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The Wisconsin State Capitol Building is located in Madison and was built between 1906-1917 to replace the previous state capitol, which burned down in 1904. The capitol features Beaux Arts-style architecture and was designed by George B. Post. The building serves as the state house of representatives, the state senate, and houses the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Governor’s office. This is the fourth state capitol to house the state government since Wisconsin’s establishment in 1848. The capitol building has a greek cross footprint with four five-story wings that are aligned with the compass directions and radial streets. The exterior of the building is clad in Bethel white granite, with an additional 42 types of stone from eight states and six countries being utilized for the interior of the building.

The capitol houses both the Wisconsin State Assembly and the Wisconsin State Senate, as well as the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Office of the Governor. The first capitol of Wisconsin was in the village of Belmont, Wisconsin, with the legislature meeting in a hastily constructed wood-frame building. The state legislature then decided to designate the future site of Madison as the state capitol, and holding further sessions of the legislature in the much better-developed Mississippi River port town of Burlington (now in Iowa) until a capitol building could be completed 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 current Wisconsin State Capitol Building had to be built on the site of the previous building, and the construction process 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. 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.

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. Various decorative reliefs such as festoons over windows on the portico, cornices with modillions and dentils, and pediments with sculptural reliefs that embody different symbolism are seen. The sides of the wings feature simpler cornices with dentils and 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 dome is the largest in the world to be entirely clad in granite and is the tallest building in Madison. The building underwent major renovation during the 1970s, which 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.

In conclusion, the Wisconsin State Capitol Building is a historic and impressive structure, representing the growth and development of Wisconsin as a state. With its grand architecture and symbolic features, it serves as a testament to the traditions and values of the people of Wisconsin.

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

The Beaux Arts-style Wisconsin State Capitol Building was designed by architect George B. Post and built between 1906-1917 to replace the previous state capitol that had burned down in 1904. The building serves as the seat of government for the state of Wisconsin, housing both the Wisconsin State Assembly, the Wisconsin State Senate, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the Office of the Governor of Wisconsin. The building is the third to sit on the present site and is the fourth in Wisconsin’s history.

The original capitol building was constructed in 1837 in the Greek Revival-style and resembled other state capitols on the east coast of the United States. It became inadequate for the growing government and population, leading to its replacement with a larger Classical Revival-style structure with Romanesque Revival elements in stages between 1857-1869. The structure featured a dome inspired by the United States Capitol Building, semi-circular porticoes with Corinthian columns, and two short side wings with octagonal towers at the corners.

The current 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. The wings feature porticoes on the ends with Corinthian columns, arched windows, rusticated bases with entrance doors, and decorative reliefs. 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 clad in Bethel white granite sourced from Vermont.

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 1988-2002 restored the building while updating the building’s systems and functions for the modern needs of the state government.

In the center of the building is the rotunda, which is topped with a large dome that rises from a tall base. 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.

The building is located on Capitol Square in Madison, Wisconsin, at a 45-degree angle to compass directions, instead roughly paralleling the shorelines of nearby Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. Downtown Madison sits on an isthmus between the two lakes. The building is the tallest in Madison, and a state law passed in 1990 stipulates that any building within a one-mile radius of the capitol is limited in height to the base of the columns of the dome, which preserves the visibility of the building from the surrounding landscape.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:50:56

The Wisconsin State Capitol Building was built in 1906-1917, designed by George B. Post in the Beaux Arts style to house the state government of Wisconsin. It replaced the previous state capitol, which was built in 1857-1869 and expanded in 1882 but burned down in 1904. The new capitol features a Greek cross footprint with four five-story wings aligned with compass directions, each featuring porticoes with corinthian columns, arched windows, rusticated bases with entrance doors, decorative reliefs, cornices, and pediments with sculptural reliefs. The dome stands at 284 feet and is clad entirely in granite, making it the largest granite-clad dome in the world. The building underwent a major renovation in the 1970s and further restoration and updating of systems and functions between 1988 and 2002. The overall design was innovative for its time, with the orientation of the building at a 45-degree angle to the surrounding street grid, and the use of a unique combination of granite and other stones on both the interior and exterior. The building is not only a functional seat of the state government but also serves as an architectural icon and symbol of the state of Wisconsin.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:50:51

The Wisconsin State Capitol building is a Beaux Arts-style building that was built from 1906 to 1917 to house the Wisconsin State Government. It was designed by George B. Post to replace the previous version of the building, which burned down in February 1904. The current building is the third to be located on the site and stands at 284 feet tall, making it the tallest building in Madison, Wisconsin. The dome is the largest in the world to be entirely clad in granite.

The first capitol of Wisconsin was located in the village of Belmont, Wisconsin, before the state government chose to move to the future site of Madison. The first capitol building was a Greek Revival-style structure constructed in 1837, which was replaced in stages between 1857 and 1869 with a larger, Classical Revival-style building with Romanesque Revival elements. The building was further modified and extended in 1882 with new wings.

The present building was designed to replace the previous capitol building, with the construction process focusing on completing each wing one at a time. 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. It features porticoes 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 east wing is home to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, with a sculpture known as Law on the portico pediment. The west wing houses the chamber of the Wisconsin Assembly, with a sculpture known as Agriculture on the portico pediment. The north wing is home to a hearing chamber, with the sculpture known as Virtues and Traits of Character on the portico pediment. The south wing houses the chamber of the Wisconsin Senate, with a sculpture known as Wisdom and Learning of the World on the portico pediment.

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 features small paired windows, hidden behind a balustrade that runs around the entirety of the building minus the ends of the wings, concealing a low-slope roof at the setbacks on the sides of the wings and above the corner porticoes. 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.

At the center of the building are semi-circular portions of the facade with semi-circular 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. In the center of the building is the rotunda, which is topped with a large dome that rises from a tall base. The statue on top of 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.”

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. Today, the building is home to 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.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:51:00

The Wisconsin State Capitol Building in Madison, Wisconsin was built in 1906-1917, designed by architect George B. Post in the Beaux Arts style. It houses the Wisconsin State Assembly, Wisconsin State Senate, Wisconsin Supreme Court, and Office of the Governor of Wisconsin. The building is the third to sit on the present site, replacing the previous state capitol that burned down in 1904. The original capitol was built in 1837 as a humble Greek Revival-style building in the village of Belmont, Wisconsin.

The current building’s construction was conducted in stages to provide space for the state government with fiscal efficiency during the project. The building stands at 284 feet tall, constructed with Bethel white granite for the exterior, 42 types of stone for the interior, and has the largest granite-clad dome in the world. The building features a Greek cross-shaped footprint with four five-story wings aligned with the compass directions. The exterior wings feature corinthian columns, decorative keystones, and sculptural reliefs with a variety of symbolism.

Renovations in the 1970s covered up many of the original features, while later projects between 1988 and 2002 restored the building while modernizing the building’s systems and functions for the modern needs of the state government. The building’s central rotunda and dome serve a symbolic purpose rather than being primarily utilitarian. The dome is topped with a statue of a personification of the state of Wisconsin, with the outstretched arm of the statue representing the state motto, “Forward”.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:50:24