Alexandria, LA Summary

The central-Louisiana city of Alexandria was once a lively French and Spanish trading center before two merchants from Philadelphia decided to build a permanent settlement on the banks of the Red River in 1792. Becoming a bustling river port alongside neighboring Pineville, Alexandria built its economy around cotton, lumber, and sugarcane. During the Civil War, the city became a prime target for the invading Union army during the Red River Campaign of 1864.

In May of that year, Union troops torched most of the city, leaving only a few buildings, including Mount Olivet Church in Pineville, a Gothic Revival church featuring Tiffany windows.

The Alexandria National Cemetery on Shamrock Street has graves dating back to 1824 and those of more than 1,500 unknown Union soldiers. Another surviving dwelling that pre-dates the war is the Rosalie Sugar Mill.

Known as “the Crossroad City,” Alexandria has a population of 49,000 that has seen its city lose the impetus it enjoyed during World War II. The downturn of the lumber industry, together with the closing of the England Air Force Base (which was the region’s largest employer) has greatly impeded its economy. Nevertheless, Alexandria is slowly transforming its downtown region into a cultural attraction, with emphasis placed on the city’s midtwentieth- century military history, together with its cotton, sugar, and African-American heritage.

Some of the town’s attractions include Kent House, the finest example of surviving French and Spanish colonial architecture, which was built in 1800. During the Union occupation, its owner used his influential Masonic order membership to save the house from destruction. Elevated on brick pillars for protection against dampness and flooding, Kent House features a collection of outbuildings including slave cabins, a blacksmith shop and a sugar mill.

The estate also has a fine museum, housing artifacts and old farming equipment. Open-hearth cooking demonstrations are held at the estate from October to April.

Alexandria’s cultural exhibits are largely confined to three museums, including the superior and quite fascinating Arna Bontemps African-American Museum and Cultural Center. The former home of Harlem Renaissance author Arna Bontemps has been transformed into a gallery featuring exhibits of the writer’s works together with documents, photographs, and traveling art displays.

The Alexandria Museum of Art on Main Street features a solid collection of contemporary folk art while the River Oaks Square Art Center displays a range of works by local artisans.

The Radisson Bentley Hotel houses the richest history of Alexandria. During World War II, the parish of Rapides was used for the country’s largest military maneuvers under the command of generals George Patton, Dwight Eisenhower, and George Marshall, who was later instrumental in tailoring the postwar economic recovery under the Marshall Plan. Over half a million troops were deployed to the area.

Radisson Bentley Hotel was used as the main base for the generals. In the Mirror Room, several strategic battles were mapped out on hotel napkins.

Northeast of Alexandria, near the Mississippi state line, is the tiny town of Ferriday. This delta town has long been Louisiana’s best kept secret, with its classic juke joints and gospel music. Ferriday was the birthplace of the 1950s singer Jerry Lee Lewis, whose first hit was “Great Balls of Fire.” Alexandria also has a fine zoo, but some would argue that the best attraction in the city is the neighboring “Hokus Pokus Liquors” sign, a classic American neon that depicts a phantom advertising its “house of many spirits.” The Alexandria Visitor Center can give directions to the sign, as well as providing interesting local lore about Governor Earl Long. “Uncle Earl,” as he was known, was governor in the 1940s and 1950s. His penchant for whiskey and strippers (including the famous Blaze Starr) was legendary.

Alexandria is connected by I-49, midway between Baton Rouge and Shreveport, and offers a regional airport along with bus service.