What Is The Capitol Building Used For

State capitol building of the U.S. state of Wisconsin

Us historic place

Significant dates

Wisconsin State Capitol
U.Due south. National Register of Historic Places
U.Due south. National Historic Landmark


Show map of Wisconsin Show map of the The states
Interactive map showing the location of Wisconsin State Capitol
Location	2 E Main Street, Madison, WI 53703
Coordinates	43°04′29″Northward 89°23′03″Due west / 43.07472°N 89.38417°West / 43.07472; -89.38417 Coordinates: 43°04′29″N 89°23′03″Due west / 43.07472°Due north 89.38417°Westward / 43.07472; -89.38417
Built	1906–1917
Architect	George B. Post
Architectural manner	Beaux-Arts
NRHP referenceNo.	70000031 ^[1]
Added to NRHP	October fifteen, 1970
Designated NHL	January iii, 2001^[2]

The Wisconsin State Capitol, located in Madison, Wisconsin, houses both chambers of the Wisconsin legislature along with the Wisconsin Supreme Courtroom and the Office of the Governor. Completed in 1917, the edifice is the fifth to serve as the Wisconsin capitol since the offset territorial legislature convened in 1836 and the 3rd building since Wisconsin was granted statehood in 1848. The Wisconsin Land Capitol is the tallest building in Madison, a distinction that has been preserved by legislation that prohibits buildings taller than the columns surrounding the dome (187 anxiety). The Capitol is located at the southwestern end of the Madison Isthmus. The streets surrounding the edifice course the Capitol Square, which is home to many restaurants and shops.

History [edit]

First capitol [edit]

The get-go capitol was a prefabricated wood-frame council house without estrus or h2o that had been sent hastily to Belmont. Legislators met at that place for 42 days after Belmont was designated the majuscule of Wisconsin Territory. The session chose Madison as the site of the capitol, and Burlington, Iowa every bit the site of further legislative sessions until Madison could be prepare. The council house and an associated lodging house nevertheless stand and are operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society every bit the Beginning Capitol Historic Site.^[3]

Second capitol [edit]

The 2nd capitol was constructed during 1837 in Madison of stone cutting from Maple Barefaced and oak cut locally. Located on the site of the present capitol, it was a minor but typical frontier capitol that cost $threescore,000 to build.^[3]

Third capitol [edit]

Land Capitol (1863 engraving)

View of downtown and the old capitol from Washington Street, 1865.

Growing government needs forced the country to construct a new capitol, also on the site of the nowadays capitol. This construction, with a like U.S. Capitol-inspired dome, was congenital betwixt 1857 and 1869. During 1882, it was expanded at a cost of $900,000, with two wings to the north and due south. During 1903, nonetheless, a commission began researching replacement of the construction.

The Third Wisconsin Land Capitol Building, 1887

1904 fire [edit]

On the night of February 26, 1904, a gas jet ignited a newly varnished ceiling in the tertiary capitol edifice. Although the edifice had an advanced burn-fighting system, the nearby University of Wisconsin–Madison's reservoir, which supplied the capitol, was empty, allowing the fire to spread substantially before the switch to alternating city water supplies could exist made. Madison firefighters could not handle the blaze on their own, and then additional men and equipment had to be brought from Milwaukee. The effectiveness of the reinforcements was initially hampered by very common cold temperatures; by the time they reached Madison, their equipment had frozen and needed to be thawed. Every bit a effect, the entire construction, except the northward wing, burned to the ground. Numerous records, books, and historical artifacts were lost, including the mount of Erstwhile Abe, a Civil State of war mascot. Nonetheless, through the efforts of university students, much of the state police force library was saved.^[4] The burn occurred just afterward the land legislature had voted to cancel the capitol's burn insurance policy.^[five]

Current edifice [edit]

Construction of the present capitol, the third in Madison, began in tardily 1906 and was completed in 1917 at a cost of $7.25 million. The architect was George B. Post & Sons from New York. Because of financial limitations and the demand for immediate part space to house state authorities employees, the construction of the new building was extended over several years and emphasized building one wing at a fourth dimension.

The Capitol is 284 feet, 5 inches tall from the basis flooring to the peak of the Wisconsin statue on the dome.

The Wisconsin statue on the dome was sculpted during 1920 by Daniel Chester French of New York. Its left hand holds a globe surmounted by an eagle and her right arm is outstretched to symbolize the land motto, "Frontward". It wears a helmet with the state animal, the badger, on height. It is made of hollow bronze covered with gold leaf. Wisconsin is 15 anxiety, five inches alpine and weighs three tons. The statue is commonly misidentified as Lady Forward or Miss Forwards, which is the proper name of another statue on the capitol grounds.

The capitol ceiling, visible from the middle of the building, features Resource of Wisconsin, a mural by Edwin Howland Blashfield. Due to the domed shape of the ceiling, the mural was painted in pieces and was assembled similarly to a jigsaw puzzle. It features a woman sitting on a throne of clouds, representing Wisconsin. Wisconsin is surrounded by other women, wrapped in a large American Flag, who are reaching for goods such every bit tobacco, lead, and fruits.

The capitol was constructed of 43 types of stone from half dozen countries and viii states. The exterior rock is Bethel white granite from Vermont, making the exterior dome the largest granite dome in the world. The corridor floors, walls and columns are of marble from the states of Tennessee, Missouri, Vermont, Georgia, New York, and Maryland; granite from the states of Wisconsin and Minnesota; and limestone from the states of Minnesota and Illinois. Marble from the countries of French republic, Italia, Greece, Algeria and Frg, and syenite from Norway are also represented. Other Wisconsin granites are located throughout the public hallways on the ground, start, and second floors.

The building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2001. A 1990 land police force prevents whatsoever building within ane mile of the capitol from beingness taller than the base of the columns surrounding and supporting its dome.^[half-dozen]

Restoration and renovation [edit]

Scaffolding covers the southeast side of the rotunda during the restoration of the building's exterior. The surrounding park, shown hither hosting Taste of Madison in 2000, is the location for many downtown events.

From 1988 to 2002, the capitol underwent a renovation and restoration project costing $158.viii million. The project was performed wing past wing, the same every bit the original construction of the capitol. The purpose of the project was to convert the capitol into a mod working building, while restoring and preserving its original 1917 appearance. Remodeling projects of the 1960s and 70s had introduced features out of character with the architecture of the building, such every bit dropped ceilings, movable partitions and fluorescent light fixtures, and many original decorative stencils were painted over. The restoration project returned public spaces to their original appearance. Original decorative stencils were repaired. Stairs, which had been sealed during the 1970s, were uncovered. The exterior granite was cleaned and repaired by workers who rappelled down from the dome. The renovation plan as well included integrating modernistic applied science into the original architecture. Electrical, mechanical (such equally plumbing and heating), and communications systems were upgraded; asbestos was removed, and air conditioning was added. The capitol basement floor was lowered ii feet to provide additional usable role space. Legislative offices were rebuilt equally two-room suites (originally legislators did not have offices in the capitol, only their desks in the Senate and Assembly chambers). Modern office piece of furniture was designed to look similar the original oak piece of furniture.

Wisconsin Capitol sculpture program [edit]

Architect Mail planned an elaborate sculpture program for the building. Initially the commission for the statue of Wisconsin on the top of the dome was promised to Helen Farnsworth Mears merely when Daniel Chester French agreed to produce the finial effigy, the commission was switched to him. This piece of work, often referred to every bit the "Golden Lady", consists of an emblematic figure reminiscent of Athena, dressed in Greek garb, and wearing a helmet topped past a badger, the Wisconsin country totem. In the left hand it holds a globe with an eagle perched on summit. Across its chest is a large Westward, for Wisconsin.

Post's original concept for the edifice required four pocket-sized domes to be placed at the base of the large one, but the plans were changed and the domes were replaced by four sculptural groups by Karl Bitter. These groups (once again, in Greek clothing) symbolized Faith, Strength, Prosperity and Affluence and Knowledge.

Each of the four wings of the edifice is fronted by a pediment whose figures relate to the principal activities that were to occur within. Thus the east fly, housing the Supreme Court, features a pediment by Bitter entitled Law; the south has Adolph Alexander Weinman's Virtues and Traits of Character, for the wing containing the State Senate. Bitter'south other pediment, the west, is Agriculture, while Attilio Piccirilli's Wisdom and Learning of the World adorns the north pediment. The carving of all these sculptures is attributed to the Piccirilli Brothers.

Fossils [edit]

Naturally occurring fossils are plant throughout the capitol:^[7] ^[8] ^[nine]

Starfish: North wing, left m stairs, 1st to 2nd flooring, fourth pace from bottom
Coral: W wing, 2nd flooring, railing overlooking fundamental corridor, outside of Assembly sleeping accommodation
Nautiloid: North fly, second floor, left of n hearing room archway
Gastropod: West fly, left grand stairs; 1st to 2d flooring railing, above 9th pace from tiptop
Ammonoid: Due north fly, 2d flooring, n hearing room
Bryozoan: Due south wing, 2nd flooring, left grand stairs, acme footstep
Burrows: Northwest, second flooring, wall to right room 225 NW
Brachiopods: East wing, basis floor, pillars well-nigh archway

Images [edit]

Under the dome
Rotunda flooring
Dome interior

Encounter also [edit]

List of country and territorial capitols in the Usa
2011 Wisconsin protests

References [edit]

^ "National Register Data System". National Annals of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 15, 2006.
^ "Wisconsin Country Capitol". National Celebrated Landmark summary list. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2009-04-03. Retrieved 2008-06-thirty .
^ ^a ^b "Wisconsin Capitols". Wisconsin Historical Lodge . Retrieved September 3, 2021.
^ Cravens, Stanley H. "Capitals and Capitols in Early Wisconsin" (PDF). Wisconsin Blue Book 1983–1984. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-06-23. Retrieved 2008-12-10 .
^ Engel, Dave (2011-01-08). "River Urban center boosters sought state majuscule". The Daily Tribune. Wisconsin Rapids, WI. p. vii. Retrieved 2021-06-14 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "1989 Wisconsin Act 222" (PDF). State of Wisconsin. Apr 12, 1990. Retrieved 2006-x-03 .
^ Jessica VanEgeren. "Capitol tour guide makes information technology look like shooting fish in a barrel", The Upper-case letter Times (Madison, Wis.), Dec 21, 2009. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
^ M. Carol McCartney. "Geology of the Wisconsin State Capitol". The Geological Society of America North-Central Section 48th Annual Meeting (24–25 Apr).
^ Fossils in the Wisconsin Country Capitol: A Guide to Some of the Virtually Prominent Fossils in the Capitol. Madison: Wisconsin Legislative Council, 2010.

Farther reading [edit]

Dennis, James M. Karl Bitter Architectural Sculptor: 1867–1915, University of Wisconsin Press 1967.
Keane, Michael J. "Restoring the Vision: The Beginning Century of Wisconsin's Capitol". In Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. Land of Wisconsin 2001-2002 Blue Volume. Madison: Wisconsin Legislature Joint Committee on Legislative System, 2001, pp. 99–188.
Lombardo, Josef Vincent. Atilio Piccirilli: Life of an American Sculptor, Pitman Publishing Corporation, New York, 1944.
Landau, Sarah Bradford. George B. Post: Picturesque Designer and Determined Realist, The Montacelli Press, New York, NY, 1998.
Rajer, Anton and Christine Style. Public Sculpture in Wisconsin: An Atlas of Outdoor Monuments, Memorials and Masterpieces in the Badger Country, SOS! Save Outdoor Sculpture, Wisconsin, Madison Wisconsin, 1999.
Schevill, Ferdinand. Karl Bitter – A Biography, Academy of Chicago Press, Chicago Illinois, 1917.
Wisconsin Department of Administration. Wisconsin Land Capitol: Guide and History. 37th ed. Madison, Wis.: Author, 2014.

External links [edit]

Wisconsin State Capitol National Historic Landmark Nomination
Wisconsin State Capitol Historic Structure Report (1995–2005)
Information on the State Capitol from the State of Wisconsin