BATON ROUGE, La. – In the early morning hours of Friday, April 26, an unknown person was caught on camera spray painting pro-Palestinian graffiti on the side of The Presbytère on Jackson Square in New Orleans. This happened between 2 a.m. and 2:15 a.m.
“We have worked hard over the last few years to restore The Presbytère. It’s a shame that some coward felt the need to deface this historic building in the middle of the night. Someone knows who this person is. We will do everything we can to make sure this person is not only caught, but justice is served,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “I am offering $5,000 of my own money to anyone who has information that leads to an arrest and conviction of this person who committed this crime.”
The graffiti has since been removed from the building.
The Presbytère, one of the nation’s best examples of colonial Spanish architecture, was designed in 1791 to match the Cabildo, alongside St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter, with construction being completed in 1813. It stands today as a beautiful reminder of both Louisiana’s singular past and its vibrant present. The building was used for commercial purposes until 1834 when it became a courthouse. In 1911, it became part of the Louisiana State Museum. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970.