West Virginia State Capitol

West Virginia State Capitol
National Register of Historic Places
View at night with the Lincoln Memorial
location	1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston , West Virginia
Coordinates	38 ° 20 '10 "  N , 81 ° 36' 43"  W Coordinates: 38 ° 20 '10 "  N , 81 ° 36' 43"  W.
Built	1924-1932
architect	Cass Gilbert
Architectural style	Neoclassicism
NRHP number	74002009
The NRHP added	December 31, 1974

The West Virginia State Capitol is the seat of government of the US state West Virginia and houses not only parliament but also the governor's office .

As part of the West Virginia Capitol Complex, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . At 89 meters tall, it is the tallest building in the state.

prehistory

Linsly Institute Building, home of Parliament in Wheeling

With the outbreak of the American Civil War , the former state of Virginia split into two parts: While the southern part turned to the Confederate States , the northwestern regions adhered to the Union and in 1863 formed today's West Virginia .

Since then, the cities of Wheeling and Charleston initially alternated in their role as capital: first they met in Wheeling in the Linsly Institute Building until the State Capitol in Charleston was completed in 1870. In 1875, Wheeling again campaigned for the role of capital by building a new building for the government. In 1876 they moved into the new building. However, the general mood tended more towards Charleston and the population chose it as the only capital in 1877. With the completion of the third State Capitol and the move again in 1885, Charleston finally became the de facto capital.

The architects Kemble & Peebles provided the design for the neo-Gothic building. In 1921 it burned down to the ground and a temporary building was hastily erected not far from the old location.

building

The building commission convened in 1921 hired the architect Cass Gilbert, who had already designed the Minnesota State Capitol (1905) and the legendary Woolworth Building (1913). The complex consists of three buildings arranged at right angles to each other. The west wing was completed in 1925, the east wing in 1926.

The main building, built between 1930 and 1932, has two wings and a central dome in the shape of a state capitol typical of that time. On the dome, which is decorated with gold ornaments , there is a gold-plated lantern with an eagle on the top. It is therefore very reminiscent of the Paris Invalides . The drum is surrounded by several Corinthian columns. On both sides of the building there is a wide flight of stairs for a portico , likewise formed by eight Corinthian columns , the gable of which is decorated with palmettes . The facade is clad with light gray limestone .

Surroundings

The building stands in a spacious green area on the north bank of the Kanawha River . In addition to the State Capitol, it includes several statues and monuments, such as B. for Abraham Lincoln and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson and the West Virginia Governor's Mansion (1925), residence of the governor of West Virginia .

literature

• Ann Wilkins, David G. Wilkins: Cass Gilbert's West Virginia State Capitol. West Virginia University Press, Morganstown 2014, ISBN 978-1-938228-46-9 .

Web links

Commons : West Virginia State Capitol  - Collection of Pictures, Videos, and Audio Files

Individual evidence

1. ^ West Virginia State Capitol. In: National Historic Landmark summary listing . National Park Service. Retrieved November 27, 2015 . 
2. ^ The Early Capitol Locations. Retrieved November 27, 2015 . 
3. ^ Summary of Facts Concerning the Capitol. Retrieved November 27, 2015 . 
4. ^ The Architect's Description. Retrieved November 27, 2015 .