A. Hays Town Building at Hilliard Art Museum

The Hays Town Building at the Hilliard Art Museum is an example of the later career stylings of Master Architect, A. Hays Town. The design is indicative of Town’s rich Creole-inspired style of architecture with signature elements such as classical proportions and symmetry, tall ceiling heights, generous double galleries across each façade, classical, monumental Doric columns, traditional wood windows and doors, and the use of old brick. Town is well known for employing unique facets of colonial Louisiana methods and materials. Originally, the exterior was highlighted by an unusual pale pink color, popular with French Creole Louisianians in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The color is made by first crushing old red brick and then mixing the brick dust with the paint base. In a few years the softly glowing pink fades to the desired light shade. Other examples of Town’s methods include the empire style sunburst motif on the library fireplace, hand carved by a local craftsman from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, the 225,000 salvaged bricks from the circa 1901 Martin Hall building on campus, and the salvaged slate tiles from ballast material of French Colonial era New Orleans sailing ships.