DONALDSONVILLE — Part of the roof at Donaldsonville's historic courthouse caved in Wednesday evening while contractors were working on the building.

According to witnesses, workers were finishing the installation of a new roof when a machine struck it, causing the partial collapse. Donaldsonville Fire's Travis Cedotal confirmed the parish had contractors on site to redo the roof.

"Any time you see Donaldsonville, you get the bell tower from the courthouse," Cedotal said.

The damage centers around the building's stairwell. Debris and bricks were visible on one side of the building following the collapse.

"We're lucky no one was in there to get hurt," Donaldsonville resident Eugene Williams said.

Nell Vaughn, who lives in the area, says a machine struck the building while crews were working on the roof.

Vaughn called the courthouse the most historically significant building in Ascension Parish. Its walls and brick date back to 1888.

This is not the first time the building has faced concerns. In 2024, 2 On Your Side reported cracks had formed in the walls months after a nearby pile-driving project. The parish told 2 On Your Side that the pile driving had no impact on the 130-year-old building, though neighbors complained the same project had a visible effect on their nearby homes.

"I don't think that anything was caused by that project," a parish official said in a follow-up interview.

A series of repair projects followed, and the roof collapse now adds another chapter to the building's ongoing challenges.

"They've got to get it back before it rains," Williams said.

The city of Donaldsonville and Ascension Parish government said they are waiting for the results of an investigation before releasing any information about what happened. Crews are now working brick by brick to fix the damage and rebuild the landmark.