The Beaux Arts-style Capitol Building of Wisconsin was built between 1906 and 1917 by renowned architect George B. Post. It is the fourth state capitol of Wisconsin and was designed to house the state house of representatives, state senate, and offices for the Wisconsin State Government. The unique capitol building houses both the Wisconsin State Assembly and the Wisconsin State Senate, as well as the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Office of the Governor of Wisconsin.
The capitol building replaced the previous state capitol, which had been built in 1857-1869 and expanded in 1882. Unfortunately, it burned down in February of 1904 due to a gas jet igniting a newly varnished ceiling inside the building. This spurred the construction of the present Capitol Building on the site of the previous building.
The building stands 284 feet tall and is the tallest building in Madison. It is made entirely of granite, with an additional 42 types of stone from a total of eight states and six countries used on the building’s interior. The dome of the building is the largest in the world to be entirely clad in granite.
The Capitol Building has a greek cross footprint with four five-story wings that are aligned with the compass directions and radial streets. The building is set at a 45-degree angle to the surrounding street grid, which is roughly paralleling the shorelines of nearby Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. This orientation places the building at a unique 45-degree angle relative to the edges of Capitol Square.
The building underwent a major renovation in the 1970s that added modern features to the interior and covered up many original features. Later projects between 1988 and 2002 restored the building while updating the building’s systems and functions for the modern needs of the state government.
The exterior of the building’s wings features porticoes on the ends with corinthian columns, arched windows on the third floor, rusticated bases with entrance doors and decorative keystones, decorative reliefs featuring festoons over the windows on the porticoes, cornices with modillions and dentils, and pediments with sculptural reliefs. The sides of the wings feature simpler cornices with dentils, pilasters and recessed window openings with arched openings at the ground floor, windows with decorative pedimented headers on the second floor, arched windows on the third floor, two small two-over-two windows on the fourth floor, and a recessed fifth floor.
At the center of the building is the rotunda, which is topped with a large dome that rises from a tall base. The statue on the dome was sculpted in 1920 by Daniel Chester French and is a personification of the state of Wisconsin, with the outstretched arm of the statue representing the state motto, “Forward.”
Overall, the Capitol Building of Wisconsin is a stunning example of Beaux Arts-style architecture and an important part of the state’s history. Its unique design, use of materials, and intricate details make it a must-see for architecture enthusiasts and tourists alike.