Old Pea Farm/Caddo Parish Penal Farm - Shreveport, LA (The Abandoned Big House)

Photo courtesy of https://sbintheknow.wordpress.com/

West 70^th St.

Shreveport, LA 71129

32.44146,-93.907614

            With all the years that I have worked in corrections, I have always had a special interest in old abandoned jails. Throw in the concept of a haunted jail and you can bet your life I will be there! As previously mentioned with the Deridder Gothic Jail and Angola State Penitentiary, prisons are notorious for being home to vast amounts of negative energy associated with years of depression, abuse and violence. Such is the case with one particular prison hidden amongst the woods of

Location of the Old Pea Farm. Click to Enlarge.

Shreveport. Although a shell of its former self, the ruined shambles of the old Caddo Parish Penal Farm peeks through the trees off of West 70^th Street as a grim reminder of a rough and rugged prison of the past.
            The land that the prison sits on was once home to the plantation of Governor Caesar Carpentier Antoine. Antoine was the third of three African-American Republicans who were elected and served as the Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana during the era of Reconstruction. As his political career dwindled down, he would move to Shreveport and build his home here where he opened up a small family grocery.

Beauregard Gothic Jail - Deridder, LA (The Famed Hanging Jail)

Courthouse Square

Deridder, Louisiana

30.846396,-93.288203 

        Although not necessarily one of the most haunted places I have investigated, the Beauregard Gothic jail has long been one my favorite places to visit. Possibly it is due to my years working inside of prisons; I have always been fascinated with this ornate structure. It’s not often you find a building so beautiful that was meant to house the complete opposite. This jail is definitely that example.
This three-story Gothic structure was built in 1914 and operated as the local jail until 1984. Its design is quite ingenious, as a single spiral staircase takes you to each floor. The first floor consists of a few offices and what I can best describe as a “drunk tank”, as it is one large dormitory-style room. The second and third floors are similar, as there are four identical cells that branch out from the small rotunda. A dumb waiter took food and supplies through the different levels.
         Another interesting feature is the underground tunnel that connects the jail to the adjacent courthouse. This conveniently allowed officers to escort inmates directly from the jail to a back staircase of the courthouse that led directly into the court room. This definitely kept security at a maximum and never allowed the inmates to come in contact with anyone from the general public. The most notable section of the jail is the third floor, which served as a makeshift gallows of sorts, as several executions were carried out here. Two in particular would go down in the record books due to one of Beauregard Parish’s most heinous crimes!

Old State Penitentiary - Baton Rouge, LA (Warden's House)

703 Laurel Street

Baton Rouge, LA 70801

30.451065,-91.182302  

As I mentioned in the history of Angola State Penitentiary, prior to its construction, state inmates were housed at the first Louisiana State Penitentiary, located at the intersection of 6th and Laurel Street in Baton Rouge. North of the penitentiary grounds, stood a small building built around 1840. This is the only remaining building of the prison complex which existed from 1834 to 1917. It served as the prison store and clerk’s living quarters, ultimately becoming the warden’s house, as it is most commonly known today.
In 1925, the building was moved several blocks to its current location and an extensive renovation was conducted in 1966. The structure is now home to several offices. Not much is actually known regarding the hauntings associated with this location, but there have been several reports of unexplainable sounds, disembodied voices, and accounts of electronics going haywire for no apparent reason. Is this enough to slap a big “haunted” label on the building? Probably not, yet with years of rumors, one can only be intrigued to look into the reports further. I am unaware of any actual investigation ever being conducted here so let’s add the warden’s house to our “to do” list!

Angola State Prison - Angola, LA (The Bloody Bayou Alcatraz)

Angola State Penitentiary

17544 Tunica Trace

Angola, LA 70712

30.957486,-91.592896

        With over eighteen years in state and federal law enforcement, I have always had a particular interest in haunted prisons. Spending so many years locked inside these structures with the very criminals they house, you truly get a sense of respect for this morbid community within a community. No matter how many television shows or documentaries one may watch on the subject, there is no substitution for the real thing. Let's face it, prisons are not a fun place to be! Especially when you are housed in what was once known as the bloodiest prison in America, Angola State Penitentiary.
         The long and dark history of Angola begins in the 1830's when the land was purchased by Isaac Franklin. The property was known as Angola Plantation, gaining its name from the region of Africa where a majority of the home's slaves originated. On the grounds, there was a building known as the old slave quarters. It is in this building where inmates from the original state penitentiary, located at the intersection of 6th Street and Laurel Street in Baton Rouge, were used to perform daily duties. The conditions were said to be horrendous and extremely cruel. With the property being surrounded on three sides by the mighty Mississippi River, this fortress has often been described as the bayou Alcatraz.