Virginia State Capitol facts for kids

Virginia State Capitol
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
The Virginia State Capitol Building in Richmond in August 2017
Location	1000 Bank St, Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Built	1785–1788
Architect	Thomas Jefferson; Charles-Louis Clérisseau
Architectural style	Early Republic, Palladian
NRHP reference No.	66000911
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NHL	December 19, 1960

The Virginia State Capitol is where the government of Virginia meets. It is located in Richmond, the state capital. This building is home to the Virginia General Assembly, which is the oldest elected law-making group in North America. It started as the House of Burgesses way back in 1619.

The idea for the Capitol came from Thomas Jefferson and Charles-Louis Clérisseau in France. They based its design on an ancient Roman temple called the Maison Carrée. Building started in 1785 and finished in 1788. This Capitol is actually the eighth statehouse Virginia has had, mostly because of fires in earlier times. It was also the capital for the Confederacy during the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865. Later, in the early 1900s, two new sections were added, giving it its current look. In 1960, it was named a special National Historic Landmark.

A Look at the Capitol's History

Early Government Buildings in Virginia

Remains of the old church tower in Jamestown, around 1900.

A rebuilt version of the first state capitol in Williamsburg.

During the early days of America, the Colony of Virginia first had its capital in Jamestown. This is where the first law-making group, the Virginia House of Burgesses, met in 1619. The government used four different state houses in Jamestown because of fires. The very first meeting of elected representatives happened on July 30, 1619, inside the Jamestown Church.

In 1699, the government decided to move the capital inland to Williamsburg. A large new Capitol building was finished there in 1705. Near it was the impressive Governor's Palace. The first Williamsburg Capitol burned down in 1747 and was rebuilt in 1753. On June 29, 1776, people in Virginia declared their freedom from Great Britain. They wrote their own state constitution, creating an independent government. This happened four days before the Declaration of Independence was voted on in Philadelphia on July 4.

The Capitol in Williamsburg was used until the American Revolutionary War began. Governor Thomas Jefferson then suggested moving the capital to Richmond. The building was last used as a capitol on December 24, 1779. The Virginia General Assembly then moved to Richmond in 1780. The Williamsburg Capitol was eventually destroyed.

Designing the Richmond Capitol

The "Old Capitol" where the Virginia Ratifying Convention met.

When the legislature met in Richmond on May 1, 1780, they used a temporary building. By 1788, the "Old Capitol" was at the New Academy.

Plans then began for a brand new building for the new state, the Commonwealth of Virginia. The best spot chosen for this permanent building was on Shockoe Hill. This was a big hill overlooking the James River.

Jefferson based Virginia's Capitol on the ancient Maison Carrée temple.

Thomas Jefferson is given credit for the overall design of the new Capitol. He worked with French architect Charles-Louis Clérisseau. The design was copied from the Maison Carrée in Nîmes, a city in southern France. This was an ancient Roman temple. Virginia's Capitol is one of the few state capitols that closely copies an ancient building.

Jefferson and Clérisseau chose a simpler style of columns, called Ionic, instead of the more decorative Corinthian style found on the original temple. They used a specific type of Ionic column designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi.

The first stone of the Capitol was laid on August 18, 1785. Governor Patrick Henry was there for the event. In 1786, drawings and a plaster model were sent from France to Virginia. Samuel Dobie built the Capitol based on these plans. It was ready enough for the General Assembly to meet there in October 1792.

The Virginia State Capitol is one of only twelve state capitols in the United States that does not have a dome on its outside.

The Capitol During the Civil War

The Virginia Capitol also served as the main government building for the Confederacy during the American Civil War (1861–65). It was the Confederacy's second capital, after Montgomery, Alabama.

The Virginia State Capitol shown on an 1864 Confederate $5 banknote.

When Confederate troops left Richmond in April 1865, they were told to burn warehouses and factories. Fires spread, but the Capitol, the nearby Virginia Governor's Mansion, and the White House of the Confederacy were saved. A bag of important papers belonging to John Brown was hidden in the Capitol from 1860 to 1865. It was hidden so Union soldiers wouldn't find it, and it has never been found since.

The first Flag of the United States to fly over the Capitol after Virginia left the Union was put up by Lieutenant Johnston L. de Peyster. U.S. President Abraham Lincoln visited the Capitol about a week before he was assassinated.

For a few days in April 1865, Lynchburg became the capital of Virginia. This happened between the fall of Richmond and the end of the Confederacy.

On July 24, 2020, House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn ordered that statues of Confederate figures be removed from the Old House Chamber. These included General Robert E. Lee and others.

The 1870 Capitol Tragedy

The Capitol in 1865.

After the American Civil War, Virginia was under military rule for almost five years. This ended in January 1870. A few months later, on April 27, 1870, a court hearing was held in a large courtroom on the second floor of the Capitol. Hundreds of people crowded into the room. Before the hearing could start, the balcony broke and fell to the courtroom floor. This extra weight, plus the crowd already there, caused the entire courtroom floor to collapse. It fell 40 feet (12 meters) into the House of Delegates chamber below.

People who were hurt stumbled or were carried out onto the Capitol lawn. Sixty-two people died, and 251 were injured. No women were believed to be present during the collapse. Among the dead were a grandson of Patrick Henry and three members of the General Assembly. Many important people were injured, including a former governor.

Rebuilding and Expanding the Capitol

The modern Capitol with new sections on both sides.

Even though some people wanted to tear down the building, the damage from the 1870 tragedy was repaired. In 1904, two new sections were added to the east and west sides of the building. These additions were needed to provide more space for the growing legislature. These new parts were designed by several leading architects from Virginia.

In 2003, the government approved $83.1 million to fix up, restore, and expand the Capitol. Work started in 2004 and finished on May 1, 2007. Big changes included a new heating and cooling system and updated plumbing. A new 27,000 square foot (2,500 square meter) expansion was built underground on the south lawn. This new area provides a visitor's entrance that is easy for everyone to use, plus offices and meeting rooms. It also helps with security. The total cost for the restoration was about $104 million.

In January 2021, the Virginia National Guard was called in to provide extra security at the Capitol. This was in response to warnings about possible protests at state capitals.

Important People Honored at the Capitol

Many important people have been honored at the Capitol by having their bodies lie in state or repose there. This is a special way to show respect. Some of these people include:

• June 1806: George Wythe, who signed the Declaration of Independence for Virginia.
• January 21, 1862: John Tyler, the tenth President of the United States and a former Governor of Virginia.
• May 15, 1863: Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, a Confederate general.
• February 11, 2011: Leroy R. Hassell Sr., the first African American to be Chief Justice of the Virginia Supreme Court.

Inside the Capitol Building

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  The Rotunda, with a famous statue of George Washington in the middle.

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  The roof of the Rotunda.

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  The Old House of Delegates Chamber.

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  The (New) House of Delegates Chamber.

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  The Senate Chamber during a meeting.

Capitol Square and Its Monuments

The area around the Capitol is called Capitol Square. It has many statues and monuments honoring important Virginians and events.

• Washington Monument, finished in 1869. It has statues of famous people like Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson around its base.
• General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson Statue, 1875.
• Governor William "Extra Billy" Smith Statue, 1906.
• Dr. Hunter Holmes McGuire Statue, 1904.
• Zero Milestone, 1929. This stone helps measure distances for highways starting from Richmond.
• Edgar Allan Poe Statue, 1958.
• Harry F. Byrd Sr. Statue, 1976.
• Virginia Civil Rights Memorial, 2008.
• The Bell Tower, built in 1824–1825. It is still used for special bell ringing ceremonies.
• Oliver Hill Building (1892-1894).

The Capitol in Movies and TV

Because of its classic design and white color, the Virginia State Capitol has been used in movies and TV shows.

• In the movie The Contender (2000), it was used as the outside of The White House.
• In the 1993 movie Dave, the House of Delegates chamber was used as the set for the United States House of Representatives.
• In the 2012 movie Lincoln, the Virginia State Capitol stood in for the United States Capitol in Washington D.C. during the Civil War era. Some digital changes were made to make it look more like the D.C. Capitol.

See also

In Spanish: Capitolio del Estado de Virginia para niños

• List of National Historic Landmarks in Virginia
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Richmond, Virginia
• List of state and territorial capitols in the United States