The Capitol Building of Wisconsin, built in Beaux Arts-style, is the third building on its present site in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Designed by George B. Post, the building was constructed between 1906-1917 after the previous building, built in 1857-1869 and expanded in 1882, was destroyed in a fire in February 1904. The building serves as the state house of representatives, state senate, and offices for the Wisconsin State Government. It houses the Wisconsin State Assembly, Wisconsin State Senate, Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the Office of the Governor of Wisconsin.
The previous Capitol building was the first to be built when Wisconsin became a state in 1848. It was demolished and replaced with a larger, Classical Revival-style structure with Romanesque Revival elements, constructed in stages between 1857 and 1869. The building featured a dome inspired by United Capitol Building, semi-circular porticoes with corinthian columns, and two short side wings with octagonal towers at the corners.
The present Capitol building was built on the site of the previous building, with the construction process focusing on completing each wing one at a time to provide space to the state government, due to financial limitations. The building has a greek cross footprint with four five-story wings that are aligned with the compass directions and radial streets following the compass directions that slice through the surrounding street grid.
The building stands 284 feet (86 meters) tall to the top of the statue on the dome, which 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”. The building is clad in Bethel white granite, sourced from Vermont, with an additional 42 types of stone from eight states and six countries being utilized on the interior of the building.
The wings of the building feature 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.
The upper roofs of the wings are low-slope with front gabled portions in the middle punctured by skylights, with the roof being almost entirely enclosed by a parapet. In the center of the building is the rotunda, which is topped with a large dome that rises from a tall base. The building underwent a major renovation in the 1970s and was restored between 1988 and 2002 to meet the modern needs of the state government.
The Capitol Building of Wisconsin is a symbolic representation of the state’s growth and development over the years. Its unique orientation and architecture make it a prominent landmark in the state and a significant attraction for tourists.