Maine State House
Encyclopedia
The Maine State House in Augusta, Maine
is the state capitol of the State of Maine. The building was completed in 1832, one year after Augusta became the capital of Maine
. Built using Maine granite
, the State House was based on the design of the Massachusetts State House
(Maine was formerly part of Massachusetts, and became a separate state in 1821).
Governor Paul Lepage
and the Maine Legislature
convene at the State House.
When Maine separated from Massachusetts and became a state in 1820, a number of cities and towns sought the honor of becoming the state capital. The principal aspirants were Portland
, Brunswick
, Hallowell
, Waterville
, Belfast
, Wiscasset, and Augusta. Originally, the first capital of Maine was Portland, but it was moved to Augusta because it was centrally located. The Legislature passed and Governor Enoch Lincoln signed the bill
establishing Augusta as the capital in 1832.
The lot chosen for the Maine State House by the governor and the Commissions after careful consideration of various sites on both sides of the river contains 34 cres and extending from the old Hallowell road to the Kennebec River
. The building was designed by the renowned architect Charles Bulfinch
of Boston
, and in its original form resembles the Massachusetts State House, another work of his.
About 150 feet (45.7 m) in length, including the central portion with column
s and cupola
and two wings extending north and south, the building's cornerstone
was laid on July 4, 1829 amid impressive Masonic ceremonies. Construction was of granite from Hallowell quarries and took three years to complete. The cost of the building was originally estimated to be $80,000, but when completed, expenditures of the building, furnishings and grounds amounted to $139,000, of which $11,500 was contributed by the City of Augusta. The Maine Legislature held its first session in the new state Capitol on January 4, 1832.
The interior of the Capitol was remodeled in 1852 and again in 1860 to provide additional room for state departments. In 1890–1891, a large three-story wing was added to the rear of the building to accommodate the State Library and to provide more office space for departments. Major remodeling of the Capitol during 1909–1910 established the present-day appearance of the building. It was enlarged according to designs by G. Henri Desmond, necessitating the demolition of almost all the old buildings save the front and rear walls. While the noble Bulfinch front was preserved, the length of the building was doubled to 300 feet (91.4 m) by extending the north and south wings. A dome rising to a height of 185 feet (56.4 m) was built to replace the original cupola.
The dome was surmounted by a statue, the draped female figure of Wisdom
, designed by W. Clark Noble of Gardiner
, and made of copper overlaid with gold. The House of Representatives occupies the third and fourth floors of the north wing and the Senate chambers occupy similar quarters in the south wing.
The governor's office is located in renovated offices on the second floor at the rear of the central portion of the Capitol along with the Hall of Flags and the law library. The governor's office overlooks the massive, granite State Office Building located to the west of the State House. A recently renovated tunnel connects the State House and the State Office Building. The tunnel houses several Maine wildlife scenes. What most people don't know is that a side tunnel leads to a cold war fallout shelter, large enough to house the Maine senate, house and various other officials and aides. Construction was started on May 5, 1983, under the pretense of renovation; it was finished September 3, 1985, and it has been fully stocked and staffed ever since.
At the south side of the Capitol grounds, the Maine State Library, Maine State Museum
and Maine State Archives are housed in a modern building.
Throughout the building are portraits of governors and other men and women who have served Maine throughout its history as a province and a state.
To the north, across from the State House, is the Executive Mansion, more commonly known as the Blaine House, which was presented to the State by Harriet Blaine Beale.
Augusta, Maine
Augusta is the capital of the US state of Maine, county seat of Kennebec County, and center of population for Maine. The city's population was 19,136 at the 2010 census, making it the third-smallest state capital after Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota...
is the state capitol of the State of Maine. The building was completed in 1832, one year after Augusta became the capital of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. Built using Maine granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
, the State House was based on the design of the Massachusetts State House
Massachusetts State House
The Massachusetts State House, also known as the Massachusetts Statehouse or the "New" State House, is the state capitol and house of government of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is located in Boston in the neighborhood Beacon Hill...
(Maine was formerly part of Massachusetts, and became a separate state in 1821).
Governor Paul Lepage
Paul LePage
Paul Richard LePage is an American businessman and politician who is serving as the 74th and current Governor of Maine. A Republican, he was previously mayor of Waterville from 2003 to 2011, and was a city councilor before that...
and the Maine Legislature
Maine Legislature
The Maine Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. It is a bicameral body composed of the lower house Maine House of Representatives and the upper house Maine Senate...
convene at the State House.
History
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, Brunswick
Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,278 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, , and the...
, Hallowell
Hallowell, Maine
Hallowell is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,467 at the 2000 census.-History:The city is named for Benjamin Hallowell, a Boston merchant and one of the Kennebec Proprietors, holders of land originally granted to the Plymouth Company by the British monarchy in...
, Waterville
Waterville, Maine
Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. The population was 15,722 at the 2010 census. Home to Colby College and Thomas College, Waterville is the regional commercial, medical and cultural center....
, Belfast
Belfast, Maine
Belfast is a city in Waldo County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,668. Located at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River on Penobscot Bay, Belfast is the county seat of Waldo County...
, Wiscasset, and Augusta. Originally, the first capital of Maine was Portland, but it was moved to Augusta because it was centrally located. The Legislature passed and Governor Enoch Lincoln signed the bill
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
establishing Augusta as the capital in 1832.
The lot chosen for the Maine State House by the governor and the Commissions after careful consideration of various sites on both sides of the river contains 34 cres and extending from the old Hallowell road to the Kennebec River
Kennebec River
The Kennebec River is a river that is entirely within the U.S. state of Maine. It rises in Moosehead Lake in west-central Maine. The East and West Outlets join at Indian Pond and the river then flows southward...
. The building was designed by the renowned architect Charles Bulfinch
Charles Bulfinch
Charles Bulfinch was an early American architect, and has been regarded by many as the first native-born American to practice architecture as a profession....
of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and in its original form resembles the Massachusetts State House, another work of his.
About 150 feet (45.7 m) in length, including the central portion with column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s and cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
and two wings extending north and south, the building's cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
was laid on July 4, 1829 amid impressive Masonic ceremonies. Construction was of granite from Hallowell quarries and took three years to complete. The cost of the building was originally estimated to be $80,000, but when completed, expenditures of the building, furnishings and grounds amounted to $139,000, of which $11,500 was contributed by the City of Augusta. The Maine Legislature held its first session in the new state Capitol on January 4, 1832.
The interior of the Capitol was remodeled in 1852 and again in 1860 to provide additional room for state departments. In 1890–1891, a large three-story wing was added to the rear of the building to accommodate the State Library and to provide more office space for departments. Major remodeling of the Capitol during 1909–1910 established the present-day appearance of the building. It was enlarged according to designs by G. Henri Desmond, necessitating the demolition of almost all the old buildings save the front and rear walls. While the noble Bulfinch front was preserved, the length of the building was doubled to 300 feet (91.4 m) by extending the north and south wings. A dome rising to a height of 185 feet (56.4 m) was built to replace the original cupola.
The dome was surmounted by a statue, the draped female figure of Wisdom
Wisdom
Wisdom is a deep understanding and realization of people, things, events or situations, resulting in the ability to apply perceptions, judgements and actions in keeping with this understanding. It often requires control of one's emotional reactions so that universal principles, reason and...
, designed by W. Clark Noble of Gardiner
Gardiner, Maine
Gardiner is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 6,198 at the 2000 census. Popular with tourists, Gardiner is noted for its culture and old architecture.-History:...
, and made of copper overlaid with gold. The House of Representatives occupies the third and fourth floors of the north wing and the Senate chambers occupy similar quarters in the south wing.
The governor's office is located in renovated offices on the second floor at the rear of the central portion of the Capitol along with the Hall of Flags and the law library. The governor's office overlooks the massive, granite State Office Building located to the west of the State House. A recently renovated tunnel connects the State House and the State Office Building. The tunnel houses several Maine wildlife scenes. What most people don't know is that a side tunnel leads to a cold war fallout shelter, large enough to house the Maine senate, house and various other officials and aides. Construction was started on May 5, 1983, under the pretense of renovation; it was finished September 3, 1985, and it has been fully stocked and staffed ever since.
At the south side of the Capitol grounds, the Maine State Library, Maine State Museum
Maine State Museum
The Maine State Museum is the official Maine government's museum and is located at 230 State Street, adjacent to the Maine State House, in Augusta. The State Museum has a large collection of Maine-related topics. The Lion is displayed at the museum and is the oldest American-made locomotive in New...
and Maine State Archives are housed in a modern building.
Throughout the building are portraits of governors and other men and women who have served Maine throughout its history as a province and a state.
To the north, across from the State House, is the Executive Mansion, more commonly known as the Blaine House, which was presented to the State by Harriet Blaine Beale.