Washington State Capitol
Encyclopedia
The Washington State Capitol or Legislative Building in Olympia
is the home of the government of the state
of Washington. It contains chambers for the Washington State Legislature
and offices for the governor, lieutenant governor
, secretary of state and treasurer and is part of a campus
consisting of several buildings. Buildings for the Washington Supreme Court
, executive agencies and the Washington Governor's Mansion
are part of the capitol campus.
in 1853, the city's founder, Edmund Sylvester, gave the legislature 12 acre (4.9 ha) of land upon which to build the capitol, located on a hill overlooking what is now known as Capitol Lake
. A two-story wood-frame building was constructed on the site, where the legislature met starting in 1854. When President Benjamin Harrison
approved Washington's state constitution
in 1889, he donated 132000 acre of federal lands to the state with the stipulation that income from the lands was to be used solely for construction of the state capitol.
and chose the submission of Ernest Flagg
. Construction began on Flagg's plan, but was soon stalled by poor economic conditions with only the foundation completed. When the legislature finally approved an appropriation
of additional funds in 1897, newly-elected Governor John Rogers
vetoed it. Rogers advocated the purchase of the existing Thurston County Courthouse in downtown Olympia, now known as the "Old Capitol" and home to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. The legislature approved the new location and began meeting there in 1905.
was completed during 1920, followed by the Insurance Building and the power and heating plant. After multiple revisions of the plans, the Legislative Building was completed in 1928. Additional buildings on the campus were constructed during the next several decades.
The Capitol Campus was placed on the National Register of Historic Districts in 1974 and contains or contributes to some of the most valued views in the State including the Olympic Mountains, Puget Sound, Mt. Rainier, the Capitol Dome and the Capitol Group of buildings on the hill. The design of the Capitol Campus is a grand example of the City Beautiful style of the Progressive era of the early 20th Century.
The state seal
, which is featured throughout the buildings on the state flag
, tapestries, railing, door handles and elsewhere, was designed by Olympia Jeweler Charles Talcot by making two circles and putting a two-cent stamp of George Washington
in the middle. There is even a bronze version of the seal in the floor of the rotunda. Over time, George Washington’s nose has worn down due to foot traffic on it and it is now roped-off to prevent further damage.
The Legislative Building houses the chambers of the Washington State Legislature and offices of several elected officials. This building is the dominant feature of the capitol grounds, with its dome
287 feet (87 m) high, making it the tallest self-supporting masonry
dome in the United States, and fourth tallest in the world, surpassed only by St. Peter's Basilica
in Rome
, St. Paul's Cathedral in London
, and St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg. A number of features in the structure commemorating Washington’s addition to the Union as the 42nd state—42 steps lead to the building’s North entrance and one of the four 42-star flag owned by the state is displayed in the State Reception Room. Flags with this number of stars were never official because of the admission of Idaho shortly after Washington.
The building has a rectangular footprint and is constructed of brick and concrete and faced on the exterior with limestone quarried from Wilkeson, Washington
. The structure consists of four floors with the dome at the center that reaches a height of 287 ft (87.5 m) on the exterior and 175 ft (53.3 m) from the floor. The first floor is within the raised base and houses offices. The second and third floors are surrounded by Doric
columns and capped with a cornice that encircles the building. The fourth floor is covered with a gabled roof that is situated behind the cornice on the third floor. On the north facade, the entrance is in a portico framed by eight Corinthian
columns reached by 42 granite steps. A similar portico is on the south facade but it covers a vehicle ramp to the lower level instead of steps. The dome is surrounded by four small sandstone domes and capped by a lantern and lightning rod. The floors and many interior walls are covered by Alaskan marble and marble from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy are used in other parts of the interior.
All lamps and Roman fire pots in the rotunda were made by Louis Comfort Tiffany
, son of Charles Lewis Tiffany
, founder of Tiffany and Company. These comprise the largest collection of Tiffany bronze in the world and Tiffany’s last large commission before his death in 1933. The 10000 lb (4,535.9 kg) chandelier above the rotunda is suspended 50 feet (15 m) above the floor by a 101 feet (31 m) chain and measures 25 feet (8 m) tall. It could fit a full-size Volkswagen Beetle
if put in sideways and features life-size faces, human figures, and 202 lights.
The Legislative Building is also home to a large brass bust of George Washington
. Over time, the nose on the bust has become shiny from visitors rubbing it for good luck.
and the State Law Library. Until 1924, the unused boiler and coal rooms located under the Temple of Justice housed the Division of Highways Testing Laboratory, which would later become the Department of Transportation
Materials Laboratory.
The Governor's Mansion
is located immediately west of the Legislative Building. Built before the rest of the capitol campus in 1908, the four-story Georgian
-style mansion was intended as a temporary structure, and over the years the state legislature has considered replacing it with an office building or a new mansion. The legislature decided to renovate and remodel the existing building in 1973, and since then the private, non-profit Governor's Mansion society has maintained it.
The Winged Victory
monument, commemorating World War I
, is one of the most prominent. Sculpted by Alonzo Victor Lewis
from bronze
, its granite
pedestal
has four inscriptions: "They fought to safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom, and democracy" (facing south); the state seal and "To the memory of the citizens of the State of Washington who lost their lives in the service of the United States during the World War 1917–1918" (facing east); "Their sacrifice was to vindicate the principles of peace and justice in the life of the world" (facing west); and "Greater love hath no man than this
, that a man lay down his life for his friend" (facing north). Dedicated May 30, 1938, the monument has been restored numerous times since then.
The Trivoli Fountain replica was designed by the architects Wohleb, Wohleb, and Bennett. Inscribed upon it is "Replica of the Tivoli Fountain—Tivoli Park, Copenhagen
, Denmark
. Presented to the State of Washington by Olympia-Tumwater Foundation. Peter G. Schmidt, President. 1953."
Other points of interest include Chief William Shelton's story pole, the World War II
, Korean War
, and POW-MIA memorials, Du Pen Fountain, Sea to Sky, Untitled Stainless Steel, and the Water Garden.
s have affected the capitol since its construction. The first, during 1949, damaged the cupola
of the Legislative Building's dome
so badly it had to be completely replaced. A 6.5 magnitude
earthquake during 1965 had even worse results, with the dome's brick buttress
es left in such poor condition that a major aftershock
could have caused them to collapse entirely, according to a state report. The state performed work after both earthquakes to reduce the impact of future occurrences, and performed additional seismic improvements during 1975. The Nisqually earthquake
of 2001 caused further damage, including a splintered buttress, but the earthquake-resistance work prevented more serious harm to the building.
Wilder and White’s designs for the dome, weighing 26,000 metric tons, called for the dome to be fixed to its supporting structures by gravity instead of by any bolts or fasteners. During an earthquake, the dome could shift, along with the sandstone
columns supporting it. The columns moved as much as three inches (76 mm) during the Nisqually earthquake. Renovations completed during 2004 by Design Company EYP Architecture & Engineering fixed the dome permanently to the rest of the building.
and Thurston County, the sheriff and city police do not investigate crime on the Capitol campus. The Washington State Patrol
is responsible for law enforcement and investigations on the Capitol grounds as well as at the Old Capitol Building and adjoining Sylvester Park in downtown Olympia. The Senate and House also have their own security staff.
After the September 11th attacks, there had been a security checkpoint at the entrance to the Capitol building, complete with magnetometer
and x-ray machine
, but security has since reverted to its original state. Pocket knives are not allowed, and handguns are allowed for concealed carry permit holders only.
pole and a request by the Westboro Baptist Church
to display a sign saying (among other things) "Santa Claus will take you to hell."
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
is the home of the government of the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Washington. It contains chambers for the Washington State Legislature
Washington State Legislature
The Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a bipartisan, bicameral body, composed of the lower Washington House of Representatives, composed of 98 Representatives, and the upper Washington State Senate, with 49 Senators.The State Legislature...
and offices for the governor, lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Governor of Washington
The Lieutenant Governor of Washington is an elected office in the U.S. state of Washington. The current incumbent is Brad Owen, a Democrat who has served since 1997...
, secretary of state and treasurer and is part of a campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
consisting of several buildings. Buildings for the Washington Supreme Court
Washington Supreme Court
The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the judiciary of the U.S. state of Washington. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Justices. of the Court are elected to six-year terms...
, executive agencies and the Washington Governor's Mansion
Washington Governor's Mansion
The Washington Governor's Mansion is the official residence of the governor of Washington. The Georgian-style mansion is located on the grounds of the State Capitol campus in the capital city Olympia...
are part of the capitol campus.
The First Capitol Building
After Olympia became the capital city of the Washington TerritoryWashington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....
in 1853, the city's founder, Edmund Sylvester, gave the legislature 12 acre (4.9 ha) of land upon which to build the capitol, located on a hill overlooking what is now known as Capitol Lake
Capitol Lake
Capitol Lake is a 3 kilometer long, artificial lake at the mouth of Deschutes River in Tumwater/Olympia, Washington. The Olympia Brewery sits on Capitol Lake in Tumwater, just downstream from where the Tumwater Falls meet the lake...
. A two-story wood-frame building was constructed on the site, where the legislature met starting in 1854. When President Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there...
approved Washington's state constitution
State constitution (United States)
In the United States, each state has its own constitution.Usually, they are longer than the 7,500-word federal Constitution and are more detailed regarding the day-to-day relationships between government and the people. The shortest is the Constitution of Vermont, adopted in 1793 and currently...
in 1889, he donated 132000 acre of federal lands to the state with the stipulation that income from the lands was to be used solely for construction of the state capitol.
The Second Capitol Building
The legislature formed the State Capitol Commission in 1893 to oversee the creation of a new capitol building on the property in Olympia. The commission had a nationwide competition to find an architectArchitect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and chose the submission of Ernest Flagg
Ernest Flagg
Ernest Flagg was a noted American architect in the Beaux-Arts style. He was also an advocate for urban reform and architecture's social responsibility.-Biography:...
. Construction began on Flagg's plan, but was soon stalled by poor economic conditions with only the foundation completed. When the legislature finally approved an appropriation
Appropriation bill
An appropriation bill or running bill is a legislative motion which authorizes the government to spend money. It is a bill that sets money aside for specific spending...
of additional funds in 1897, newly-elected Governor John Rogers
John Rankin Rogers
John Rankin Rogers was the third Governor of the state of Washington. Elected as a member of the People's Party before switching his affiliation to the Democratic Party, Rogers was elected to two consecutive terms in 1896 and 1900, but died before completing his fifth year in office.-Early...
vetoed it. Rogers advocated the purchase of the existing Thurston County Courthouse in downtown Olympia, now known as the "Old Capitol" and home to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. The legislature approved the new location and began meeting there in 1905.
The Third Capitol Building
The courthouse became the location of all agencies of the state government and within a few years the legislature decided the building was too small and a new State Capitol Commission convened in 1911. This time, the commission was interested in constructing a group of buildings to serve as the capitol rather than a single facility and selected the design submitted by the company Walter Wilder and Harry White. Wilder and White’s designs were influenced by the Olmsted brothers who served as consultants from 1911 to 1912 and designed and supervised the landscaping for the campus from 1927 to 1931. Construction of the campus began in 1912, and the Temple of JusticeWashington Supreme Court
The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the judiciary of the U.S. state of Washington. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Justices. of the Court are elected to six-year terms...
was completed during 1920, followed by the Insurance Building and the power and heating plant. After multiple revisions of the plans, the Legislative Building was completed in 1928. Additional buildings on the campus were constructed during the next several decades.
The Capitol Campus was placed on the National Register of Historic Districts in 1974 and contains or contributes to some of the most valued views in the State including the Olympic Mountains, Puget Sound, Mt. Rainier, the Capitol Dome and the Capitol Group of buildings on the hill. The design of the Capitol Campus is a grand example of the City Beautiful style of the Progressive era of the early 20th Century.
Buildings
Located on the campus are the Legislative Building, Temple of Justice, John A. Cherberg Senate office building, Irv Newhouse Senate office building, Insurance Building, John L. O'Brien House office building and several other office buildings. The Capitol Conservatory, built during 1939 by the Works Progress Administration, housed various types of flora until it was permanently closed on September 5, 2008. The campus also hosts many veterans’ memorials.The state seal
Seal of Washington
The Seal of the State of Washington contains a portrait of George Washington, as painted by Gilbert Stuart. The outer ring contains the text "The Seal of the State of Washington" and "1889", the year Washington state was admitted to the Union...
, which is featured throughout the buildings on the state flag
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...
, tapestries, railing, door handles and elsewhere, was designed by Olympia Jeweler Charles Talcot by making two circles and putting a two-cent stamp of George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
in the middle. There is even a bronze version of the seal in the floor of the rotunda. Over time, George Washington’s nose has worn down due to foot traffic on it and it is now roped-off to prevent further damage.
The Legislative Building
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
287 feet (87 m) high, making it the tallest self-supporting masonry
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
dome in the United States, and fourth tallest in the world, surpassed only by St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, St. Paul's Cathedral in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg. A number of features in the structure commemorating Washington’s addition to the Union as the 42nd state—42 steps lead to the building’s North entrance and one of the four 42-star flag owned by the state is displayed in the State Reception Room. Flags with this number of stars were never official because of the admission of Idaho shortly after Washington.
The building has a rectangular footprint and is constructed of brick and concrete and faced on the exterior with limestone quarried from Wilkeson, Washington
Wilkeson, Washington
Wilkeson is a town in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 477 at the 2010 census.-History:Wilkeson was officially incorporated on July 24, 1909 and boasts the oldest operating in Washington state....
. The structure consists of four floors with the dome at the center that reaches a height of 287 ft (87.5 m) on the exterior and 175 ft (53.3 m) from the floor. The first floor is within the raised base and houses offices. The second and third floors are surrounded by Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
columns and capped with a cornice that encircles the building. The fourth floor is covered with a gabled roof that is situated behind the cornice on the third floor. On the north facade, the entrance is in a portico framed by eight Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
columns reached by 42 granite steps. A similar portico is on the south facade but it covers a vehicle ramp to the lower level instead of steps. The dome is surrounded by four small sandstone domes and capped by a lantern and lightning rod. The floors and many interior walls are covered by Alaskan marble and marble from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy are used in other parts of the interior.
All lamps and Roman fire pots in the rotunda were made by Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements...
, son of Charles Lewis Tiffany
Charles Lewis Tiffany
Charles Lewis Tiffany founded Tiffany & Co. in New York City in 1837. A leader in the American jewelry trade in the nineteenth century, he was known for his jewelry expertise, created the country's first retail catalog, and, in 1851, he introduced the English standard of sterling silver.His son,...
, founder of Tiffany and Company. These comprise the largest collection of Tiffany bronze in the world and Tiffany’s last large commission before his death in 1933. The 10000 lb (4,535.9 kg) chandelier above the rotunda is suspended 50 feet (15 m) above the floor by a 101 feet (31 m) chain and measures 25 feet (8 m) tall. It could fit a full-size Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
if put in sideways and features life-size faces, human figures, and 202 lights.
The Legislative Building is also home to a large brass bust of George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
. Over time, the nose on the bust has become shiny from visitors rubbing it for good luck.
Other buildings
Facing the Legislative Building is the Temple of Justice, home to the State Supreme CourtWashington Supreme Court
The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the judiciary of the U.S. state of Washington. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Justices. of the Court are elected to six-year terms...
and the State Law Library. Until 1924, the unused boiler and coal rooms located under the Temple of Justice housed the Division of Highways Testing Laboratory, which would later become the Department of Transportation
Washington State Department of Transportation
The Washington State Department of Transportation , was established in 1905. The agency, led by a Secretary and overseen by the Governor, is a Washington governmental agency that constructs, maintains, and regulates the use of the state's transportation infrastructure...
Materials Laboratory.
Washington Governor's Mansion
The Washington Governor's Mansion is the official residence of the governor of Washington. The Georgian-style mansion is located on the grounds of the State Capitol campus in the capital city Olympia...
is located immediately west of the Legislative Building. Built before the rest of the capitol campus in 1908, the four-story Georgian
Colonial Revival architecture
The Colonial Revival was a nationalistic architectural style, garden design, and interior design movement in the United States which sought to revive elements of Georgian architecture, part of a broader Colonial Revival Movement in the arts. In the early 1890s Americans began to value their own...
-style mansion was intended as a temporary structure, and over the years the state legislature has considered replacing it with an office building or a new mansion. The legislature decided to renovate and remodel the existing building in 1973, and since then the private, non-profit Governor's Mansion society has maintained it.
Art and monuments
There are 18 major art installations and monuments on the campus.The Winged Victory
Nike (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Nike was a goddess who personified victory, also known as the Winged Goddess of Victory. The Roman equivalent was Victoria. Depending upon the time of various myths, she was described as the daughter of Pallas and Styx and the sister of Kratos , Bia , and Zelus...
monument, commemorating World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, is one of the most prominent. Sculpted by Alonzo Victor Lewis
Alonzo Victor Lewis
Alonzo Victor Lewis was an American artist. He is primarily known for public sculptures in the State of Washington; he also painted in the Impressionist style....
from bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
, its 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...
pedestal
Pedestal
Pedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
has four inscriptions: "They fought to safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom, and democracy" (facing south); the state seal and "To the memory of the citizens of the State of Washington who lost their lives in the service of the United States during the World War 1917–1918" (facing east); "Their sacrifice was to vindicate the principles of peace and justice in the life of the world" (facing west); and "Greater love hath no man than this
John 15
John 15 is the fifteenth chapter in the Gospel of John in the New Testament section of the Christian Bible. It is part of what New Testament scholars have called the 'farewell discourses' of Jesus...
, that a man lay down his life for his friend" (facing north). Dedicated May 30, 1938, the monument has been restored numerous times since then.
The Trivoli Fountain replica was designed by the architects Wohleb, Wohleb, and Bennett. Inscribed upon it is "Replica of the Tivoli Fountain—Tivoli Park, Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. Presented to the State of Washington by Olympia-Tumwater Foundation. Peter G. Schmidt, President. 1953."
Other points of interest include Chief William Shelton's story pole, the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, and POW-MIA memorials, Du Pen Fountain, Sea to Sky, Untitled Stainless Steel, and the Water Garden.
Natural Disasters
Three major earthquakeEarthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s have affected the capitol since its construction. The first, during 1949, damaged the 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....
of the Legislative Building's dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
so badly it had to be completely replaced. A 6.5 magnitude
Richter magnitude scale
The expression Richter magnitude scale refers to a number of ways to assign a single number to quantify the energy contained in an earthquake....
earthquake during 1965 had even worse results, with the dome's brick buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es left in such poor condition that a major aftershock
Aftershock
An aftershock is a smaller earthquake that occurs after a previous large earthquake, in the same area of the main shock. If an aftershock is larger than the main shock, the aftershock is redesignated as the main shock and the original main shock is redesignated as a foreshock...
could have caused them to collapse entirely, according to a state report. The state performed work after both earthquakes to reduce the impact of future occurrences, and performed additional seismic improvements during 1975. The Nisqually earthquake
Nisqually earthquake
The Nisqually earthquake was an intraslab earthquake, occurring at 10:54 a.m. PST . on February 28, 2001, and was one of the largest recorded earthquakes in Washington state history. The quake measured 6.8 on the MMS and lasted approximately 45 seconds. The epicenter of the earthquake was Anderson...
of 2001 caused further damage, including a splintered buttress, but the earthquake-resistance work prevented more serious harm to the building.
Wilder and White’s designs for the dome, weighing 26,000 metric tons, called for the dome to be fixed to its supporting structures by gravity instead of by any bolts or fasteners. During an earthquake, the dome could shift, along with the sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
columns supporting it. The columns moved as much as three inches (76 mm) during the Nisqually earthquake. Renovations completed during 2004 by Design Company EYP Architecture & Engineering fixed the dome permanently to the rest of the building.
Quirks of Law and Security
Because the Capitol grounds are outside the normal jurisdiction of OlympiaOlympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
and Thurston County, the sheriff and city police do not investigate crime on the Capitol campus. The Washington State Patrol
Washington State Patrol
The Washington State Patrol is the state police agency for the State of Washington. The first six motorcycle patrolmen of the Highway Patrol were commissioned September 1, 1921. The agency was renamed to Washington State Patrol in June 1933. In 1925 William Cole was appointed as the first...
is responsible for law enforcement and investigations on the Capitol grounds as well as at the Old Capitol Building and adjoining Sylvester Park in downtown Olympia. The Senate and House also have their own security staff.
After the September 11th attacks, there had been a security checkpoint at the entrance to the Capitol building, complete with magnetometer
Magnetometer
A magnetometer is a measuring instrument used to measure the strength or direction of a magnetic field either produced in the laboratory or existing in nature...
and x-ray machine
X-ray machine
An X-ray generator is a device used to generate X-rays. These devices are commonly used by radiographers to acquire an x-ray image of the inside of an object but they are also used in sterilization or fluorescence....
, but security has since reverted to its original state. Pocket knives are not allowed, and handguns are allowed for concealed carry permit holders only.
Controversies
During December 2008, an atheist sign was displayed adjacent to a nativity scene in the State Capitol as part of a Christmas display causing wide-spread media coverage and controversy. The sign was stolen, but eventually found and returned to the state capitol. There was a rapid influx of requests from individuals and groups wanting to display other material, including a FestivusFestivus
Festivus is a secular holiday celebrated on December 23 as a way to celebrate the holiday season without participating in its pressures and commercialism. It was created by writer Dan O'Keefe and introduced into popular culture by his son Daniel, a screenwriter for the TV show Seinfeld, as part of...
pole and a request by the Westboro Baptist Church
Westboro Baptist Church
The Westboro Baptist Church is an independent Baptist church known for its extreme stance against homosexuality and its protest activities, which include picketing funerals and desecrating the American flag. The church is widely described as a hate group and is monitored as such by the...
to display a sign saying (among other things) "Santa Claus will take you to hell."
External links
- State Capitol Visitor Information
- State Capitol Virtual Tour
- Governor's Mansion
- Governor's Mansion Foundation
- Washington State Legislature
- Washington State Capitol - Photographs from a visit to the capitol
- http://www.ga.wa.gov/visitor/facts.htm - Visitor Facts about the state capitol
- http://www.ga.wa.gov/visitor/memorialart.htm – Information on art and statue installations on the capitol campus