The Wisconsin State Capitol Building is a Beaux Arts-style structure built between 1906 and 1917 to serve as the state house of representatives, state senate, and offices for the Wisconsin State Government. It replaces two earlier buildings which had served as the state headquarters since Wisconsin’s establishment as a territory in 1836 and its subsequent ascension to statehood in 1848. The previous state capitol was destroyed in 1904 in a devastating fire that consumed much of the structure, leaving only a portion of the north wing from the 1882 expansion remaining. The present building was constructed on the site of the old capitol, with each wing built separately to allow for use by the state government during construction, and the central rotunda and dome being completed last for symbolic purposes. The building stands 284 feet tall, with the statue of Wisconsin on top representing the state’s motto of “Forward”. The exterior of the structure is clad in Bethel white granite, with the dome being the largest in the world to be entirely covered in granite. The building is oriented at a unique 45-degree angle to the edges of Capitol Square and most adjacent streets, with four wings aligned with the compass directions of N,S,E,W. Each wing features Corinthian columns on the ends of the porticoes, arched windows on the third floor, and rusticated bases with entrance doors and decorative keystones, with elaborate pediments added to each wing adding to the building’s symbolism.
The previous state capitol was a relatively humble Greek Revival-style building built in 1837 and constructed of fieldstone, which burned down in 1904 due to a gas jet igniting a newly varnished ceiling within the structure. The state law library was saved thanks to efforts by University of Wisconsin students. A replacement building was commissioned in 1903, with the fourth state capitol building designed by George B. Post, who died before the building’s completion. The building features a greek cross footprint with wings at each of the cardinal directions, with radial streets following the same compass directions. The capitol building is the tallest in Madison, and a state law passed in 1990 restricts the height of any building within one mile to the base of the columns of the dome, preserving the building’s visibility. The wings of the building each feature different pediments, with symbolic religious and cultural motifs representing Wisdom and Learning, Law, Agriculture, and Virtues and Traits of Character. The wings of the building are similar in design, with each featuring arched windows, pilasters, recessed window openings, and cornices with modillions and dentils. At the center of the building is the rotunda, which is topped with a large dome that rises from a tall base. The dome is supported by a drum surrounded by buttresses featuring small windows and domed roofs, located above the decorative copper lampposts and balustrades of the grand staircases that lead to the greek porticos on the second floor of the building.
The Wisconsin State Capitol Building underwent major renovations in the 1970s which covered up many original features, with later projects between 1988 and 2002 restoring the building while updating the building’s systems and functions for the modern needs of the state government. The building has served as the seat of power for the Wisconsin state government since 1917, and its history is reflected in the building’s symbolism and unique design.