NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The Louisiana Supreme Court building, a sprawling landmark in New Orleans' French Quarter, was formally named in memory of the late Chief Justice Pascal Calogero Jr. in a Tuesday ceremony.
The Legislature voted in June to name the building that houses the high court after Calogero, the court's longest serving justice, who died last year.
Calogero was first elected to the court in 1972. He served for 36 years, including 18 as chief justice.
The building being named for Calogero is four-story marble behemoth that fills a block of the French Quarter near the Mississippi River. It was completed in 1910, according to Tulane University's School of Architecture. And it had an up-and-down history of its own.
Early 20th century preservationists had lamented that its construction meant demolition of early 19th century residences and shops. The size and "Beaux Arts"style of the building also were considered inappropriate for the Quarter, the city's oldest neighborhood.
No such criticism was evident at Tuesday's ceremony. Chief Justice Bernette Johnson praised Calogero's tenacity in getting the court moved back into the building.
"The architecture is stunning and it's just a beautiful building," said Gov. John Bel Edwards, who earlier this year signed the legislation renaming the building.
The high court had moved to a more modern building near City Hall in 1958 and the Quarter building eventually fell into disrepair. A move to restore the building and return the Supreme Court there culminated in a $47 million restoration and the return of the court to its old home in 2004. Calogero considered the restoration to be among his administration's most important achievements, according to a 2018 obituary by the court.
