The Historic North Gates of LSU

The North Gates community (also known as Tiger Town) got its start when Antonio Losavio purchased land in 1917 from R.A. Hart that was originally part of Magnolia Mound Plantation. The property he purchased ran along the north side of what would be the new LSU campus, which moved from downtown Baton Rouge in the early 1920’s. By the late 1920’s, buildings and businesses were cropping up all along Chimes St. and Highland Road to provide services to the faculty, staff, and students. Losavio gave his property a subdivision name of Campanile View because of the direct view of the Memorial Tower (before the Pleasant Hall building was built), but the nickname for the area became Tiger Town.

Over the decades, nearly 450 businesses have called this neighborhood home. From the beginning, the businesses have included restaurants, drugstores, bookstores, hair salons, grocery stores, theaters, cleaners, clothing stores, and pool halls. Other businesses were a horse riding stable, a roller skating rink, and a bowling alley. The area also featured fraternity houses, churches, and, of course, many residences, both apartments and homes. Business owners and employees, professors, and students always lived throughout the area. Today, as it was nearly 100 years ago, the North Gates neighborhood, just a short walk to the center of campus, is a very popular destination for the university community and it is still home to many beloved, one-of-a-kind businesses.