Idaho State Capitol Building - Boise, ID
Posted by: 
cachegame
N 43° 37.043 W 116° 11.999
11T E 564551 N 4829688
A small version of our National Capitol.
Waymark Code: WMM6F
Location: Idaho, United States
Date Posted: 08/14/2006
Views: 125
For almost two decades, Idaho's territorial government was housed in various private buildings around downtown Boise. After failed efforts to get the federal government to fund a capitol building, the territorial legislature finally agreed in 1885 to appropriate $80,000 for a territorial capitol. The red-brick structure, located on the block between Jefferson and State and Sixth and Seventh streets, served not only the last four years of territorial government(1886-1890) but the first twenty-two years of statehood. In 1905, as the state's population mushroomed with the advent of federally funded irrigation projects, a Capitol Building Commission was authorized. In addition to receiving detailed instructions from the Legislature on where and how to build the new Capitol building, the commission was expected also to build a new, separate structure to provide heat and electricity. Nothing was said about indoor plumbing, though the territorial capitol was served by an outhouse. All was to be paid for from the sale of public lands designated for this purpose in the statehood admission act, plus the $66,003.35 then in the Public Building Endowment Fund, for a total of $350,000. Despite the provisions of the 1905 law, the final cost was $2,098,455.05 for the structure and $130,833.10 for interior furnishings.
The Boise architectural firm of J. E. Tourtellotte and Company won the competition to design the new capitol; construction began in the summer of 1906, The capitol's central section was completed late in 1912, and offices were moved over at that time. The 1913 inauguration of Gov. John M. Haines was held in the new building. Tourtellotte and Hummel-successor to the original firm-had already been awarded a contract to design east and west wings. Their construction began in1919; the whole capitol was completed by the end of 1920.
The Capitol building turned 100 in 2005. The building is currently undergoing renovation.
Interesting points: The major external construction material was sandstone, obtained from a quarry on Table Rock just east of Boise that the state purchased for use on the capitol. Labor in cutting and moving the stone came from inmates at the state penitentiary, which was just below the quarry.
Idaho’s Capitol building is the only one in the United States heated by geothermal water. The hot water is tapped and pumped from a source 3,000 feet underground.
Four types of marble were used for the Capitol’s interior: Red marble from Georgia, gray from Alaska, green from Vermont, and the black marble is from Italy. Chandeliers were purchased in Chicago that would accommodate both gas and electric lighting.
Statistics: In 1905, the Idaho legislature passed the bill authorizing construction of the Capitol building. The architects of the Capitol Building were J.E. Tourtellotte and Charles Hummel. The dome and central parts of the Capitol were built first, from 1905-1912. The wings (House/Senate chambers) were constructed during 1919 and 1920. The original cost to construct the Capitol was $2.1 million. Replacement costs today would be over $100 million, with many materials considered irreplaceable.
From the first floor to the eagle atop the dome, the Idaho Capitol building rises 208 feet; the floor area of the building when completed was 201,720 square feet. There are over 50,000 square feet of artistically carved marble in the building. The eagle atop the dome stands 5 feet 7 inches, and is made of copper with bronze plating.
cachegame