50 years later, many mourn its loss.
This is by no means an exhaustive chronicle; rather, it centers on highlights published during the years 1960-1970 as published in the Banner-Tribune.
In 1960, the St. Mary Parish Police Jury heralded in the New Year with a first-of-the month report on a recently established courthouse study committee created by the Police Jury. These are direct, but edited excerpts from those reports:
The committee was comprised of Chairman Durward LaGrange and members Berlin Hebert, E.G. Landry, Joseph Rizzo, Ned Russo and Joseph Cefalu.
In January of that year, the Banner reported that Robert E. Miller Jr., parish engineer, said that the courthouse roof was leaking over the office occupied by the Soil Conservation Department and stated that it was found that the downspout was the only place that he could locate that may have caused the leaking condition of the Soil Conservation Office, and it was recommended by the Courthouse Committee that he contact a local roofing contractor to investigate and have same repaired.
The committee, taking into consideration the many recommendations made by the grand jury to consider constructing a new courthouse, went on record and wished to recommend that the jury consider the feasibility of planning a new structure. The committee said that this new building was needed for the following reasons:
1. All parish officials below need more room to efficiently conduct the tax payers business.
A. Clerk’s Office and Record Room
B. Assessor’s Office
C. Sheriff’s Office
D. District Attorney’s Office
E. Law Library
F. Registrar of Voters
G. Police Jury
H. County Agent
The structure of the courthouse and jail is such that the cost of heating, lighting and maintenance is at a premium, it was reported. For example, 1959 expenses were: Utilities, $6,789; maintenance and repairs, $4,785; janitorial supplies, $1,497; salaries, $8,335.
The report continued, “The steel cells in the jail are outdated and have been repaired over and over for some time. Two of the cells are condemned at this time. The design of the cells are such at it is difficult to separate prisoners and the facilities are inadequate to house juvenile delinquents and women prisoners.
“Therefore it is the recommendation of the Courthouse Committee that a study be made for the construction of a new courthouse and jail for St. Mary Parish.”
As early as 1960, a few half-hearted attempts were made to build a new courthouse in east St. Mary. It was the second time after a similar effort was defeated a few years earlier.
That April, a legal notice was published that “Mr. Mickey McNulty, District Attorney, told the committee that termites were flying around the office and requested the committee look into the situation.
In August, an offer of six acres of land at Patterson was made by Luke Carlino for a site for the proposed new courthouse was reviewed by the courthouse committee…the secretary was instructed to write Carlino acknowledging his offer and to inform him that the matter will be given further study.
Though there didn’t seem to be much momentum yet, publisher Bob Angers Jr. noted in a light-hearted column: “Joe Rizzo probably had his tongue in cheek when he engineered action that resulted in having a citizen from Patterson offer land…Numa Hanagriff had a twinkle in his eye and chances are that if Juror Rizzo started moving the courthouse down the highway, Chief Hanagriff would probably stop it in Centerville.”
The grand jury’s report on the need for a new courthouse or courthouse annex for St. Mary Parish was deemed unfair to the parish Police Jury by President Joe Cefalu in September.
Cefalu said that in his opinion the grand jury should add a paragraph saying that it was in favor of a tax for the project.
Cefalu said, “People think the police jury has the money for a courthouse in its back pocket. Why doesn’t the grand jury give a full report? Perhaps they don’t mean to, but they give the impression that this police jury has the money on hand and we do not. The courthouse will have to be financed by an ad valorem tax affecting the whole parish.”
He added, “This police jury is ready, willing and able to build anything the people of the parish want, but they have to let us know they want it.”
A public notice in the newspaper from October, 1960 read:
“It was recommended by the committee that all parish officials be contacted to find out if they would back the necessary bond issue to construct the new facilities. The report made a request that, in addition to parish officials, municipal officials, presidents of civic clubs, large property owners and members of the grand jury be invited to discuss the matter at a coffee party. The report pointed out that in the proposed parish wide election to provide for the construction of the new facilities, homestead exemption would apply.”
By December, plans for construction of a new St. Mary Parish Courthouse and jail were revived at a meeting of the Police Jury.
A courthouse committee report submitted by Chairman Durward LaGrange called attention to crowded quarters for the sheriff’s criminal department and the lack of space for the district judge. LaGrange asked President Joe Cefalu about setting a date for the public discussion and was advised that one would be called shortly after preliminary sketches are prepared by architect Lloyd Guillory.
Discussion was slim in 1961, and the most prominent report was from the grand jury that contained a recommendation for immediate steps for the presentation of proposition to the people of the parish for their vote on the construction of a new courthouse and jail; recommendation to the Police Jury that emergency and immediate improvement be made to make the jail habitable.
By 1963, Angers, publisher of the Banner-Tribune wrote a January editorial to kick off the new year again:
“This newspaper is of the opinion that a new courthouse should be built in Franklin and the present building retained for use as auxiliary office space for federal, state and local use. The old jail is an antique that should be torn down…with 100 acres or more of land opening up across the bayou in Franklin, the acquisition of another site for the modern, functional building near the bridge should not present any unusual problem.
“Last time the issue of a new courthouse building came up there was a question raised about adequate space for parking purposes. That objection is answered with the new land being opened up “across the bayou” about a block or so away from the present building.
“The jail is inadequate. The courtroom facilities and the quarters for the judges are poor. The assessor is in need of larger and more modern space. The clerk of court needs more room for operations. And perhaps worst of all, there is the very serious problem of doing something about the record room, which is administered by the clerk of court although the police jury is charged with supplying quarters. Pictures in the Banner-Tribune last week showed…priceless documents being placed on the floor, in the corners, in the aisles or being transported across town to a storage warehouse at considerable risk and inconvenience to the very people they are supposed to serve.
Also in January, Third Ward Police Juror Durward LaGrange spoke to the Franklin Rotary Club. He said the police jury has asked the federal government for $30,000 to make a preliminary survey of the cost of a new courthouse, and estimated the building would cost $2 million. He also said it would require a $2-2.5 mill tax for 20 years to finance the project and a half-mill for maintenance for 10 years.
LaGrange also said the site of the courthouse was donated to the parish in 1810 and would revert to the original owners if abandoned. The police jury only had claim to the property if used for the specific purpose for which it was donated.
Mayor McKerall O’Neill Sr. said at a Franklin Council meeting in November, “As chief executive of the town, I was not approached for an opinion. Nothing much, really, because no concrete plan has been put forth yet.”
Most of the council expressed disapproval of a plan to build a new courthouse and were opposed to building one outside of town. “I couldn’t imagine living in Franklin without that old courthouse,” Jinx Morris said.
Also in November, it was reported, “St. Mary tax payers will be asked to consider construction of a new courthouse building on the proposed 4-lane highway while retaining the present structure as a public building, the old jail will be torn down and Franklin municipal officials will be invited to extend the city limits to take in the new courthouse area.”
(To be continued)