Facilities

The LSU Honors College is one of the few honors institutions in the country that can boast a complete "Honors Campus."  At the heart of LSU's campus the Honors College campus hosts its own classroom and administration building  (the French House) and its own residence halls (East and West Laville), both flanking an outdoor common space.

The French House sits on Highland Road as one of the only examples of French Renaissance inspired architecture on  the LSU campus. Originally designed by Weiss, Dreyfous and Seiferth Architects, construction was completed in 1935 when it was opened as an immersion dormitory for the Romance languages.  In stark contrast to LSU’s predominant Italian Renaissance style architecture, the French House evokes a French residential feel unusual in most American institutional buildings with details including brick and concrete quoining, oculus dormers, a steep flared slate roof and keystone entablatures.

The French House is the most publicly distinct academic building on campus and the only building on the National Register for Historic Places outside the main quad.  Additionally, the building has most recently been named one of the top 10 buildings of historic significance by the Foundation for Historical Louisiana.  Laid in April 5, 1935 the cornerstone of the building includes a piece of wood from the original Fort de la Boulaye, the first French settlement in Louisiana.  Having served as a language immersion dormitory, housing for servicemen’s wives during WW II, the LSU Press and now the LSU Honors College, the French House has a long and distinguished past.