Beauregard Parish Jail is a former jailhouse in

DeRidder, Louisiana DeRidder is a city in, and the parish seat of, Beauregard Parish, Louisiana, Beauregard Parish, Louisiana, United States. A small portion of the city extends into Vernon Parish, Louisiana, Vernon Parish. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 c ...

built in 1914 in the

Gothic Revival architecture Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

style. It is referred to as the Gothic jail or the Hanging jail. The jail is owned by the

Beauregard Parish Beauregard Parish () is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,549. The parish seat and most populous municipality is DeRidder. The parish was formed on January 1, 1913. Beauregard Paris ...

Police Jury. The Beauregard Parish Rehabilitation Committee serves under the direction of the Police Jury with the primary duty of the preserving the jail. The Beauregard Tourist Commission has a vested interest in the jail and other historic sites and has been involved in many aspects of securing a continued future of the jail. With . The jail was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

on December 17, 1981.

History

The ''Hudson River Lumber Company'' donated a tract of land to the City of DeRidder for a courthouse and jail. The newly formed Beauregard Parish Police Jury, carved out of the old Imperial Calcasieu Parish, purchased the property and a building from the church. Stevens-Nelson of

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

designed a courthouse and jail. Falls City Construction Company was awarded the contract in September 1913. Both buildings were completed in 1915 at a cost of $168,000.

Notoriety

"J. J. Brevelle was a taxi driver who was murdered by his "fares" while taking them to a rural destination. Brevelle is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery. The two men who were found guilty of his murder were hanged in the old parish jail on March 9, 1928. Deputy Sheriff's Jim Crumpler and Gill were the hangmen. ''Joe Genna'', age 25, was pronounced dead at 1:06 PM and ''Molton Brasseaux'' at 1:29 PM. Neither man was buried in Beauregard Parish." It was after this incident, the Beauregard Parish Jail, sometimes referred to as the Gothic jail, also became known as the Hanging Jail

Culture

The structure not only made history because of its unique design but also because there was a toilet, shower, lavatory, and window in each cell. A large spiral staircase gave access to each cell. Architectural historian Johnathan Fricker stated, "The old jail is unique in structure, it has the possible distinction of being the only penal institution in the country using "Collegiate Gothic" design in the first decade of the 20th century." The jail could "house" over 50 prisoners. There was a jailers' quarters on the bottom floor as well as a kitchen. There is a tunnel leading from the courthouse to the jail that was used to transport prisoners for trial.

Current

The building is currently not in use. Options are being explored as to current plans for the jail. On August 2, 2007, the Beauregard Tourist Commission submitted the building (noted as Beauregard Parish Jail "Gothic Jail") for inclusion in the Louisiana Preservation Alliance's annual Ten Most Endangered List. This will open new avenues for funding for the building. Negotiations are underway for the jail to be used in an up-coming movie.

In the media

Television

The Beauregard Parish Jail (known as the Gothic Jail) was featured as a haunted location on the paranormal TV series, ''

Most Terrifying Places Most or Möst may refer to: Places * Most, Kardzhali Province, a village in Bulgaria * Most (city), a city in the Czech Republic ** Most District, a district surrounding the city ** Most Basin, a lowland named after the city ** Autodrom Most, moto ...

'', which aired on the

Travel Channel Travel Channel (stylized as Trvl Channel since 2018) is an American pay television television channel, channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, who previously owned the channel from 1997 to 2007. The channel is headquartered in Manhattan, with ...

in 2019. The Beauregard Parish Jail (known as the Gothic Jail) was featured as a haunted location on the paranormal TV series, '' Ghost Brothers: Lights Out'', which aired on the

Discovery+ Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown * Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence Discovery, The Discov ...

in April 17, 2021. It was also featured in an Episode of Achievement Haunter in 2018.

References

External links

City Of DeRidder.orgBeauregard Parish History
{{Beauregard Parish, Louisiana Parish jails in Louisiana Government buildings completed in 1914 Jails on the National Register of Historic Places in Louisiana National Register of Historic Places in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana 1914 establishments in Louisiana Collegiate Gothic architecture in the United States Gothic Revival architecture in Louisiana