The Wisconsin State Capitol Building, located in Madison, was built between 1906-1917 in the Beaux Arts style by architect George B. Post. It is the third building to sit on the Capitol Square site and replaced the previous Capitol building, which burned down in 1904. The building houses the Wisconsin State Assembly and the Wisconsin State Senate, as well as the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Governor’s office.
The first Capitol of Wisconsin upon formation of the Wisconsin Territory in 1836 was in the village of Belmont, Wisconsin. The legislature initially met in a wooden frame building before deciding on Madison as the state Capitol. The second Capitol building was a small Greek Revival-style building constructed in 1837, which was demolished in 1857 to make way for a larger Classical Revival-style structure with Romanesque Revival elements. This building was expanded in 1882 with new wings, but it became inadequate for the growing population and government of Wisconsin.
The present Capitol building was built on the site of the previous building, with each wing constructed one at a time to provide space for the state government during the construction period. The building has a greek cross footprint with four five-story wings aligned with compass directions and radial streets following the compass directions that slice through the surrounding street grid. It is the tallest building in Madison, and the dome is the largest in the world to be entirely clad in granite.
The exterior of the building’s wings feature porticoes on the ends with corinthian columns, arched windows on the third floor, rusticated bases with entrance doors and decorative keystones, and decorative reliefs with symbolic meaning. The sides of the wings feature simpler cornices with dentils, pilasters, and recessed window openings. The upper roofs of the wings are low-slope with front gabled portions in the middle punctured by skylights.
In the center of the building is the rotunda, which is topped with a large dome that rises from a tall base. The dome features a statue on top which represents the state of Wisconsin, with an outstretched arm symbolizing the state motto, “Forward.”
The building underwent a major renovation in the 1970s that covered up many original features, and later projects between 1988 and 2002 restored the building while updating it for the modern needs of the state government.
Overall, the Wisconsin State Capitol Building is a significant landmark in the state’s history and a testament to the architectural and engineering accomplishments of its time.