The LSU origin story doesn’t begin in Baton Rouge, but more than 100 miles away on a wooded hilltop in Pineville, Louisiana. Long before Tiger Stadium roared with Saturday football, Louisiana State University began as a frontier seminary and military academy in the years leading up to the Civil War. LSU archaeology students are digging into that forgotten chapter.
uncovering history and origin of lsu
At the shaded archaeological site near Pineville, LSU students dig through layers of dirt, brick, and time. The university’s first campus—then called the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy—stood here more than 160 years ago. “I’m an alumnus of LSU and I had no idea that LSU started in Pineville here,” admitted Matt Helmer, an LSU archaeology professor now leading the excavation.
Helmer’s interest was sparked when a downed tree unearthed buried artifacts. “They’re heavy, heavy iron,” Helmer said, lifting ornate rusting pieces he believes once adorned the upper balcony of the original three-story building. “A very ornate building for the time period.”
Detailed drawing of Louisiana State Seminary on Confederate $100 bill.
The original seminary building, visible only in two known sketches, was featured on a Confederate $100 bill. Four towers anchored the structure—one of which is now partially uncovered in the dig.
faulty bricks cause early failure
Graduate student Conan Mills, who based his thesis on the site, pointed out where the building’s first attempt collapsed. “This is that poor brick work that was part of the original tower before it collapsed,” he explained. Next to it, newer bricks tell the story of a sturdier reconstruction.
finding clues in the cistern
Nearby, Tamara Engels crouched inside the ruins of an eight-foot-deep underground cistern, chipping away at brick and soil. “We’re finding nails and glass and pieces of pottery,” she said. “Whenever we bring stuff up, we can kind of see the life that they lived.”
the origin of lsu featured on tv
Why Pineville? Local historian Paul Price explained the political debate of the 1850s: “Baton Rouge and New Orleans had a real strong contingent. But eventually they said, you know, it’s centrally located Rapides Parish. It’s accessible by water via the Red River.”
A seminary lost – a legacy unearthed
The seminary faced misfortune: poor construction, the Civil War, and the departure of its first superintendent—none other than William Tecumseh Sherman—who resigned to fight for the Union. Then in 1869, a fire destroyed the building. LSU moved to Baton Rouge and never returned.
Artifacts found
Now, as students sift through plaster, buttons, and padlocks, their work sheds light on LSU’s earliest days. Each artifact adds detail to a nearly forgotten beginning—and may even hold clues to the fire that ended it all.
Old lsu site in pineville
The Old LSU Site is located on Highway 71 North near Pineville, directly across the highway from the Veterans Administration Hospital at 2500 Shreveport Highway. The site has historical markers, a paved walking trail, benches and picnic tables. The site is temporarily closed until June 21, 2025 during the excavation.
2500 Shreveport Hwy, Pineville, LA 71360
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