Wisconsin State Capitol - Madison, WI - American Guide Series on Waymarking.com

Wisconsin : a guide to the Badger state /
compiled by workers of the Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration in the State of Wisconsin ; sponsored by the Wisconsin Library Association.
Published: New York : Duell, Sloan and Pearce, c1941.:

POINTS OF INTEREST (Downtown and East Madison) 1. The STATE CAPITOL (open 8:30-12, 1:30-5; tours 8, 9, ro, 10;45, 1, 2, 3, and 3:45 weekdays; 1, 2, and 2:45 p.m. Sat. and Sun.; 9, ro, and 10:45 a.m. Sun.) is situated in Capitol Park, the square of land bounded by Main, Carroll, Mifflin, and Pinckney Streets. The plan of the building is in the form of a Greek cross; a massive dome rises from the intersection of four similar wings, which contain offices and legislative and judicial chambers. The structure, designed by George B. Post and Sons in the Italian Renaissance style, was built at a cost of more than $7,2oo,00o. The exterior of the building, the balustrade surrounding the formal terrace, and the copings along the walks are made of white Bethel Vermont granite. Each of the four wings, which extend toward the cardinal points of the compass, terminates in a portico. The classical pediments are supported on tall Corinthian columns; in the tympana of the pediments are works of allegorical sculpture by Karl Bitter, A. A. Weinman, and Attilio Piccirilli. Four other entrances are provided by large circular pavilions, which are set in the angles formed by the wings; grand stair-cases lead to the second floor, and under these are passages for cars. Set along the colonnaded drum of the dome and overlooking the pavilions are four symbolic statuary groups by Karl Bitter. Above the row of Corinthian columns and high windows is a podium roof. The ribbed dome, which begins above a row of rectangular windows and a row of console brackets, is the one granite dome in the United States; it is second in height only to the dome of the National Capitol. Sur-mounting the lantern is a gilded bronze statue by Daniel Chester French symbolizing the motto of the State, Forward. The interior is finished in a great variety of domestic and foreign marble and granite. From the octagonal rotunda, with its balustraded central well, there is an excellent view of the grand staircases leading to the four wings, and of The Resources of Wisconsin, the painting in the crown of the dome by Edwin Howland Blashfield. In the pen-dentives between the four arches of the rotunda are the glass mosaics by Kenyon Cox representing Legislature, Government, Justice, and Liberty. Murals by Albert Herter, C. Y. Turner, Blashfield, and Cox are in the Supreme Court Room, the Hearing Room, the Assembly Chamber, and the Senate Chamber, respectively. The most highly ornamented room in the capitol is the Governor's Reception Room, designed in Italian Renaissance style by Elmer T. Garnsey and Hugo Ballin, with ceiling and mural paintings by the latter. In the Assembly Chamber is the first electric voting machine used by a legislative body, installed in 1917. This machine, an invention of B. L. Bobroff, Milwaukee consulting engineer, records a roll call in 11 seconds and develops a photographic record of all votes in 24 sec-onds. The G. A. R. Hall in the capitol contains numerous objects of historical interest. On the second floor, north wing, is the Legis-lative Reference Library, established in 1901. The present capitol is the third built in Madison. The second Territorial capitol was begun in 1837 on the same site. The first state-house, much more commodious than the preceding buildings, was erected during the period 1857-69 and additions were made in 1882-84. The decision to build a new structure was made by the legislature of 1903, which appointed a commission "to provide proper accommodation for the state law library and the supreme judicial department of the state...." In 1904 fire destroyed most of the interior of the building, accentuating the need for a new and larger capitol...

Book: Wisconsin Page Number(s) of Excerpt: 221-225 Year Originally Published: 1941

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