California State Capitol

Infobox_nrhp | name =California State Capitol
nrhp_type =

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caption =The California State Capitol
location= Sacramento, California
area =
built =1860-1874
architect= M. Frederic Butler
architecture= American Neoclassicism
added = April 3, 1973
governing_body = State
refnum=73000427 cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2006-03-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

The California State Capitol building sits in Sacramento, California at the west end of Capitol Park. The grounds are framed by L Street to the north, N Street to the south, 10th Street to the west and 15th Street to the east. The capitol houses the California State Legislature and the office of the Governor of California. The building was constructed in the neoclassical style between 1861 and 1874 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as of 1973.

Exterior

The building is based on the distant Capitol in Washington D.C. The west facade ends in projecting bays as well as a portico projecting from the center of the building. At the base of the portico, seven granite archways brace and support the porch above. Eight fluted Corinthian columns line the portico. A cornice supports the pediment above which depicts Minerva surrounded by Education, Justice, and Mining.

Above the flat roof with balustrade rises two drums supporting a dome. The first drum consists of a colonnade of Corinthian columns, the second with Corinthian pilasters. Large arched windows line the drum walls. The dome rises 220 feet above the roof, matching the aforementioned dome of the U.S. Capitol. The dome itself supports a lantern with a smaller dome capped with a bright gold ball.

Interior

The California Senate Chamber seats the 40 members in large chamber room. The color red envelopes the room in a nod towards the House of Lords of the British Parliament, which like the California Senate is the upper house of a bicameral legislature. The chamber is entered through a second floor corridor. The red carpeting has a Victorian-era design and is a mirror of the House's green carpeting (which evokes the green of the British House of Commons). From the coffered ceiling hangs an electric reproduction of the original gas chandelier. A hand-carved dais caps off a recessed bay framed by Corinthian columns.

The Latin phrase SENATORIS EST CIVITATIS LIBERTATEM TUERI ("It is the duty of a senator to protect the liberty of the people") lines the cornice. A portrait of George Washington by Jane Stuart (daughter of Gilbert Stuart) looks down from the wall above. The state seal hangs above.

Gilded Corinthian columns support the gallery above. Dark red curtains are tied back along the columns, but may be drawn for privacy. High arched windows run along the bottom, above are rectangular pane windows.

Behind the rostrum are two chairs with red velvet cushions which are reserved for the king and queen. This is an oddity among the states, as no king or queen has any influence or control over the politics of the country. This may be a nod to the model of Parliament.

The California Assembly Chamber is located at the opposite end of the Senate. It is modeled from the British House of Commons and is primarily decorated in green tones. The dais rests along a wall shaped like an "E" the central projection housing the rostrum. Along the cornice appears a quotation from Abraham Lincoln in Latin: LEGISLATORUM EST JUSTAS LEGES CONDERE ("It is the duty of legislators to pass just laws"). Almost every decorating element is identical to the Senate Chamber.

Gallery

References

External links

* [http://www.capitolmuseum.ca.gov/ California State Capitol Museum]
* [http://www.fromthecapitol.com/wp-gallery2.php?g2_itemId=26 California State Capitol Pictures]
* [http://www.onevoter.org/page/9 California State Capitols Tour]

###@@@KEY@@@###succession box| before=Unknown
title=Tallest Building in Sacramento| years=1874—1989 69m| after=Renaissance Tower