http://www.leh.org/

The Louisiana Humanities Center.  A 133 year-old historic building in the Central Business District of New Orleans, borders the Arts and Cultural District.  Built in 1868 by the Society of Turners, it was a German Social Hall and the site of weddings, political gatherings, gymnastics events and the like. It is an architecturally significant 30,000 square foot masonry structure with walls eighteen inches thick and 25-foot ballroom windows on the third floor.

The building was totally renovated in 1982-83 by a large health care company. During this time, they created two additional floors within the ballroom by stepping back about 20 feet from the exterior walls to create a central core of offices looking into what is in effect a beautiful atrium on both sides of the building. The LEH occupies about 30% including the entire third floor and the large conference/meeting room and terrace on the fourth floor.

The Louisiana Humanities Center at Turners' Hall is located at 938 Lafayette Street in New Orleans.

TURNERS' HALLIn December 2000, the LEH purchased Turners' Hall, a historically and architecturally significant building in the New Orleans Central Business District. LEH acquired the 30,000-square-foot building and 27-space adjacent parking lot for $1.835 million. Today, the building is fully paid for and because of the building’s architectural and historical significance and quality of construction, replacement value for the building is an estimated $8 million with the land valued at an additional $2 million.

The Louisiana Humanities Center Capital Campaign will enable the LEH to develop a fully functional distance learning humanities center that will serve ALL Louisianians. Efficient space design and state-of-the-art learning technology-whether in the auditorium or in the seminar rooms-will enable presenters and participants opportunities to access a world of information and to share knowledge with each other and with colleagues.

Among the highlights will be:

The PrimeTime Family Reading Time Literacy Center on the First Floor with offices for PrimeTime, RELIC, and other LEH staff, and a multi-use auditorium that can be converted to a conference room or meeting space.

A totally wireless environment will connect video conferencing equipment to give program participants seamless communication on-site, throughout the state, and nation.