Delaware Legislative Hall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Delaware Legislative Hall
The Delaware General Assembly meets in the Legislative Hall in Dover, built 1931-1933, with wings added 1965-1970, 1994.
General information
Architectural style	Colonial Revival
Location	411 Legislative Avenue Dover, Delaware, United States
Coordinates	39°09′26″N 75°31′11″W / 39.157307°N 75.519722°W / 39.157307; -75.519722
Construction started	1931; 94 years ago (1931)
Completed	1933; 92 years ago (1933)
Client	State of Delaware
Owner	State of Delaware
Design and construction
Architect	E. William Martin; Norman M. Isham

The Delaware Legislative Hall is the main building where the government of Delaware makes its laws. It's like the state's headquarters! This important building is located in Dover, which is the capital city of Delaware. Inside, you'll find the rooms and offices for the Delaware General Assembly, which is what they call Delaware's group of lawmakers.

The building was designed in a style called Colonial Revival architecture, which looks like old colonial homes. It was built between 1931 and 1933. Later, more parts were added in 1965-1970 and again in 1994 to make it bigger.

Who Designed This Building?

The Legislative Hall was built with red bricks and white wooden trim. It was designed in the Colonial Revival style. Two architects, E. William Martin and Norman M. Isham, worked on the project.

They were chosen by a special group called the State Buildings and Grounds Commission. This group was created by Governor C. Douglass Buck in 1931, during a tough time called the Great Depression. Norman M. Isham was first chosen, but because he didn't live in Delaware, a local architect named E. William Martin was brought in to help.

You can see Isham's influence in the building's design. Many parts look similar to the Old Colony House in Newport, Rhode Island. Isham had also helped restore that building around the same time.

A Look Back: The Old State House

Before Legislative Hall was built, Delaware's government met in a different building. This older building is known as the Old State House. It's located on a historic area called The Green in Dover.

The Old State House was first built for Kent County as their courthouse. Construction happened from 1787 to 1791. After it was finished, it also became the State House for Delaware's government. Both the county and the state shared the building until 1873. That's when the Kent County government moved out. The state continued to use it until Legislative Hall was ready.

Today, the Old State House has been carefully fixed up to look like it did in the 1700s. It's now a museum! You can visit and see the old courtroom and the rooms where the lawmakers used to meet. The House chamber has paintings of important naval heroes like Commodore Jacob Jones and Commodore Thomas Macdonough. They served in wars like the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812.

Legislative Hall Today

Legislative Hall stands across from the Old State House. The main building was completed and officially opened in 1933. Over the years, it has grown to meet the needs of the state government.

Expanding the Building

From 1965 to 1970, new sections were added to the sides of the building. These additions gave each lawmaker their own office, along with a desk in the main meeting rooms. George Fletcher Bennet, an architect from Dover, designed this expansion.

Even more space was needed later! In 1994, two more sections were added to the back of the building. These new parts provided more offices for lawmakers and their helpers. They also included rooms for meetings and discussions. The Architects Studio, a company from Wilmington, designed this expansion.

Inside Legislative Hall

After the expansions, the inside of Legislative Hall was also updated. This big renovation project happened over three summers: 1995, 1996, and 1997. It included fixing up the House and Senate meeting rooms, the main lobby, the cafeteria, and many offices. Moeckel Carbonell Associates, another Wilmington company, designed these interior changes.

Besides the main meeting rooms for the Delaware House of Representatives and Senate, Legislative Hall also has offices for staff who help the lawmakers. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor also have offices here when the General Assembly is meeting.

The building is also home to the Hall of Governors. This special area displays portraits of almost all of Delaware's past governors. You can also find portraits of many other important political and military figures throughout the building.

See also

In Spanish: Salón Legislativo de Delaware para niños

• Delaware lunar sample displays
• List of state and territorial capitols in the United States