Utah State Capitol

Infobox_nrhp | name = Utah State Capitol
caption = | location= Salt Lake City, Utah
lat_degrees = 40
lat_minutes = 46
lat_seconds = 38
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 111
long_minutes = 53
long_seconds = 17
long_direction = W
area =
built = 1916Renovated 2004-2008
architect= Richard K.A. Kletting
added=
governing_body = State
refnum=The Utah State Capitol is located on Capitol Hill, overlooking downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the home of the Utah State Legislature, the Governor of Utah, Lieutenant Governor of Utah, the Utah Attorney General, the Utah State Treasurer, and the Utah State Auditor.

Construction on the capitol began on December 26, 1912 and was dedicated on October 9, 1916. The building is 404 feet (123 m) long, 240 feet (73 m) wide, and is capped by a dome that reaches 286 feet (87 m). The granite used was quarried in Little Cottonwood Canyon, and the dome is covered in copper mined in Utah. [ [http://www.utah.com/culture/capitol.htm Utah State Capitol Building | Utah.com ] ] The original construction cost was $2,739,538.00. In 2004 the capitol closed for an extensive restoration and seismic upgrade. The capitol was rededicated on January 4, 2008, and was opened to the public the next day.

The building is the centerpiece of a 40 acre plot which also includes a Vietnam War memorial and a monument dedicated to the Mormon Battalion. The renovations added a new plaza, a reflecting pool, and two office buildings, as well as underground parking. [ [http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,595080938,00.html Deseret Morning News | Fixer-upper: State Capitol building is closing for 4-year, $200 million renovation ] ] The grounds feature plants, shrubs, and trees native to Utah, as well as stunning views of Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Front.

The interior has three floors plus a former basement level which now hold base isolators meant to make the building more resistant to earthquakes. The captiol is decorated with many paintings and sculptues of Utah's history and heritage, including statues of Brigham Young, first territorial governor, and Philo T. Farnsworth, Utah native and inventor of television. The floors are made of marble from Georgia. Twenty-four Ionic columns line the central hall connecting the two wings on either side of the dome, each of which weighs about convert|25000|lb|abbr=on. [ [http://www.utah.gov/capitoltour/page2_level2.html#intro Capital Tour ] ] A chandelier weighing convert|6000|lb|abbr=on hangs from the rotunda of the central dome. The chain supporting it weighs an additional convert|7000|lb|abbr=on.

Utah Territorial Statehouse in Filmore was the territory's first capitol building, although it was only used for that purpose for one year. Starting in 1866 the Salt Lake City Council Hall was the meeting place for the Utah Territorial legislature. When statehood was granted in 1896 until the present Utah State Capitol was completed, the Salt Lake City and County Building served as the state's first capitol building.

In film

In "" the Utah State Capitol was used for exterior and interior shots of the U.S. Capitol.

Gallery

References

* [http://www.utahstatecapitol.utah.gov/history/history.html "State of Utah Capitol Preservation Board-History"]