Tag: danecounty

The Wisconsin Capitol Building is a Beaux Arts-style structure designed by George B. Post, which was built between 1906-1917 to house the state house of representatives, state senate, and other Wisconsin State Government offices. The building stands on the same site as the previous capitol that was constructed in 1857-1869 and expanded in 1882 but destroyed by fire in February 1904. Several other capitol buildings were built before this structure, including a log and stone building with a rusticated fieldstone exterior and doric column built in 1837. The current capitol building is a Greek cross in shape with four five-story wings that are aligned with the compass directions and have porticoes on the ends with corinthian columns, arched windows on the third floor, and decorative reliefs featuring festoons. The exterior of the building is clad in Bethel white granite, sourced from Vermont, with a dome that is the largest in the world to be entirely clad in granite. The dome is also the tallest building in Madison and the building itself is situated at a unique 45-degree angle relative to the edges of the Capitol Square and most buildings on adjacent streets. The exterior of the wings features pediments with sculptural reliefs that were created by several sculptors and have different symbolism embodied by their design. The Wisconsin Capitol Building underwent a major renovation in the 1970s that added modern features to the interior and 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.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:50:45

The Wisconsin State Capitol Building is a Beaux Arts-style structure designed by George B. Post. It was built between 1906 and 1917 to replace the previous Capitol which burnt down in 1904. The present capitol building is the fourth to house the state government since its establishment in 1848. The building stands 284 feet tall to the top of the statue on the dome, which is a personification of the state of Wisconsin. 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’s construction focused on completing each wing one at a time to provide space to the state government with as much fiscal efficiency as possible due to financial limitations. Due to this, the north wing was built last to allow the remaining portion of the previous capitol to serve as space for the state government during the construction period, with the central rotunda and dome also being built after the other three wings had been completed. The exterior of the building is clad in Bethel white granite, sourced from Vermont, and the dome is the largest in the world to be entirely clad in granite. The building underwent a major renovation in the 1970s that added modern features to the interior and 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 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 were created by several sculptors, and have different symbolism embodied by their design.

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 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.

At the center of the building in the inside corners of the Greek cross are semi-circular portions of the facade with semi-circular two-story ionic porticos with large terraces and grand staircases featuring decorative copper lamp posts, 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 Wisconsin State Capitol Building has had an interesting history. The first capitol of Wisconsin upon the formation of Wisconsin Territory in 1836 was in the village of Belmont, Wisconsin, with the legislature meeting in a hastily constructed wood-frame building. They later moved to the much better-developed Mississippi River port town of Burlington (now in Iowa) until they could finish constructing the state capitol in Madison. Upon Burlington becoming part of the new Iowa Territory, the state legislature moved to a log and stone building on the present site of the state capitol, a relatively humble Greek Revival-style building constructed in 1837.

The small second capitol building was the first state capitol of Wisconsin upon its ascension to statehood in 1848 but had become inadequate for the growing population and government by the 1850s. The original building was demolished and replaced with a larger, Classical Revival-style structure with Romanesque Revival elements constructed in stages between 1857 and 1869. This building was oriented with the semi-circular original porticoes aligned with State Street and King Street, with the wings being oriented towards both sections of Hamilton Street. The building appeared rather small within the large parklike expanse of Capitol Square.

By the turn of the 20th Century, the old Capitol had become inadequate for the growing needs of Wisconsin, which had become wealthy, industrialized, and heavily populated by that point. Study of a replacement capitol building began in 1903. The present 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 with as much fiscal efficiency as possible due to financial limitations. Due to this, the north wing was built last to allow the remaining portion of the previous capitol to serve as space for the state government during the construction period, with the central rotunda and dome also being built after the other three wings had been completed.

In February 1904, the old State Capitol burnt to the ground when a gas jet ignited a newly varnished ceiling inside the building, which spread quickly despite the building featuring a then-advanced sprinkler system. The north wing of the building, built in 1882, was the only portion that survived, with many relics, records, and important historical items being lost in the fire, though the state law library was saved thanks to efforts by University of Wisconsin students. The fire also happened just after the state legislature had voted to cancel the fire insurance policy on the building, thinking it was a costly and unnecessary folly.

The building stands 284 feet 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. The exterior of 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 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.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:50:57

The Beaux Arts-style Capitol Building of Wisconsin was built between 1906 and 1917 by renowned architect George B. Post. It is the fourth state capitol of Wisconsin and was designed to house the state house of representatives, state senate, and offices for the Wisconsin State Government. The unique capitol building houses both the Wisconsin State Assembly and the Wisconsin State Senate, as well as the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Office of the Governor of Wisconsin.

The capitol building replaced the previous state capitol, which had been built in 1857-1869 and expanded in 1882. Unfortunately, it burned down in February of 1904 due to a gas jet igniting a newly varnished ceiling inside the building. This spurred the construction of the present Capitol Building on the site of the previous building.

The building stands 284 feet tall and is the tallest building in Madison. It is made entirely of granite, with an additional 42 types of stone from a total of eight states and six countries used on the building’s interior. The dome of the building is the largest in the world to be entirely clad in granite.

The Capitol Building has a greek cross footprint with four five-story wings that are aligned with the compass directions and radial streets. The building is set at a 45-degree angle to the surrounding street grid, which is roughly paralleling the shorelines of nearby Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. This orientation places the building at a unique 45-degree angle relative to the edges of Capitol Square.

The building underwent a major renovation in the 1970s that added modern features to the interior and covered up many original features. Later projects between 1988 and 2002 restored 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 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 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, two small two-over-two windows on the fourth floor, and a recessed fifth floor.

At the center of the building is the rotunda, which is topped with a large dome that rises from a tall base. The statue on the dome 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.”

Overall, the Capitol Building of Wisconsin is a stunning example of Beaux Arts-style architecture and an important part of the state’s history. Its unique design, use of materials, and intricate details make it a must-see for architecture enthusiasts and tourists alike.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:50:29

The Wisconsin State Capitol Building, located in Madison, Wisconsin, was built between 1906 and 1917. Designed by architect George B. Post, the Beaux Arts-style building replaced the previous State Capitol building that had burned down in 1904. It is the third building to occupy the site and the fourth state Capitol building since Wisconsin earned statehood in 1848. The building, which is over 280 feet tall to the top of the statue on the dome, features four five-story wings that radiate from a central rotunda. The exterior is clad in Bethel white granite, with an additional 42 types of stone from eight states and six countries used on the interior.

The Wisconsin State Capitol houses the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the Office of the Governor of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin State Assembly, and the Wisconsin State Senate. The first State Capitol building was constructed in Belmont, Wisconsin in 1836, with the legislature meeting in a hastily constructed wood-frame building. The state government later moved to Burlington, Iowa before a capitol building was completed in Madison that featured doric columns and rusticated fieldstone. A larger Capitol building was completed in stages between 1857 and 1869, with Romanesque Revival elements and a dome inspired by the United Capitol Building. Wings were added in 1882 to increase the building’s size using Classical Revival aspects.

By the turn of the 20th century, the old Capitol had become too small for the state government’s needs, and plans were made to replace it. In 1904, a gas jet ignited a newly varnished ceiling of the previous building, and the building burned to the ground, with only the north wing surviving. Construction of the new Capitol commenced in 1906 and was completed in 1917, with each wing completed one at a time to provide space for the state government during the construction period. The north wing was the last to be built, and the central rotunda and dome were built last, as they serve a more symbolic and less utilitarian purpose than the rest of the building.

In the 1970s, the building underwent a major renovation that covered up many original features, but later projects between 1988 and 2002 restored the building while making updates for modern use. The exterior of the building’s wings feature porticoes on the ends with corinthian columns, arched windows on the third floor, and rusticated bases with entrance doors and decorative keystones. The sides of the wings feature simpler cornices with dentils, pilasters, and recessed window openings. The sculpture on the portico pediments varies, with several sculptors creating pieces with different symbols. The center of the building features a rotunda topped with a large dome rising from a tall base, with semi-circular two-story ionic porticos and large terraces on the inside corners of the greek cross.

The building is 45-degrees oriented relative to the edges of Capitol Square, and the wings are aligned with the compass directions and radial streets. The dome, the largest in the world to be entirely clad in granite, is the tallest building in Madison, and a state law passed in 1990 limits building heights within a one-mile radius to preserve the visibility of the building. A statue sits atop the dome, representing the state of Wisconsin, with the outstretched arm of the statue representing the state motto “Forward”.

Overall, the Wisconsin State Capitol Building is a significant historical landmark and a vital part of Wisconsin’s cultural heritage, serving as the center of the Wisconsin State Government’s work and a focal point for the state’s civic life.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:52:17

The Wisconsin State Capitol building is a Beaux Arts-style structure built between 1906 and 1917 by architect George B. Post on the site of a previous capitol, which burned down in February of 1904. The building stands 284 feet tall with a Greek cross footprint and is one of the tallest buildings in Madison. The building houses the Wisconsin State Assembly, the Wisconsin State Senate, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the Office of the Governor of Wisconsin. The exterior of the building is clad in Bethel white granite, with an additional 42 types of stone from a total of eight states and six countries used on the interior.

The building is the third to sit on the present site and the fourth to house the state government since the state’s establishment in 1848. The first capitol was in the village of Belmont, and the legislature met in a hastily constructed wood-frame building before choosing Madison as the state capitol. The original capitol building was a humble Greek Revival-style building constructed in 1837, which was replaced with a larger Classical Revival-style structure with Romanesque Revival elements in 1857-1869, which was modified and extended in 1882.

The building has four wings, 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, instead of roughly paralleling the shorelines of nearby Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. The building is at a unique 45-degree angle orientation relative to the edges of Capitol Square and most buildings on adjacent streets.

The exterior of the building features porticoes with corinthian columns, arched windows, rusticated bases, decorative reliefs featuring festoons over the windows on the porticoes, cornices with modillions and dentils, and pediments with sculptural reliefs that have different symbolism. The building underwent a major renovation in the 1970s and later projects between 1988 and 2002 restored the building while updating its systems and functions.

In the center of the building is the rotunda, which is topped with a large dome sculpted by Daniel Chester French in 1920, depicting a personification of the state of Wisconsin with the outstretched arm of the statue representing the state motto, “Forward”. The dome is the largest in the world to be entirely clad in granite and is the tallest building in Madison.

The building’s east wing houses the Wisconsin Supreme Court and has a sculpture known as Law, created by Karl Bitter, on the portico pediment. The west wing houses the chamber of the Wisconsin Assembly and has a sculpture known as Agriculture, also created by Karl Bitter. The north wing, which is home to a hearing chamber, is adorned with the sculpture known as Virtues and Traits of Character, created by Adolph Alexander Weinman, while the south wing, housing the chamber of the Wisconsin Senate, has a sculpture known as Wisdom and Learning of the World, created by Attilio Piccirilli.

Overall, the Wisconsin State Capitol building is an iconic and historic structure that has been central to the governance of the state throughout its history. Its design and construction reflect the changing needs and aspirations of the state and its people over time, and it remains a symbol of Wisconsin’s proud heritage and bright future.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:50:22