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The Wisconsin State Capitol Building was constructed between 1906-1917, and designed by George B. Post. It replaced the previous state capitol, which had burned down in 1904. The capitol building houses the Wisconsin State Assembly, Wisconsin State Senate, Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the Governor’s office. It has a Beaux Arts-style and is 284 feet tall. 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, which is at a 45-degree angle to compass directions. 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, decorative reliefs featuring festoons over the windows on the porticoes, cornices with modillions and dentils, and pediments with sculptural reliefs. On the east wing, which is home to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the sculpture known as Law, created by Karl Bitter, is located on the portico pediment. On the west wing, which houses the chamber of the Wisconsin Assembly, is a sculpture known as Agriculture, also created by Karl Bitter. On the north wing, which is home to a hearing chamber, is the sculpture known as Virtues and Traits of Character, created by Adolph Alexander Weinman. And finally, on the south wing, which houses the chamber of the Wisconsin Senate, is a sculpture known as Wisdom and Learning of the World, created by Attilio Piccirilli.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:50:59

The Wisconsin State Capitol Building, built in the Beaux Arts style between the years of 1906 to 1917 by George B. Post, takes its place as the fourth capitol building to house the state government since Wisconsin achieved statehood in 1848. The third capitol building had been built in stages between the years of 1857 to 1869, with extensions added in 1882, but was demolished due to its outdatedness and became inadequate for Wisconsin’s growing needs. On February 1904, the building burned down, leaving only the north wing, which had an insurance policy that the state government had tried to cancel before the fire occurred. Construction on the fourth capitol building, completed on the same site as the previous three, began in 1906 with a focus on limiting fiscal inefficiency due to financial limitations. The building stands at 284 feet tall to the top of the statue on the dome, with the building’s structure using Bethel white granite from Vermont for the exterior and 42 types of stone from eight states and six countries for the interior. The capitol has a unique greek cross footprint with wings aligning with the compass directions and radial streets that slice through the surrounding street grid, which is at a 45-degree angle to the compass directions. The wings feature pediments with sculptural reliefs created by various artists, with different symbolism embodied by their design. The building underwent a major renovation in the 1970s and later projects between 1988 and 2002, which updated and restored the building while modernizing it for Wisconsin’s state government’s current needs.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:52:11

The Wisconsin State Capitol Building is a Beaux Arts-style building located in Madison, Wisconsin. The building was designed by architect George B. Post and was constructed from 1906-1917. It serves as the home for the Wisconsin State Assembly, the Wisconsin State Senate, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the Office of the Governor of Wisconsin. The building sits on the site of the previous Wisconsin State Capitol, which burned down in 1904. The new building was constructed to provide much-needed space to the State Government.

The first State Capitol of Wisconsin was in the village of Belmont, Wisconsin. The legislation met in a hastily constructed wood-frame building before deciding on Madison as the State Capitol. The new capital city held further sessions of legislatures in the much better-developed Mississippi River port town of Burlington until a capitol building could be completed in Madison. Upon Burlington becoming part of the new Iowa Territory, the state legislature moved to a relatively humble Greek Revival-style building constructed in 1837, which was most similar to Old State Capitol in North Carolina and the Old State House in Springfield, Illinois.

The previous Wisconsin State Capitol, a Classical Revival-style structure with Romanesque Revival elements, replaced the previous building in stages between 1857 and 1869. The Capitol building was modified and extended in 1882 with new wings that increased the Classical Revival aspects of the building and downplayed the Romanesque Revival elements. The building burned down in February of 1904, with the north wing of the building, built in 1882, as the only portion that survived. The present building was built on the site of the previous building and was constructed in stages.

The Wisconsin State Capitol building is clad in Bethel white granite sourced from Vermont, with an additional 42 types of stone from a total of eight states and six countries being utilized on the interior of the building. The dome is the largest in the world to be entirely clad in granite and is the tallest building in Madison. The building underwent a major renovation in the 1970s and 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 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, decorative reliefs featuring festoons over the windows on the porticoes, cornices with modillions and dentils, and pediments with sculptural reliefs, which have different symbolism embodied by their design. 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, and two small two-over-two windows on the fourth floor.

At the center of the building in the inside corners of the Greek cross, are semicircular portions of the facade with semicircular two-story Ionic porticos with large terraces and grand staircases featuring decorative copper lampposts, decorative stone balustrades, concealed entrances to the ground floor underneath the terraces, and three doorways on the upper level, with drums surrounded by buttresses featuring small windows and domed roofs above the balustrade on the fifth floor. In the center of the building is the rotunda, which is topped with a large dome that rises from a tall base. The building is known for its unique 45-degree angle orientation relative to the edges of Capitol Square.

In conclusion, the Wisconsin State Capitol building is a symbol of Wisconsin and a prominent landmark in the city of Madison. Its unique architecture and history make it an important part of Wisconsin’s culture and heritage. The building has undergone several renovations and restorations over the years to maintain its beauty and practicality. Today, it serves as the hub of Wisconsin’s state government, and its legacy will continue to inspire future generations.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:50:50

The Wisconsin State Capitol Building was constructed between 1906 to 1917 in the Beaux Arts style by George B. Post. The building was built to house the state senate, state house of representatives, and the Wisconsin State Government offices. The construction of the building took place after a fire destroyed the previous state capitol building, which was built in 1857-1869 and expanded in 1882. The new building houses the Office of the Governor of Wisconsin, Wisconsin State Senate, Wisconsin State Assembly, and the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Wisconsin’s first state capitol was located in the village of Belmont, with the legislature meeting in a hastily constructed wood-frame building. The legislature quickly designated Madison as the state capitol, and the state government operated from the more developed Mississippi River port town of Burlington (now in Iowa) until a capitol building could be built in Madison. The first capitol building built in Madison was a relatively humble Greek Revival-style building constructed in 1837 featuring doric columns and a rusticated fieldstone exterior.

The second capitol building, built in stages between 1857 and 1869, replaced the Greek Revival-style building. It was designed in the Classical Revival-style with Romanesque Revival elements, and featured a dome inspired by the United Capitol Building. The building had semi-circular porticoes with corinthian columns, octagonal towers in the corners, and two wings extended in 1882. The building was not able to meet the growing population and government needs by the 1850s, and a new capitol building design was under study in 1903. However, in 1904, the old State Capitol burned down due to a gas jet igniting a newly varnished ceiling.

The construction of the new State Capitol Building began on the same site as the previous one, and the construction process focused on completing each wing one at a time to provide space for the state government with as much fiscal efficiency as possible due to financial limitations. Due to this, the north wing was built last, allowing the remaining portion of the previous capitol to serve as a space for the state government during the construction period.

The capitol 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. This places the building at a unique 45-degree angle orientation relative to the edges of Capitol Square and most buildings on adjacent streets. The building is clad in Bethel white granite, sourced from Vermont, with an additional 42 types of stone from a total of eight states and six countries used on the interior of the building. The dome is the largest in the world to be entirely clad in granite and stands at 284 feet (86 meters) to the top of the statue on the dome, which was sculpted in 1920 by Daniel Chester French.

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. Decorative reliefs featuring festoons over the windows on the porticoes, cornices with modillions and dentils, and pediments with sculptural reliefs were created by several sculptors, and have different symbolism embodied by their design. The sides of the wings feature simpler cornices with dentils, pilasters and recessed window openings.

The center of the building has a rotunda, which is topped with a large dome that rises from a tall base. The dome is the tallest building in Madison, and there is a state law that no building within a one-mile radius of the capitol can be higher than the base of the columns, which stand at 187 feet, to preserve the visibility of the building from the surrounding landscape.

The building underwent a major renovation in the 1970s that added modern features to the interior while covering up many original features. Later projects between 1988 and 2002 restored the building while updating its functions for the modern needs of the state government. The building is a symbol of the Wisconsin State Government and a significant tourist attraction in Madison.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:50:21

The Wisconsin State Capitol Building, which was built between 1906-1917 in a Beaux Arts-style, is the fourth state capitol to house the state government since Wisconsin’s establishment in 1848. Prior to the construction of the present building, there were two previous Capitol Buildings, with the first built in 1837 and the second built in stages between 1857-1869, which was expanded in 1882. Unfortunately, the second Capitol Building burned down in February 1904, leading to the construction of the present building on the same site. The John B. Post-designed building has four five-story wings that are aligned with the compass directions and radial streets, and features a greek cross footprint. The exterior of the building is clad in Bethel white granite and features a dome that is the largest in the world to be entirely clad in granite. Many original features of the building were lost during a major renovation in the 1970s, but the building underwent further restoration projects from 1988-2002. The exterior of the building’s wings are adorned with porticoes, columns, arched windows, keystones, reliefs, cornices, modillions, dentils, and sculptural reliefs that embody different symbolic meanings. The center of the building features a rotunda topped with a large dome, which rises from a tall base.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:52:10