Texas State Capitol facts for kids
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Texas State Capitol
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At the time of its construction, the capitol was billed as "The Seventh Largest Building in the World".
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 Texas State Capitol
Location in Texas
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| Location | Congress and 11th Sts Austin, Texas, U.S. |
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| Area | 51.4 acres (20.8 ha) |
| Built | 1885 |
| Architect | Elijah E. Myers |
| Architectural style | Italian Renaissance Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000770 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 22, 1970 |
| Designated NHL | June 23, 1986 |
The Texas State Capitol is the main building for the government of Texas. It is located in Austin, Texas. This important building holds the offices and meeting rooms for the Texas Legislature and the Governor of Texas.
Elijah E. Myers, an architect, designed the Capitol in 1881. It was built from 1882 to 1888. Later, a large underground addition was finished in 1993. The building became a National Historic Place in 1970. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1986.
The Texas State Capitol stands about 303 feet (92 meters) tall. This makes it one of the tallest state capitol buildings in the United States. It is even taller than the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. In 2007, the American Institute of Architects ranked it among "America's Favorite Architecture."
Contents
History of the Texas Capitol Building
The current Texas State Capitol is the fourth building used for this purpose in Austin. The very first capitol was a small wooden building. It served as the national capitol when Texas was a republic. It continued as the government seat after Texas joined the U.S.
The second Texas capitol was built in 1853. It was made of limestone and stood where the current capitol is now. Sadly, this building was destroyed by fire in 1881. However, plans were already in place to build a much larger, new capitol. A temporary capitol was then built nearby in 1882. This temporary building also burned down in 1899.
Building the Capitol: From Land to Stone
The current Capitol was built in the Italian Renaissance Revival style. Its construction was paid for by selling public lands. This was allowed by the state constitution adopted in 1876.
In a huge trade, the builders of the Capitol, known as the Capitol Syndicate, received over three million acres of land. This land was in the Texas Panhandle. It later became the XIT Ranch, one of the world's largest cattle ranches. The total cost for the original building was about $3.7 million. Many workers helped build it, sometimes as many as a thousand at once.
The building has been updated several times. Air conditioning was added in 1955. The most recent updates were finished in 1997.
The original plan was to cover the building with limestone from Oatmanville (now Oak Hill). But this limestone quickly rusted and discolored. So, some business partners offered to donate red granite from Granite Mountain for free. This granite is also called pink granite.
A new railroad track was built to carry the granite from Marble Falls to Austin. This track had a sharp bend where trains sometimes derailed. Some pink granite rocks fell off and are still there today. Most of the hidden parts and foundations of the Capitol still use Oak Hill limestone. The beautiful red granite was later used for many other state buildings in Austin. About 86 granite cutters from Scotland worked on the project.
The first stone for the building was laid on March 2, 1885. This day is Texas Independence Day. The Capitol opened to the public on April 21, 1888, which is San Jacinto Day. The official dedication was on May 18, 1888. A week-long celebration marked the event. Nearly 20,000 visitors came to enjoy military shows, cattle roping, baseball, singing, and fireworks.
Protecting the Capitol's View
In 1931, Austin passed a rule limiting building heights to 200 feet (61 meters). This was to make sure the Capitol remained the tallest and most visible building. For many years, only the University of Texas Main Building Tower was taller.
But in 1962, developers planned a 261-foot (80-meter) tall building called the Westgate Tower. It was going to be built next to the Capitol. Many people, including Governor Price Daniel, did not like this idea. The Westgate Tower was finished in 1966.
After the Westgate, even taller buildings were planned downtown. This led to a new law in 1983. This law created "Texas Capitol View Corridors." These are protected paths where no tall buildings can be built. This ensures that the Capitol can still be seen from many points around Austin.
Capitol Upgrades and Expansions
On February 6, 1983, a fire started in the Capitol building. It caused serious damage to the east wing. The fire came very close to destroying the entire structure.
After the fire, the state decided to update the building's systems. In 1985, the original Goddess of Liberty statue was taken off the dome. A new statue, made of aluminum, was placed there in 1986. The original statue was later restored and is now at the Bullock Texas State History Museum.
The Old Texas Land Office on the Capitol grounds was also updated. It became the Capitol Visitors Center. This freed up more space inside the Capitol.
The state also needed more office space. Instead of building a new wing above ground, they built it under the north plaza. This underground addition was finished in 1993. It cost $75 million. This four-story extension doubled the space available. You can hardly tell it's there from above ground. Only skylights and an open, inverted rotunda show its presence.
In 1995, the original building was fully restored. This cost about $98 million. In 1997, the park-like grounds around the Capitol were also renovated.
More recently, a big renovation project started in 2016. The goal was to create the Texas Mall. This expanded the open space around the Capitol. It also aimed to bring state offices, which were spread out, into state-owned buildings. Now, Congress Avenue near the Capitol is a pedestrian-only area with lawns.
Design and Features of the Capitol
The Texas State Capitol sits on a hill overlooking downtown Austin. Its main entrance faces south towards Congress Avenue. The northern edge of the grounds is near the University of Texas at Austin.
The Capitol Building Itself
The Capitol building is mostly rectangular. It has a four-story central part and three-story wings on the east and west. A large dome rises from the center. It is built in the Italian Renaissance Revival style. Its design is similar to the United States Capitol. The outside is covered with local red granite.
The building has about 360,000 square feet (33,445 square meters) of floor space. This does not include the underground extension. It covers about 2.25 acres (0.9 hectares) of land. The Capitol has nearly 400 rooms and over 900 windows.
Inside the central part is an open rotunda under the dome. Large cast-iron staircases are on either side of the rotunda. They connect the different floors. The two parts of the Texas Legislature—the Texas Senate and Texas House of Representatives—meet in large rooms on the second floor. Visitors can watch from galleries on the third floor. The rest of the building has offices, courts, and archives. More offices are in the underground extension.
Art and History Inside
The central rotunda displays portraits of all past presidents of the Republic of Texas and governors of Texas. The rotunda is also a "whispering gallery." This means if you whisper on one side, someone on the other side can hear you clearly.
The south foyer has a big portrait of David Crockett. There is also a painting showing the surrender of General Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. Sculptures of Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin, made by Elisabet Ney, are also there.
The Capitol Grounds
The Capitol building is surrounded by 22 acres (8.9 hectares) of grounds. These grounds have many statues and monuments. In 1888, William Munro Johnson helped improve the look of the grounds. He designed a "Great Walk" with black and white pavement and shaded by trees.
The four oldest monuments are the Heroes of the Alamo Monument (1891), Volunteer Firemen Monument (1896), Confederate Soldiers Monument (1903), and Terry's Texas Rangers Monument (1907). These monuments stand along the Great Walk. A new monument for Vietnam Veterans was dedicated in 2014.
A Ten Commandments monument on the grounds was part of a U.S. Supreme Court case in 2005. The Court decided that the monument was allowed to stay.
Gallery
Exterior
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Capitol Building from the south
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Capitol Building from the north
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Goddess of Liberty statue atop the building
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Cornerstone of Texas State Capitol building
Interior
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The Capitol dome's interior
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Terrazzo mosaic depicting the seals of the six nations that have governed Texas
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Portraits lining the rotunda
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Texas Senate Chamber
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The Texas House of Representatives Chamber
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Terrazzo mosaic of reverse seal of Texas in the capitol extension, showing the six flags of Texas
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Voting button panel in the Texas House of Representatives
Grounds
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Terry's Texas Rangers Monument
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Heroes of the Alamo Monument
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Confederate Soldiers Monument
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Hood's Texas Brigade Monument
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Volunteer Firemen Monument
See also
