Pennsylvania State Capitol

The Pennsylvania State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is located in downtown Harrisburg. Designed by architect Joseph Miller Huston, the building has a grand Beaux-Arts style with beautiful Renaissance designs. Inside, it holds important rooms for the Pennsylvania General Assembly, which includes the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as spaces for the Supreme and Superior Courts, and offices for the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor. It is the main building of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex.

Originally, Pennsylvania’s government was based in Philadelphia, then moved to Lancaster in 1799 before settling in Harrisburg in 1812. The current building, called the Huston Capitol, is the third state capitol built in Harrisburg. The first one was destroyed by a fire. The second was never finished.

When the Capitol was finished, President Theodore Roosevelt came to its opening ceremony. The building later faced trouble when it cost much more than planned.

The Pennsylvania State Capitol is famous for its many sculptures, murals, and stained-glass windows, most showing scenes from Pennsylvania or made by people from the state. In 1977, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and in 2006, it became a National Historic Landmark. In 2013, the landmark status was expanded to include the whole Capitol Complex.

History

17th century

William Penn started the first government of the Province of Pennsylvania on October 28, 1682, in Chester, Pennsylvania. The government did not have a regular meeting place and often met in Quaker meeting houses or at private homes in Philadelphia. Andrew Hamilton and William Allen were allowed to buy land in Philadelphia for the Pennsylvania State House, which is now called Independence Hall. Building it started in 1732 and finished in 1753.

18th century

With the Pennsylvania General Assembly and the First and Second Continental Congresses, and the Confederation Congress using Independence Hall from 1774 to 1789, the state thought about moving the capital. John Harris Jr. offered 4 acres of land near the Susquehanna River in central Pennsylvania to the state, if it would be used as the capital. Harris also created a city in 1785 near his land, naming it after his father.

In 1799, the legislature decided to move the capital to Lancaster because Lancaster had more people. From 1799 to 1812, the legislature met in Lancaster at the Old City Hall.

Hills Capitol

The legislature voted in 1810 to move the capital again and went to Harrisburg in October 1812 onto the land given by Harris earlier. The legislature met in the old Dauphin County courthouse for the next ten years until a new capitol was built. Building the Hills Capitol started in 1819 and finished in 1822. The Hills Capitol was visited by important people in the 1800s, including the French nobleman and Revolutionary War general, the Marquis de Lafayette in 1825 and the then-Prince of Wales Albert Edward (later King Edward VII) in 1860. Abraham Lincoln visited the capitol in February 1861 as president-elect while traveling from Illinois to Washington, D.C.

Cobb Capitol

After the Hills Capitol was destroyed, the legislature moved to a nearby church. Soon, people wanted to move the capital to Pittsburgh or Philadelphia; the legislature decided to build a new capitol in Harrisburg. Governor Daniel H. Hastings chose to pay for the building slowly over many years. After many architects entered a contest, Henry Ives Cobb was chosen in 1897 to design the new capitol. Building the Cobb Capitol started on May 2, 1898. The legislature met in the finished building on January 3, 1899. It was a simple, unfinished brick building that looked like a factory.

Huston Capitol

Governor William A. Stone created a new Capitol Building Commission in 1901. The commission held a contest for designs from Pennsylvania architects only, so Cobb, from Chicago, could not enter or finish his capitol. The General Assembly had approved $4 million for building the capitol. Joseph Miller Huston's design was chosen in January 1902.

Ground was broken for the Huston Capitol on November 2, 1902, but the cornerstone was not placed until May 5, 1904. The state government took control of the capitol on August 15, 1906, and the Capitol Building Commission ended.

Governor Samuel W. Pennypacker dedicated the new capitol on October 4, 1906. President Theodore Roosevelt, who arrived that morning by a special train to speak and tour the new capitol, called it "the handsomest building I ever saw." Several railroads ran special trains to help people travel to and from Harrisburg for the dedication.

Although the building was finished, most of the artwork inside and around the capitol would not be done for another twenty years. The murals in the rotunda were not put up until 1908, and the sculptures outside the entrance were dedicated on October 4, 1911. The collection of Civil War flags were moved from the Executive, Library, and Museum Building. After a parade and a ceremony, they were placed in glass cases in the capitol rotunda on June 14, 1914.

Graft scandal

William H. Berry was elected in 1906 to the office of State Treasurer. Berry looked into the cost of the capitol project and told the public about its $13 million price. After an investigation, five people, including Huston, were found guilty on December 18, 1908, of working with state officials.

Brunner plan

From 1912 to 1917, the state bought all 541 properties in the Eighth Ward east of the capitol. Arnold Brunner was hired in 1916 to plan new offices for state government, which had grown too big for the capitol. He presented his plan in 1920, which included tearing down the Eighth Ward. Brunner planned two office buildings behind the capitol, the North and South Office Buildings, separated by a courtyard he called the People's Court. The South Office Building was finished in 1921.

Restoration and preservation

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission put up two historical markers on August 11, 1953—one for the Hills Capitol and another for the current capitol. The capitol was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 14, 1977. Starting in 1981, architect Hyman Myers oversaw the restoration of the capitol. In 1982, the Capitol Preservation Committee was created to manage the preservation of the State Capitol Building. The capitol was named a National Historic Landmark on September 20, 2006. On February 27, 2013, the area of the landmark was changed to include the grounds and nearby buildings.

Exterior

The Pennsylvania State Capitol is a grand building that is 520 feet long and 272 feet tall. Its wide center wing is 254 feet long, with shorter side wings. The building's front is made from strong granite from Vermont. At the top of the tall dome is a shiny brass statue called Commonwealth. The dome, inspired by a famous building in Vatican City, is covered in green tiles.

The large bronze doors at the main entrance show important moments from Pennsylvania's history. They were designed by a sculptor and cast in one piece. The doors show images of famous people and events, such as William Penn's arrival and his peaceful agreement with the Lenape people. Above the doors are sculptures made of white marble.

Interior

The Pennsylvania State Capitol has many important rooms for government work. It has 475 rooms and four floors, with a small space between the first and second floors. When you walk in through the big bronze doors, you enter a round room called the rotunda. In the center of this room is a grand staircase that leads up to the other floors.

Artists painted special pictures on the walls and ceilings to show important ideas like art, justice, science, and religion. These pictures help tell the story of Pennsylvania’s history and what it has done for the world. The floors of the rotunda have beautiful handmade tiles showing scenes from Pennsylvania’s past.

House Chamber

The House of Representatives is one part of the state’s government, with 203 members. Their meeting room, called the House Chamber, is the largest room in the Capitol. It has big windows with colorful glass and walls with paintings showing famous people from Pennsylvania’s history.

Senate Chamber

The Senate is another part of the state’s government, with 50 members. Their meeting room, the Senate Chamber, is the second-largest room. It also has beautiful windows and wall paintings that match its French Renaissance style.

Supreme Court Chamber

The Supreme Court and the Superior Court use the Supreme Court Chamber for their meetings. This room is smaller than the others and has paintings that show the history of laws from around the world. The paintings tell stories from ancient Greece and Rome, as well as from England and America.

Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex

The Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex has important buildings owned by the state. These buildings are managed by the Pennsylvania Department of General Services. The complex is centered around the Capitol building in Harrisburg. It became a special National Historic Landmark in 2013. It is protected by the Pennsylvania Capitol Police and the Harrisburg Bureau of Police.

The oldest building in the complex is the Executive, Library, and Museum Building. It was built in 1894 and renamed the Matthew J. Ryan Legislative Office Building in 1999. It used to hold the state library, museum, and the Governor's office. Today, it has offices for members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Behind the main Capitol are two tall office buildings called the North and South Office Buildings. The South Office Building was renamed the K. Leroy Irvis Office Building in 2002. Nearby are the State Museum and State Archives buildings, built in 1964. In 1987, a large addition called the East Wing was completed. This wing was built partly underground so it would not block the view of the Capitol building.