From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Georgia State Capitol, in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States, is
an architecturally and historically significant building. It has
been named a National Historic Landmark
and is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places. In addition, it is the working center of
Georgia's government. The offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, and
secretary of state are on
the second floor, while the General Assembly meets on the
third floor from January to April. There are also visitors'
galleries and a museum on the
fourth floor.
History
The capitol site was previously the first Atlanta City
Hall. In getting the state to change the capital city to
rapidly-growing and industrialized
Atlanta from rural Milledgeville, the city donated it to
the state. The first capitol in Louisville no longer stands, while
Augusta
and Savannah before it never had
particular capitol buildings, perhaps causing (or caused by) the
alternation of those two cities as capital. The legislature also
met at other places, including Macon, especially during and just after
the Atlanta
Campaign of the American Civil War.
Architecture
Close-up of the building's dome
Like many U.S.
state capitols, the Georgia State Capitol is designed to
resemble the Renaissance architecural style of the United
States Capitol, in Washington, D.C.. Completed in 1889,
the building was designed by architects Willoughby J. Edbrooke and Franklin P. Burnham, of Chicago, Illinois. The building was constructed by
Miles and Horne, of Toledo, Ohio. Sculptor George Crouch executed all the
ornamental work on the building. The commission that oversaw the
planning and construction of the building included former
Confederate general Phillip Cook.
The front of the capitol faces west on Washington Street. The façade
features a four-story portico, with stone pediment, supported by six Corinthian
columns set on large stone piers. Georgia's coat of arms, with two figures on each
side, is engraved on the pediment. The Capitol's interior reflects
the Victorian style of its day. It
was among the earliest buildings to have elevators, central steam
heat, and combination gas and electric lights.
Classical pilasters and oak paneling are used throughout
the building. The floors of the interior are made of marble from Pickens County, which still
produces marble products today.
The open central rotunda is flanked by two wings,
each with a grand staircase and three-story atrium crowned by clerestory windows. The
Capitol building has undergone frequent renovations to adapt to the growth and
change of government. Originally constructed from terra
cotta and covered with tin, the
present dome is gilded with native gold leaf from near Dahlonega in Lumpkin County, where the first American
gold rush occurred in the 1830s. For this reason, legislative
business is often referred to as what is happening "under the gold
dome" by media across the state. The statue Miss Freedom has adorned the dome since
the building's opening.
In 1997, a restoration of the House and Senate chambers was
performed, returning their appearance to that of their original
1889 decorations and color schemes. This included the demolition of
damaged plaster, the reinstallation of flat plaster at the dome,
columns, and walls, and a decorative painting in the House and
Senate Chambers.
Georgia
Capitol Museum
The museum within the Capitol, in existence since 1889, houses
extensive collections reflecting the natural and cultural history
of Georgia. Native American
artifacts, animals, rocks and minerals, and fossils illustrate the
diversity of the collections. During restoration or renovation,
most of the collection remains in storage. In addition to the
museum, the entire building acts as a museum. The portraits of
governors, statues of famous
Georgians, and historic flags from many wars are displayed
throughout the Capitol.
Today, the Georgia Capitol Museum is a public
education institution in the Office of the Secretary of
State. The museum seeks to preserve and interpret the history
of the Georgia Capitol in Atlanta, the functions of the government,
and the events that haven taken place in the Capitol. To carry out
this purpose, the museum collects, preserves, and interprets
artifacts relating to the Capitol or associated with the events
that have occurred there.
Dimensions
- Greatest north–south: 347 feet, 9 inches
(105.99 meters)
- Greatest central depth: 272 feet, 4.5 inches
(83.02 meters)
- Second-Floor Rotunda to ceiling: 187 feet, 4
inches (57.10 meters)
- Dome diameter: 75 feet (22.86 meters)
Georgia's old capitol
museum
Georgia's second capitol building, 1937.
Georgia's second capitol building is at 201 East Greene Street,
Milledgeville, Georgia, and
served as state capitol until 1867. The building was severely
damaged by a fire March 24, 1941[3] and was
rebuilt in its former design to serve as a part of Georgia Military College.[4] The
first floor of the old capitol is open as a museum.
References
External
links
Current
State Capitol
Old State
Capitol
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