ST. FRANCISVILLE - After being abandoned for decades, the old Julius Freyhan High School in St. Francisville will soon re-open with a new purpose for the building.

The Freyhan Foundation is creating a new vision. Instead of classrooms, the building will have art studios, a performing arts space and a theatre.

"They will use it for aspects of their goals, which is a cultural center. We'll also use it like for our school board meetings. I think when we bring our students in to recognize them in that stately building, there's going be a ton of utilization in that building and our future's bright, and that building's part of our future," Superintendent of West Feliciana Schools, Hollis Milton, said.

Milton sees the building every day while at the school board office. Though it's run down and a little outdated, he's excited to see history being preserved.

"It's in our roots, it's in our DNA, and to see this building come back alive, it's going to be so much for our community, and for others who travel here and see the great things," Milton said.

The building has somewhat of a hidden gem and possibly the best view in St. Francisville. It's only accessible by the attic, but being able to utilize this asset for everyone to see could be tough.

"Bringing folks up just to be able to see it, so you can see those views today at the Mississippi. We're going to work that out. We'll see what we can do to get as many people up there to enjoy the views of beautiful downtown St. Francisville."

Preserving the history is going to cost a pretty penny — $4.2 million. Milton said the project is funded by state capital outlay funds. 

Soon, they'll open bids for the project and expect renovations to begin this fall, with a completion date set for next year.