The Wisconsin State Capitol is a Beaux Arts-style building designed by George B. Post and was built between 1906 and 1917. It is the third building to be built on the current site after the earlier two were demolished, one in 1837 and the other in 1904. The current State Capitol houses the Wisconsin State Assembly, the Wisconsin State Senate, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the Office of the Governor of Wisconsin. The building stands at a height of 284 feet (86 meters) with the statue on the dome sculpted by Daniel Chester French to represent Wisconsin. The building underwent a major renovation in the 1970s with later restoration projects between 1988 and 2002. The exterior of the building mainly 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 building is located in Madison, Wisconsin, at the center of Capitol Square. Its greek cross footprint features four five-story wings aligned with the compass directions and radial streets following the compass directions slicing through the surrounding street grid. The wings’ exterior mainly 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 rotunda sits at the center of the building with a large dome rising from a tall base. The dome is the largest in the world to be entirely clad in granite and over 42 types of stone from eight states and six countries are used on the building’s interior.
The building has a unique 45-degree angle orientation relative to the edges of Capitol Square and most buildings on adjacent streets. It is also the tallest building in Madison, with a state law passed in 1990 regarding any building within one mile which prohibits them from exceeding the base of the columns of the dome, which stand at 187 feet.
Overall, the Wisconsin State Capitol is a significant building with a rich history that continues to serve as a hub for Wisconsin’s government.