The Phoenix Fire Company #1, organized on December 8, 1873, was the first fire company formed in Donaldsonville, with Henry O. Maher as its first president. The company was named for the legendary bird, in allusion to the fact that the town of Donaldsonville was, during the Civil War, consumed by fire, and like the phoenix, rose from her ashes.

Upon organizing, the company immediately set out to purchase a second-hand fire engine and formed a committee on subscriptions to collect money among the citizens of the town. By February of 1874, the arrival of the fire engine “Masheen” on the steamer, Henry Tete, from New Orleans was announced. The engine was originally purchased by the New Orleans Mechanics’ Fire Company #6, and was then called the “Democrat”. That company then sold it to Independent #25 of Jefferson City, which upon disbanding, sold it to the Phoenix Company for the very reasonable figure of $375.

Thoroughly repaired and renovated, the engine made its appearance at Donaldsonville’s first grand fireman’s parade held on May 10 1874, where it was christened “Katie” in honor of Mrs. Joseph Billeisen, wife of the foreman of the Phoenix Company. “A friend in need” the motto of the fire company, was displayed in an evergreen wreath across the front of the engine. The engine was drawn by the fire boys arrayed in their new uniforms of white flannel shirts trimmed in black, black pantaloons, black patent leather belts bound in white, and the word “Phoenix” raised in letters upon each belt. A grand procession was led through the town with the Donaldsonville Silver Coronet Band lending music to the festive occasion. The parade ended at the station house where a feast was prepared and music and dancing were enjoyed long into the night.

In April of 1878, the Fire Company changed its uniform to a shirt of red flannel trimmed with black, having a silver phoenix on each cuff and a figure 1, also of silver, on the shield covering the breast.

The Phoenix Fire Company constructed an elegant firehouse in May of 1874, and later operated the Phoenix Opera House, a playhouse with a seating capacity of six hundred. In 1900 the Phoenix fire company’s original charter being expired, executed a new charter as the “Phoenix Steam Fire Company”. The Phoenix Fire Company continued to be in existence into the 1930s, at which time the city council passed an ordinance reorganizing the local fire board.

	Barbara Ourso is pictured at the rear entrance with her main man, Charles Cassard, Supervisor for Stafford Construction. This addition was necessary for the elevator shaft. Now Donaldsonville will have three elevators in our city.

The disco décor of the 1980’s is gone and the dignity has returned to our historic Ascension Parish Courthouse in Donaldsonville. The mirrored glass panels have been torn down and the single-room courtroom has been born again.

Chamber director Barbara Ourso and architect Henry Chauvin envisioned a governmental complex in the Parish seat. This vision included covered walkways from the courthouse to the jail and included the National Guard Armory becoming governmental offices.

With funding always an issue, the decision was made to renovate the courtroom by removing the partition creating one functional courtroom. These plans addressed the much needed security issues. In 2000 the Parish Council voted to set aside $500,000 for the project.

Six years later Barbara Ourso and Henry Chauvin are seeing part of their vision appear. Progress on the renovation reached a standstill when plans were announced to add on to the Gonzales courthouse annex. However on January 3, 2006, Donaldsonville resident Charles Cassard was hired as project supervisor by Stafford Construction and the vision became a reality.

The historic building was rebuilt after a fire in 1889. Now the new courtroom will have 3,080 square feet and will seat 225 occupants. It will be handicap accessible with the addition of the elevator located in the rear of the building. The Parish Council approved funding for the elevator in 2005.

The improvements are scheduled to be completed mid August. The project that took six years for approval took a little over six months to complete. The Chamber of Commerce has a ceremony planned in appreciation for the dedication of all involved in restoring our finest historic building in our Parish seat.