Tag: danecounty

The Wisconsin State Capitol Building, built in the Beaux Arts style between 1906 and 1917, was designed by architect George B. Post. The building is the third to be located on the site, replacing the previous state capitol that was destroyed by fire in 1904. The present building houses the Wisconsin State Assembly and the Wisconsin State Senate, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the Office of the Governor of Wisconsin.

The first state capitol was located in Belmont, Wisconsin in a hastily constructed wood-frame building before designating Madison as the state capital. A small Greek Revival-style building was constructed in Madison in 1837 to serve as the capitol, which was replaced by a larger Classical Revival-style structure with Romanesque Revival elements in stages between 1857 and 1869. The building was expanded in 1882 with new wings that increased the Classical Revival aspects of the building.

The present building has a greek cross footprint with four five-story wings, aligned to the compass points and sitting at a 45-degree angle to the surrounding street grid. The 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, cornices with modillions and dentils, and pediments with sculptural reliefs, created by several sculptors, that have different symbolism embodied by their design.

The exterior of the building is clad in Bethel white granite and 42 types of stone from eight states and six countries are utilized in the interior. The dome is the largest in the world to be entirely clad in granite and stands at 284 feet tall. The statue on top of the dome was sculpted by Daniel Chester French in 1920 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 covered up many original features but later restoration projects between 1988 and 2002 updated the building’s systems and functions for the modern needs of the state government. The exterior of the 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, the sculpture known as Law, created by Karl Bitter, is located on the portico pediment, on the west wing is a sculpture known as Agriculture, also created by Karl Bitter, on the north wing is the sculpture known as Virtues and Traits of Character, created by Adolph Alexander Weinman, and on the south wing is a sculpture known as Wisdom and Learning of the World, created by Attilio Piccirilli. 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.

In the center of the building is the rotunda, which is topped with a large dome that rises from a tall base. The building showcases the grandeur and elegance of the Beaux Arts-style architecture, and is a testament to the state’s history and heritage.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:50:25

The Wisconsin State Capitol was built between 1906-1917 in Madison, Wisconsin, to house the Wisconsin State Government, with offices for the state house of representatives, state senate, Wisconsin Supreme Court, and Governor’s Office. George B. Post designed the Beaux Arts-style Capitol Building, which replaced the previous state capitol built in 1857-1869 and expanded in 1882 that burned down in 1904. The original capitol building was a humble Greek Revival-style building, with the second capitol building being a larger Classical Revival-style structure with Romanesque Revival elements, similar to the United Capitol Building, modernized with new wings in 1882. The current granite-clad Capitol Building is 284 feet tall to the top of the statue on the dome, which was sculpted by Daniel Chester French in 1920, with the exterior of the building featuring porticoes, arched windows, and decorative reliefs featuring festoons and cornices with modillions and dentils. The sides of the wings feature simpler cornices with dentils, pilasters and recessed windows, and a balustrade that conceals a low-slope roof at the setbacks on the sides of the wings and above the corner porticoes. The upper roof features 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 is the rotunda, which is topped with a large dome that rises from a tall base.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:50:52

The Capitol Building in Wisconsin is a prominent government building that houses the Wisconsin State Assembly, the Wisconsin State Senate, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the Office of the Governor of Wisconsin. It is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and was built in the Beaux Arts style between 1906 and 1917 by architect George B. Post. This building is the fourth state capitol building to house the state government since Wisconsin’s establishment in 1848.

The first capitol building was in the village of Belmont, Wisconsin, where the Wisconsin Territory legislature met in a hastily constructed wood-frame building. The legislators then moved to Burlington, now in Iowa, until a capitol building could be built in Madison. The second capitol building, a Greek Revival-style building constructed in 1837, was the first state capitol of Wisconsin upon the state’s ascension to statehood in 1848. This building was demolished and replaced with a larger, Classical Revival-style structure with Romanesque Revival elements between 1857 and 1869, which was expanded in 1882. This building burned down in February 1904, which led to the construction of the present building on the same site.

The present capitol building is clad in Bethel white granite and is the tallest building in Madison. It has a Greek cross footprint with 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 roughly paralleling the shorelines of nearby Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. This places the building at a unique orientation relative to the edges of Capitol Square and most buildings on adjacent streets.

The exterior of the 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, created by several sculptors. On the east wing, which houses the Wisconsin Supreme Court, is a sculpture known as Law, created by Karl Bitter, while the west wing, which houses the chamber of the Wisconsin Assembly, features a sculpture known as Agriculture, also created by Karl Bitter. The north wing, which is home to a hearing chamber, features the sculpture known as Virtues and Traits of Character, created by Adolph Alexander Weinman, and the south wing, which houses the chamber of the Wisconsin Senate, features the sculpture known as Wisdom and Learning of the World, created by Attilio Piccirilli.

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

Overall, the Capitol Building in Wisconsin is an impressive structure that represents the state’s governmental power and history. Its unique design and impressive architecture make it a notable landmark of the city of Madison, Wisconsin.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:50:40

The Wisconsin State Capitol Building, located in Madison, was designed by architect George B. Post in the Beaux Arts style and constructed between 1906 and 1917. It replaced the previous state capitol building, which was destroyed by fire in 1904. The current building houses the Wisconsin State Assembly, the Wisconsin State Senate, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the Office of the Governor.

The first capitol of Wisconsin was located in the village of Belmont, before the legislature later decided to establish the state capitol in Madison, holding sessions in Burlington in the interim. The first capitol building in Madison was constructed in 1837, resembling older capitol buildings in the eastern United States. The second capitol building, constructed between 1857 and 1869, was characterized by its Classical Revival style and Romanesque Revival elements. This building was later expanded in 1882, adding new wings to increase the building’s size and downplay its Romanesque Revival features.

By the turn of the 20th century, the second capitol building was inadequate for the growing government’s needs, so a replacement was planned. The old State Capitol burned down in February 1904, making way for the current building. The new building was constructed on the same site, and the construction process was focused on efficiency and cost-saving. Each wing was completed one at a time, allowing the previous structure to continue serving as space for the state government during the construction period. The building is the tallest in Madison, and its statue on the dome, representing the state of Wisconsin, stands at 284 feet.

The Capitol Building has undergone multiple restorations in modern times to update its functions while restoring its original features. Its exterior features different sculptures on each wing, representing different aspects of Wisconsin life. The sides of the wings have recessed window openings and decorative features such as pilasters and cornices. The building’s interior also features intricate designs, including a rotunda with a large dome and the senate and assembly chambers.

Overall, the Wisconsin State Capitol Building is an impressive structure with a rich history and a unique design that stands out among its surroundings in Madison.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:50:28

The Beaux Arts-style Wisconsin State Capitol Building was constructed between 1906 and 1917 after the previous capitol building burned down in 1904. The building houses the Wisconsin State Assembly, the Wisconsin State Senate, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the Office of the Governor of Wisconsin. It is the third building to sit on the site and the fourth state capitol to house the state government since the state’s establishment. The first capitol of Wisconsin was located in the village of Belmont. The legislature meeting was held at a hastily constructed wood-frame building before designating the future site of Madison as the state capitol. The present building has a greek cross footprint with four five-story wings, which is aligned with compass directions, and radial streets following compass directions that slice through the surrounding street grid, which is at a 45-degree angle to the compass directions.

The building is the work of George B. Post, who died before the building was completed. It 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, upgrading the building’s systems, and modernizing the building’s 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.

The sides of the wings feature simpler cornices with dentils, pilasters, and recessed window openings with arched openings on 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, which features small paired windows hidden behind a balustrade that runs around the entirety of the building, minus the ends of the wings. 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.

The center of the building in the inside corners of the greek cross is 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, 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 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, with the outstretched arm of the statue representing the state motto, “Forward.” 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.

The building was one of the last works of the prolific architect George B. Post and underwent a major renovation in the 1970s that added modern features to the interior while covering up many of the original features. Later projects between 1988 and 2002 restored the building while updating its systems and functions for modern needs. In conclusion, the Wisconsin State Capitol Building is an impressive structure consisting of four five-story wings arranged in a greek cross pattern with a large dome rising from the center. The building is clad in white granite, and the exterior features porticos and decorative sculptural reliefs. It is an impressive structure that has undergone restoration and renovation but retains its historical significance and architectural beauty.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:50:36