Idaho State Capitol

Idaho State Capitol in Boise

The renovated dome

The Idaho State Capitol is the state capitol of the US state of Idaho . It is the seat of Idaho's legislature and is located in the capital Boise . The main building was completed in 1913. It is the only state capitol that is heated by a geothermal spring.

On January 9, 2010, after two years, a renovation that cost 120 million US dollars was completed. The completion was two days before the beginning of the legislative period and one day earlier than planned.

Previous building

The first capitol was built in 1886. It was between Sixth Street and Seventh Street, and Jefferson Street and State Street. Four years later, Idaho became a state and the building quickly became too small for the growing government. In 1905 a new building was commissioned.

Current building

The current building was completed in two construction phases. In the first construction phase, which began in 1905, the central section, with the rotunda and dome, and the north wing, for the Supreme Court, were built. Upon completion in 1912, officials moved to their new offices. After the financing of the second construction phase had been secured, the construction of the east and west wings began in 1919. These were completed in 1920 and house the meeting rooms of the Senate and House of Representatives. Construction costs were over $ 2 million. The design for the building was based on the United States Capitol in Washington, DC

Details of the building

The Capitol is connected by tunnels to the Supreme Court building and other government buildings. The tunnels, used daily by government employees, are not open to the public. They can be used as bunkers for the governor and servants. A parking space is reserved next to the main entrance for the governor's car, which is marked Idaho 1.

Idaho citizens tour the renovated Capitol.

The big bell in front of the Capitol Building is a replica of the Liberty Bell. Visitors are allowed to strike the bell. On the shaft walls of the elevator on the east side of the rotunda are the signatures of hundreds of pages from the House of Representatives and Senate as well as the signatures of the elected representatives. The elevator can be stopped by manually opening the doors so that the signatures can be viewed. The only rooms that are never open to the public are the rooms used for the caucus and the Senate and House common rooms .

Twenty portraits of governors, both of the territory and the state, are shown. They were painted by Herbert A. Collins in 1911.

The State Capitol was designed by architects John E. Tourtellotte and Charles F. Hummel from Boise. The partners designed many churches and educational institutions in Boise, and the University of Idaho administration building in Moscow .

The pillars in the main lobby are not marble, but are a notable example of stucco marble .