Nation19 Revives a Historic Building in North Baton Rouge

In an era when historic Black neighborhoods across the United States face erasure through neglect, demolition, gentrification and disinvestment, Nation19 has taken a different path. Using private funds, the collective acquired the nearly century‑old Paul Haynes Building on Highway 19 in Scotlandville, a once‑thriving cultural and business corridor in North Baton Rouge. The building, long abandoned and slated for demolition, is now being transformed into the future home of the Scotlandville Museum of Contemporary Art a museum fully operated and curated by Nation19 with a mission to restore artistic presence and cultural pride in a community that was once only second to Tulsa Oklahma’s with Black Wall Street .

The Paul Haynes Building, known locally as the red‑brick landmark on Scotland Avenue, has stood for almost 100 years. For more than four decades it sat vacant, its windows boarded, its structure deteriorating, and its history fading from public memory. Yet its significance never disappeared. The building once anchored a corridor that served as a hub of Black commerce, culture, and community life. Archival material show the Scotlandville strip between Sora Street and Swan Avenue alive with businesses, families, and movement. The tallest building in those images is the very structure Nation19 is now restoring.

Working closely with local historians, Nation19 helped establish the area as an official cultural district in 2020, laying the groundwork for broader preservation efforts. The collective is now collaborating with community partners to pursue historical district designation as well, ensuring that Scotlandville’s legacy is protected for future generations.

Renovation of the Paul Haynes Building is underway, with the first phase focused on reviving the façade. New commercial glass doors, shadowbox window frames, updated front windows, and a custom metal sign now signal the building’s rebirth. Inside, the 4,200‑square‑foot space is being reimagined as a life‑size architectural museum display, a hybrid gallery and cultural environment known as Exhibit19. Once complete, the Scotlandville Museum of Contemporary Art will serve as a dynamic home for exhibitions, educational programming, and community‑centered art initiatives.

The project represents more than the restoration of a building. It is a reclamation of history, a reinvestment in a neglected corridor, and a commitment to cultural sovereignty. Nation19’s work in Scotlandville demonstrates what is possible when artists, historians, and community members come together with a shared vision: to honor the past, activate the present, and build a future where art and culture remain rooted in the people who shaped them.