Six years after Hurricane Laura tore through Southwest Louisiana, the Benjamin W. Mount Auditorium inside the Central School Arts & Humanities Center has reopened its doors, capping a $230,000 renovation that replaced its roof, curtains, seats and flooring. City officials and arts leaders gathered for a ribbon-cutting at the historic Kirby Street venue in August, marking the end of a recovery effort that stretched across nearly six years of insurance disputes and rebuilding delays common throughout the region.
The reopening, first detailed by NOLA.com, comes after Hurricane Laura slammed into the Gulf Coast in August 2020 with 150 mph winds, followed six weeks later by Category 2 Hurricane Delta. The two storms combined caused more than $10 billion in insured property claims across Louisiana, according to the Louisiana Department of Insurance, a level of destruction that left much of Lake Charles facing years-long delays in restoring public infrastructure. Lake Charles Director of Community Services Mike Castille said the auditorium sustained damage from both hurricanes in 2020, according to the same account.
Rather than simply patch what the storms broke, the city aimed higher. Castille noted that Lake Charles sought to exceed pre-storm conditions, modernizing the facility so it could host a wider range of performances going forward, per reporting from the American Press. The upgraded auditorium now features a new electrical panel, upgraded speakers, and new stage and house lighting systems, along with cleaned seats and carpets and freshly hung curtains.
A Historic Landmark Gets a Modern Upgrade
The Central School building itself dates to 1912, when it was constructed as an elementary school designed by the architectural firm Favrot and Livaudais. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and sits within Lake Charles' Charpentier Historic District, according to Visit Lake Charles. That century-plus history made the renovation as much a preservation project as a repair job.
Jake Porche of Porche's Advanced Systems LLC, which handled technology integration for the venue, said the goal was to bring the auditorium's systems into the present without erasing its character. Technology was folded into the space carefully, Porche said, so upgrades would not take away from the auditorium's historic feel. The Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana participated in the ribbon-cutting alongside city officials.
Lee Ann Stenvick, executive director of the Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana, said an accessible, properly equipped space is essential to sustaining the region's arts ecosystem, per the American Press. Lake Charles Mayor Marshall Simien said the restoration reflects vision, preservation, perseverance and municipal stewardship for the city's cultural future, and separately said the auditorium is named for a man who understood the power of the arts. Simien has also said he hopes the renovated theater can take on a role similar to New Orleans' Prytania Theatre.
Named for a Civic Leader, Home to Local Arts Groups
The auditorium carries the name of Benjamin W. Mount, a Lake Charles attorney, civic leader and former chairman of the LSU Board of Supervisors who died in December 2011. The space was formally renamed in his honor in April 2012, according to the American Press. Before the 2020 storms, the venue routinely hosted major regional gatherings, including the annual Mayor's Arts Awards and the SWLA Poetry Out Loud competition, the paper's earlier coverage shows.
Today the Central School facility operates as a public-private cultural hub managed by the Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana, housing resident tenants such as the Lake Charles Symphony and Lake Charles Little Theatre. City officials also announced a new preservation fund at the Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana during the reopening ceremony, dedicated to the ongoing upkeep of both Central School and the Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center, ensuring the venue's future maintenance is not left to chance the way its repairs were.
A Celebration Set for Late August
The City of Lake Charles and the Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana are organizing a public celebration called Back in Session, set for 6 to 9 p.m. on August 28. The free event, open to people of all ages, will mark the completed renovation with live art demonstrations, live music, open exhibitions and interactive displays exploring Central School's past and future. Those open exhibitions will highlight the work of the building's current tenants.
VIP tickets, priced at $150, include premier seating, welcome champagne, two complimentary drinks, passed hors d'oeuvres, networking with contributors and performers, an invitation to a VIP reception before the main event, and a commemorative bag made from the retired auditorium's old curtains. General admission and VIP tickets can be purchased through the Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana's website, per the city's news release. Organizers say the evening's program is designed to celebrate Lake Charles' arts and culture heritage, talent and future all at once.
